FleetUp Review

Why FleetUp Is Best for Mixed Assets

Many GPS fleet tracking solutions primarily focus on vehicles. FleetUp is unique in recognizing that vehicles often move a business’s real priority — cargo. We were impressed that the company offers a singular interface for tracking containers, drivers and their vehicles. Managers can monitor everything from cargo temperature to cables being cut at 10-second intervals through various hardwired, plug-and-play and solar-powered trackers. 

For example, FleetUp’s magnetic and waterproof 4CJ tracker has a 90-day battery life and can send automatic break-in alerts and facilitate remote unlocking. The device can also be equipped with solar charging for an indefinite lifespan. FleetUp offers smart electronic cargo seals that combine security and tracking. You can unlock them remotely online or via RFID cards. FleetUp also supports tracking links with live ETA updates that can remain active for up to a year. 

We appreciate that remotely monitoring assets like pallets helps managers better track decoupling and deliveries as well as vehicles. Geofencing is standard, and fleet managers can direct high-value cargo to drivers with low-risk routes. For these reasons and more, FleetUp is our choice for the best fleet tracking system for managing both assets and vehicles. 

FleetUp’s 4CJ asset tracker tracks your container’s GPS location at 10-second intervals and sends clients live ETA data. Source: FleetUp

Usability

FleetUp’s interface is on par with its industry rivals. We like the straightforward tabs across its GPS fleet tracking dashboard, which are divided into clear sections (e.g., Compliance, Geofence, Chat, etc.). Radio buttons along the left-hand side help you break down mapping or content into subcategories, and the Google-powered maps are as clear as we’ve come to expect.

FleetUp makes monitoring your fleet and assets easy; its plug-and-play hardware means your drivers will be on the road in no time. The driver and admin mobile apps boost the platform’s usability, helping fleet managers and drivers communicate and access vital functions. 

We like that admins can see a map of stops made by each vehicle and view the top five drivers alongside a Coaching button to help drivers who need improvement. Other online services include a document scanner, driver messaging utility and remote job assignments.

FleetUp’s dashboard is easily navigable from the desktop or the supervisor mobile app. Source: FleetUp

FleetUp Features

FleetUp has several notable features, including the following key attributes:

Easy-to-use dashcam 

We liked FleetUp’s compact dual-facing dashcam, which provides welcome features for improving fleet health and safety, including live footage. Real-time driver coaching is available through a voice assistant. Recorded and time-stamped events are saved locally and uploaded to the cloud once a signal is available, making the coaching feature ideal for remote areas. We also like that the device will record alarming driver behavior like hard braking and acceleration. However, we were disappointed it lacks the omnidirectional views provided by some rivals. For example, our review of Teletrac Navman details this platform’s more extensive dashcam capabilities.

Annotation labeling splits events into three risk categories — high, medium and low — with a separate option for admins to flag events as “false.” We like that managers can determine whether they want to know about low-risk events (such as a vehicle taking a speed bump a bit too quickly) or stick to alerts about more critical events. This unusual feature is extremely beneficial if you’ve got a large fleet to supervise and don’t want to be bothered by every instance of possible driver inattention or imperfect driving.

FleetUp’s annotation labeling categorizes driver infractions as high, medium or low risk. Source: FleetUp

Vehicular health management 

Fleet management systems are increasingly holistic, covering vehicle health as well as activities to help reduce fleet maintenance costs. FleetUp allows admins and managers to create centralized maintenance schedules and conduct engine remote health alerts to identify diagnostic issues or faulty components. These alerts are passed on as live notifications via the desktop interface, mobile app or SMS and can be included in daily bulletins.

Companies are increasingly keen to reduce fleet fuel costs wherever possible, so we were impressed that FleetUp has developed a patented fuel waste algorithm. It’s based on a percentage score calculated from factors including fleet idle time and instances of harsh braking. Anything that helps fleets reduce operating costs is to be applauded, especially in the current economic climate.

FleetUp makes it easy to create a fuel analysis report that identifies your top idlers and more. Source: FleetUp 

Asset monitoring 

FleetUp’s asset monitoring options impressed us and will help prevent and track fleet equipment theft. Need a solar-powered tracker for a pallet? FleetUp has you covered. Want to monitor a trailer’s temperature and humidity? Not a problem. Need to know where your assets are in real-time? FleetUp’s 10-second refresh rate can help keep you on top of your fleet’s whereabouts. You can even adjust your refresh rate up to 60 seconds if less frequent updates are preferred (this would be unusual). However, if you need true real-time asset tracking, check out our Samsara review. This vendor refreshes every second. 

Asset pairing is also offered alongside the usual customizable geofencing criteria (entry/exit points, duration, etc.). We like that you can assign individual geofence area names within the system and color-code them or define customizable speed limits within specific areas. We also like that you can monitor how long vehicles travel between one geofenced area and another. A remote shut-off feature prevents unauthorized vehicle use, which could help bring down insurance costs. 

FleetUp users can create customized digital fences around specific areas. Source: FleetUp

Customizable reporting 

FleetUp’s reporting capabilities impressed us. The platform has 20 reporting categories, including assets, idling, odometer readings and trip data. Data is stored for up to six months by default. Reports can be exported as PDF or XLS files or emailed to specific individuals. 

