No — GPS tracking hardware by itself does not make a fleet ELD compliant. The device has to be paired with software on the FMCSA's registered ELD list before it satisfies the electronic logging mandate. API Signal installs the GPS and telematics hardware those systems run on, across many brands, in Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of North Carolina — this guide explains where the line actually falls.
No. A GPS tracker records vehicle location; an ELD records a driver's hours of service in the format FMCSA requires. The two overlap — most ELD systems run on the same physical hardware as a fleet's GPS tracker — but the tracking hardware alone doesn't satisfy the mandate. Compliance comes from pairing that hardware with software on FMCSA's registered ELD list.
GPS tracking gives a fleet manager location, speed, and idle data for dispatch and safety. An ELD automatically records driving time, engine hours, vehicle movement, and location specifically for federal hours-of-service records, for drivers required to keep records of duty status. The same wiring into a vehicle's diagnostic port often drives both, but they answer different questions.
The FMCSA mandate generally covers commercial motor vehicles operated by drivers required to keep hours-of-service records — typically vehicles over 10,001 lbs GVWR used in interstate commerce. Short-haul exceptions and some vehicles that never leave a small radius around their home terminal can be exempt. That determination belongs to the carrier's compliance officer, not the installer — we're not able to make that call for you.
Yes, commonly. Many telematics brands, Geotab included, sell a single hardware unit that plugs into the vehicle's diagnostic port and feeds both a fleet-tracking dashboard and a certified ELD app. That's why API Signal treats it as one install rather than two separate truck visits.
The installation itself isn't what gets checked at the roadside — FMCSA can place a fleet out of service for running an ELD solution that isn't on the current registered device list. That list changes over time, so it's worth verifying the software — not just the hardware — before rollout, not after an inspection.
Yes. API Signal is a brand-agnostic installer — we mount and wire the GPS and telematics hardware that ELD software runs on, across many manufacturers, not just one platform. We don't provide legal compliance sign-off; confirming the software is FMCSA-registered is the fleet's or vendor's call. What we control is making sure the hardware itself is installed and wired correctly.
A loose or misrouted connection at the diagnostic port can cause dropped location pings, false idle time, or gaps in an hours-of-service log — exactly the kind of error that shows up during a roadside inspection. Clean installation across a whole fleet is what keeps the automatically generated log matching what actually happened on the road.
API Signal installs GPS, telematics, and ELD-capable hardware across Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of North Carolina — on whichever brand your fleet already runs, or the one you're switching to. See what fleet GPS installation costs or questions to ask before you buy before you schedule, then call to get vehicles on the calendar.
We install the hardware — most ELD-capable units and standalone GPS trackers use the same physical installation. Which software runs on top is decided separately by the fleet.
We can look at what's installed and tell you what the hardware is capable of. Whether the paired software is currently FMCSA-registered is something to confirm directly with that vendor or FMCSA's list, since registration changes.
For fleets in one location, yes — we schedule the whole fleet across a single visit when vehicles are staged and ready. Multi-location fleets are usually split into a few visits.
No — that's on the software side, handled by the fleet or the telematics vendor. We handle the physical install and wiring so the hardware reports clean data once the software side is set up.
We install GPS, cameras and telematics across GA, SC & NC — at your yard, on your schedule.