Geotab Fleet GPS Tracking: The Whole Picture, From the People Who Install It

Who Geotab Is

Geotab was founded in 2000 in Oakville, Ontario, by Neil Cawse, who still runs it as CEO. It began as a two-person company and passed five million connected vehicle subscriptions in 2025, its 25th year. Geotab's own figures now put the count at roughly six million vehicles and assets, more than 100,000 customers and around 100 billion data points processed every day.

Two things set Geotab apart from most of the field. First, it builds its own hardware, its own firmware and its own software, rather than buying a tracker from one supplier and a platform from another. Second, it sells almost entirely through a network of more than 700 partner companies instead of a direct sales force. In early 2025 ABI Research ranked Geotab the number one commercial telematics vendor in the world for the fourth year in a row.

What that means for a fleet owner is simple. You will almost never buy Geotab from Geotab. You buy it from a partner who sets your price, writes your contract and handles your support, and the quality of that partner shapes your experience as much as the product does.

How the System Is Put Together

Every Geotab setup has the same three layers, and it helps to know them before you talk to anyone about price.

• The GO device. A small unit wired or plugged into the vehicle's diagnostic port. It reads location, speed, engine data and fault codes, and sends them over the cellular network.
• MyGeotab. The web software where the office sees the map, the reports, the alerts and the maintenance schedule. Drivers use a separate phone app, Geotab Drive, for logs, inspections and messages.
• Add-ons. Cameras, driver ID readers, buzzers, sensors and hundreds of third-party apps that plug into the same account through what Geotab calls IOX modules and its Marketplace.

The Current Hardware at a Glance

Geotab's lineup changed in 2026. The new GO10, which Geotab calls the Next Gen GO, went on sale in the US and Canada in April 2026 and is now the flagship. The GO9 family is still supported and still the right answer for some vehicles. Each device gets its own detailed page in this guide; this is the short version.

What Geotab Tracks and Reports

The list is long, so here are the parts fleet owners actually use day to day.

• Location and trips. The device reads GPS every second, then its own patented logic keeps only the points needed to redraw the route accurately. That is why Geotab trip maps follow the road closely without burning through data.
• Driver behavior. Speeding, harsh braking, hard acceleration, harsh cornering, seatbelt use and idling, with scorecards and an optional in-cab buzzer or voice coaching.
• Collisions. Separate rules for minor and major impacts based on g-force, plus tools that reconstruct what happened in the seconds before.
• Engine health. Remote fault codes ranked by how serious they are, maintenance reminders by mileage or engine hours, and work orders. Geotab says it covers over 15,000 makes and models, including hybrids and electric vehicles.
• Electric vehicles. Battery charge and health, charging alerts and an assessment that shows which of your gas vehicles could switch to electric.
• Compliance. FMCSA-certified electronic logging for hours of service, driver inspection reports from a phone, and IFTA fuel tax reporting.
• Assets and tools. Trailers and equipment through GO Anywhere, and Bluetooth tags for smaller tools that get read by trucks driving past.

On the software side, Geotab has added an AI assistant called Geotab Ace, which lets the office ask questions in plain English instead of building reports by hand. In June 2026 it also launched a connector that lets outside AI tools read live fleet data, and in October 2026 it announced its own fuel card.

What Geotab Actually Costs

Geotab doesn't publish prices, and that is not an oversight. Each partner sets its own rates, plans and contract terms. Independent reviews published in 2026 put typical bundled plans at roughly 30 to 40 dollars per vehicle per month, with hardware bought outright landing at roughly 80 to 120 dollars a unit. Higher-tier plans unlock features such as hours-of-service logging, fuel management and predictive maintenance.

Before you sign, ask three questions: how long is the contract, does the monthly fee go up each year, and what costs extra on top of the base plan. Installation is usually quoted separately, and it is the one line item where cutting corners costs the most later.

Where Geotab Fits, and Where It Doesn't

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Geotab device do I need?

For most vehicles built from the early 2010s on, the GO10. For older vehicles, Geotab still recommends the GO9B. Heavy equipment that gets washed down needs the GO9 RUGGED, and trailers without power get a GO Anywhere.

Can I install it myself?

Some units plug into the diagnostic port, but the GO10 requires a Geotab harness. Geotab itself recommends an authorized installer whenever panels have to come off, the port is somewhere risky or the device can't be secured.

Will my old Geotab harnesses work with the GO10?

Not directly. The GO10 uses a new connector, so it needs GO10 harness kits or Geotab's bridge adapter for specialty harnesses.

Does API Signal supply the hardware?

Yes. We can supply the equipment along with the installation, or install hardware you have already bought, whatever the brand.

Keep Going Through the Geotab Guide

Sources: Facts on this page come from Geotab's own published material, including its About page, device documentation on support.geotab.com and its 2025 and 2026 press releases, plus independent reviews from TechRadar and Tech.co (2026), G2 and Capterra. Prices are third-party estimates; your actual price is set by the company you buy from. GEOTAB is a registered trademark of Geotab Inc. API Signal is an independent installer and is not Geotab.