Similarly, 30 vehicular alerts can be customized and tailored to specific scenarios (for example, a cable being cut or batteries running low) and sent in live or daily updates via the desktop interface, the mobile app or SMS. You can also configure and customize alerts for situations like idling or OBD II devices being unplugged. Multiple temperature and humidity sensors will reassure fleet managers with fragile or perishable cargo, while break-in and tampering alerts can be issued within 10 seconds of an event.

FleetUp helps you create customized alerts you can send via SMS. Source: FleetUp

Mobile apps

FleetUp has two apps. There is one aimed at drivers and another for administrators. Both are available for iOS and Android devices. The driver-facing app is easy to use. It features an hours of service (HoS) voice assistant, tutorials, parking help and vehicle location using QR code scanning.

The admin app provides granular oversight of every asset in the fleet and tools to manage staff, customers and projects. It lets managers share live ETAs, livestream dashcam videos, remotely disengage engines, lock container doors, and customize automated incident alerts. 

FleetUp has mobile apps for drivers and supervisors to streamline operations. Source: FleetUp

FleetUp Cost

We were disappointed that FleetUp doesn’t disclose pricing on its website. However, a representative confirmed that plans range from $20 to $40 per vehicle per month. 

There are four fleet management plans (note that equipment and additional asset plans and add-ons will add to your total costs):

• Standard: Standard covers basic GPS tracking, geofencing and reporting.
• Compliance: Compliance adds electronic logging device (ELD) and HoS monitoring.
• Advanced: Advanced unlocks fuel analysis and engine diagnostics.
• Professional: Professional brings all features and functionality into one platform.

Most businesses will seemingly want or need the functions in the Professional tier, but since pricing is so opaque, it’s hard to recommend one plan over another or gauge which tier gives you the most bang for your buck. This approach is regrettably commonplace across much of the GPS fleet tracking industry, though some companies are open and aboveboard about the cost of individual assets. 

FleetUp Setup

Your setup time will depend on the size of your fleet and the alerts you want to customize. You can easily log into the dashboard and create driver accounts. (FleetUp says it can service fleets of all sizes, but many clients have less than 10 vehicles.) The plug-and-play hardware can be set up quickly, while hard-wired installation can be achieved in less than 10 minutes, even without a tech’s assistance.

During setup, you’ll see that FleetUp’s interface is intuitive but busy. FleetUp has tried to make the numerous tabs required for a single-view setup as apparent as possible, and you can disable alerts from appearing at the bottom of the screen to make your screen view less cluttered. Still, you’ll want to spend some time under the hood experimenting with the less obvious menus like Sharing and Job to get the most from the platform. For example, Action Steps offer greater insights into modifying driver behavior, but only if you click the appropriate drop-down button. 

The Google-powered mapping is as reliable as you’d expect with the usual satellite and traffic overlays. 

FleetUp Customer Service

We were impressed that FleetUp lists its phone number prominently on its website. Many competitors we reviewed weren’t so forthcoming. You can also access help via email and an online form. However, support is only available between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST. These limited hours may be a drawback for some companies. 

The FleetUp website also hosts videos, customer profiles, a searchable database of industry-wide white papers, and corporate blogs (which are constantly updated). It also has detailed product datasheets and an FAQ section. Compliance resources such as DOT reference cards and cargo security guides can be found in the website’s Contact section.

Drawbacks

FleetUp has many plusses, but we did identify some drawbacks: 

• Opaque pricing: FleetUp’s biggest drawback is its opaque pricing. Businesses must contact the company for a custom quote and can’t get a general idea of costs without talking to a sales rep — a downside many of its rivals share. FleetUp also doesn’t stipulate how long its minimum contract period is.
• Limited data: Although FleetUp provides reasonably detailed mapping, it lacks the power and sewage line data found on Verizon Connect, which also provides height and weight restriction data for many minor roads. Read our Verizon Connect review to learn more.
• Limited integrations: While FleetUp has an open API, it lacks the extensive third-party integrations some competitors offer. If integrations are important to you, check out our review of Motive. This vendor offers around 150 integration options.
• Limited driver rewards: Although FleetUp has driver scorecards, there are no rewards or incentives for drivers to improve flagged behaviors. Read our review of Force Fleet Management if you’re interested in a vendor that prioritizes driver incentives.

Methodology

Finding the right GPS fleet tracking system can be challenging, so we did some of the hard work for you. We spent hours researching and analyzing the best GPS fleet management systems to identify the top solutions on the market. We looked at hardware, features, pricing and contracts, usability, refresh times and customer support. We got hands-on experience with demos and product videos when possible. When searching for the best GPS fleet tracking system for mixed assets, we looked at tools for tracking containers and specialized functions for temperature and humidity monitoring. 

Overall Value

We recommend FleetUp for …

• Companies placing as much value on assets and trailers as they do on vehicles.
• Fleet managers keen to have a single-view interface allied to a dedicated admin app.
• Businesses that want their drivers to have a full mobile app to support their work.
• Businesses engaged in cross-border travel or those with an international footprint.

We don’t recommend FleetUp for …

• Managers who want transparent pricing and contract information.
• Companies who want to incentivize improvements in driver behavior.