Mastering Geotab
★ Geotab Guide · Features
Geotab tracks where every vehicle is and has been, reads its engine data, coaches drivers in the cab and keeps logs, video and maintenance in one MyGeotab account. Here is each feature, how fleets use it and the hardware it needs.
Geotab shows a fleet where each vehicle is, where it went, how it was driven and what its engine reports, all in one web account called MyGeotab. It also handles hours of service logs, dash cam video, trailer tracking, EV and fuel data, and maintenance scheduling.
Most of it runs on the small GO device our technicians fit under the dash. Below, each feature gets a description, a fleet use and the hardware it needs.
Live tracking puts every vehicle on a map with its current position and speed, and Trips History keeps a record of every drive. Trip Replay animates any trip, marking each stop on a playback bar.
Geotab's patented curve logging, built on the Ramer-Douglas-Peucker method, saves a point only when the vehicle's path departs from a straight-line prediction. Geotab's example trims about a hundred one-second fixes on a two-turn drive to as few as four points, with no shortcuts through buildings.
The GO device reads the diagnostic trouble codes the engine computer sets and sends them to the Faults page in MyGeotab. Each row shows the code, a severity from Low to Critical, a status and the protocol, such as J1939, OBD2 or J1708.
Status matters as much as the code. Pending alone may be a one-off; pending and active together means it has repeated and needs a shop visit. Geotab notes a quiet Faults page is not proof of a healthy vehicle.
Coaching gives the driver a signal the moment a rule is broken and gives the manager a score to review. A rule can make the GO device beep three times, send a text to a linked device, or play a spoken message through an IOX-GOTALK.
Typical rules cover speeding over the posted limit, idling, seatbelt use and harsh driving. Geotab's Safety Center, launched in 2024, adds AI risk analysis, peer benchmarking and enhanced collision detection.
Geotab's electronic logging solution is self-certified and registered with the FMCSA, and drivers run it through the Geotab Drive app on a phone or tablet. The app records driving and rest time, supports over 100 rulesets and exemptions, and handles pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
Up to three co-drivers can share one device, and each cab needs Geotab's three driver guides plus spare paper logs for the current trip.
The GO Focus family adds video on the same timeline as speed, braking and location. Each of the three levels needs a GO9-generation or newer tracker to pair with.
Fleet use: after a rear-end claim, the safety manager pulls the clip and the speed trace together and shows the truck was stopped. Its lights are decoded on our GO Focus Plus technical page.
Assets without a driver are covered by the GO Anywhere family and Bluetooth tags, on the same map as the trucks.
Fleet use: a rental yard finds a roll-off container left at the wrong job site without anyone driving around to look.
For electric vehicles, Geotab reports state of charge, battery health, and where, when and how much each one charged, across more than 300 EV makes and models. Its Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment reviews current gas and diesel trips and suggests which vehicles could switch.
For fuel, the Fuel Transactions page, generally available since May 2026, imports fuel card purchases and flags three mismatches: the vehicle was over about 1 km from the pump, the gallons exceed the tank, or the fuel type is wrong. A flag calls for a look, not an accusation.
Maintenance schedules in MyGeotab trigger on time, mileage or engine hours, and they are built in the Maintenance Center. When an interval is reached, the vehicle shows as due with the service needed.
Rules let a manager define what counts as a problem, and every breach is logged as an exception. A rule can send an email, a yellow popup, a red urgent popup, a log-only notice, an in-cab driver alert, or a web request that passes the event to outside software.
MyGeotab reports can be pinned to a dashboard, emailed on a schedule as PDF or Excel files, or rebuilt from custom templates the fleet uploads. For business intelligence tools, Geotab's Data Connector feeds fleet data across without coding.
Fleet use: the office gets an idle and mileage report by email every Monday without logging in.
Geotab is an open platform: its Marketplace lists more than 250 partners across 15 categories, and the MyGeotab API and SDK let developers build their own links, including Add-Ins that appear inside MyGeotab.
Fleet use: a field service company feeds vehicle locations to its dispatch software so the nearest technician gets the next job. On the hardware side, the IOX-RS232 and IOX-CAN bring in scale, sensor and tire data.
IOX modules plug into a GO device and give it jobs it cannot do alone; up to five chain together on a GO9 or GO10. Ones we fit often:
We fit only the modules a fleet will use; the full list is on our Geotab products page.
Most features run on the GO device alone; video, wired inputs and unpowered assets each add one product.
| Feature | Base hardware | Add for more |
|---|---|---|
| GPS tracking, trip history | Any GO device | None |
| Fault codes, engine data | Any GO device | GO9B for J1708 or J1850 vehicles |
| In-cab coaching | GO device buzzer | IOX-BUZZ, IOX-GOTALK |
| ELD and hours of service | GO device, port or harness install | IOX-USB, Geotab Drive app |
| Dash camera video | GO9 or newer | GO Focus, Plus or Pro |
| Trailers, equipment | GO Anywhere Plus or Next Gen | Bluetooth tags for tools |
| EV and fuel | Any GO device | I/O harness or IOX-AUXM for PTO |
| Maintenance reminders | Any GO device | GO Anywhere Plus for equipment hours |
| Rules, alerts, reports | Any GO device | Wired inputs for equipment rules |
Start with the problem costing the most today, such as claims, idling or lost trailers, and buy hardware for that feature first. A GO device installed right leaves room to add dash cams and IOX modules later.
No. A GO device alone covers tracking, trip history, fault codes, rules, beep alerts, reports and maintenance reminders. Video, driver ID, spoken alerts and unpowered assets each add a product.
Yes. A rule can make the GO device beep at the driver, and an IOX-GOTALK turns the beep into spoken words. A dash cam adds video but is not required for coaching.
No. Geotab's Drive guide says three-wire installs do not meet ELD rules, so logging trucks need the GO device on the diagnostic port or a Geotab harness.
API Signal supplies the Geotab hardware behind every feature here and installs it on site at your yard, including the PTO, door and seatbelt inputs your rules depend on. Call 803-513-1009 or Get a Quote; our install guide shows how a rollout runs.
Sources: Geotab Trip Replay, Geotab curve logging, Geotab Faults, Geotab rule notifications, Geotab Safety Center, Geotab ELD, Geotab Drive implementation guide, Geotab EV fleet management, Geotab Fuel Transactions, Truck News on Geotab fuel and idling tools, Geotab maintenance schedules, Reporting in MyGeotab, About the Geotab Marketplace. GEOTAB is a registered trademark of Geotab Inc. Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. API Signal is an independent installer and is not Geotab.
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