Frequently Asked Questions: ELD, GPS Tracking & Fleet Tools
Clear answers on GPS tracking, ELD pairing, install, and support.
Get clear and concise answers to the most common questions about truck tracking technology, its benefits, and how it can improve your fleet management. Whether you're new to tracking or looking to optimize your system, this FAQ will guide you through the essentials.
ELD Compliance & FMCSA Regulations
1. "FMCSA-registered" is on your page. Did the government test this device?
No. The FMCSA does not independently test or endorse any ELD before it goes to market. Manufacturers self-certify that their hardware and software comply with 49 CFR Part 395 regulations and register it on the FMCSA database. The agency investigates devices post-market and revokes non-compliant units. Our Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) (including the P3TS hardware) remain fully compliant, tested, and active on the official FMCSA-registered list.
2. What if FMCSA removes my ELD from the registered list?
Your historical logs remain valid. When the FMCSA revokes an ELD, motor carriers are granted a statutory transition window, typically up to 60 days, to replace the device. Operating with a de-listed ELD past this deadline is cited as a "No ELD" violation (Out-of-Service order). If you source your hardware through Top Tracking System, we monitor registry changes and guarantee a replacement device before the deadline expires.
3. Does the ELD put a camera in my cab or record video?
No. An ELD is strictly an engine-connected computer that logs Hours of Service (HOS), odometer readings, engine hours, and vehicle motion. It contains zero cameras and no microphones. Road-facing and driver-facing cameras are separate, optional safety tools. Explore our Security Cameras for Trucks if you want footage protection, or run your ELD independently with total cab privacy.
4. Can drivers still use personal conveyance and yard moves?
Yes. The driver picks the category in the app and the ELD logs it correctly with the annotation FMCSA expects. It does not block the feature, but misuse shows in the data, so run a weekly self-audit.
5. If my dispatcher edits a log, will a DOT auditor see it?
Yes. Every edit keeps the original value, who changed it, when, and why. A carrier can propose an edit, but the driver must accept it, and engine-recorded driving time cannot be edited to non-driving. Auditors see the full history.
6. What happens to my logs in a cell dead zone?
Nothing is lost. The ELD records on the device and syncs when signal returns. For a roadside check during an outage, the driver shows the screen and transfers the file by USB or Bluetooth, so it works fully offline.
GPS Fleet Tracking & Vehicle Hardware
1. Plug-in (OBD) tracker or hardwired, which should I choose?
A plug-in OBD unit installs in seconds and moves between trucks easily, but a driver can unplug it. A hardwired unit is tamper-resistant and better for trucks you own and keep. We fit both, and either one sends a tamper or power-loss alert.
2. Will GPS tracking make my drivers quit?
It can, if it is used to question every stop. Fleets that keep drivers set alerts for what matters (big route deviations, after-hours use, speeding) and leave the rest alone. The history is there when you need it, not a live feed to watch all day.
3. Is GPS tracking the same as an ELD? Do I still need both?
No. GPS tracking shows location and vehicle data; it is not an FMCSA-registered ELD and does not record Hours of Service. If you are ELD-mandated you need the ELD. GPS-only fits trailers, service vans, and exempt trucks.
4. Can a driver disable or block the tracker?
A plug-in unit can be unplugged; a hardwired unit takes tools and time. Either way you get a tamper or power-loss alert the moment it happens, plus the last known location, so a disconnected tracker is obvious, not silent.
5. What happens to tracking in a dead zone or a tunnel?
The tracker keeps logging to its own memory and uploads the full trip when signal returns, so route history has no gaps. Live location pauses at the last known point until the truck is back in coverage.
6. Do I need a separate tracker for trailers and equipment?
Yes, for anything without its own power. Battery-powered asset trackers run for years on a set reporting interval and appear on the same map as your trucks, so trailers, reefers, and jobsite equipment sit in one view.
Fuel Sensors & Anti-Theft
1. What does a fuel sensor tell me that a fuel card doesn't?
A fuel card shows what you paid for at the pump. A tank sensor shows what is actually in the tank right now and how fast it is dropping. Together they catch off-truck fueling, siphoning, and a slow leak that a card statement would never reveal.
2. Will putting a sensor in the tank void my warranty or cause a leak?
Not when it is done right. The sensor mounts through the existing sender plate or a sealed port, with no cutting, so the tank stays sealed. A certified installer sets it up, and we confirm the fit for your tank type before install.
3. How accurate is it, and does it need recalibration?
After the one-time calibration on a full tank, readings are usually within 1 to 2 percent. That holds unless the sensor is moved or the tank is swapped, so there is no routine recalibration. The software adjusts for temperature changes in diesel volume.
4. Can it tell normal fuel use apart from theft?
Yes. Burning fuel while driving shows as a gradual drop tied to engine hours and miles. Theft shows as a fast drop with the engine off, often at night or off-route, and that is what fires the alert, with location and time attached.
5. Does this work on gas trucks and DEF, or only diesel?
The fuel-level sensor works on diesel and gasoline tanks. It does not read the DEF tank by default, but a second sensor can be added for DEF level if low-DEF derates are a problem for your fleet.
6. Do I need this on every truck or just the ones I suspect?
Start with the trucks where fuel spend does not match the miles, or that sit unattended overnight. Once a sensor pays for itself there, rolling it fleet-wide is usually an easy call. There is no minimum and no long-term contract.
Reefer & Temperature Monitoring
1. Does the sensor control the reefer or just watch it?
It monitors, it does not control. The sensor logs the actual trailer temperature and alerts when it drifts out of range, but it does not change the reefer set point. You get an early warning to act before the load is lost, plus a record of what the trailer actually held.
2. Is this the same as the reefer unit's own temperature readout?
No. The reefer microprocessor logs its own data, but you only see it once the trailer is back and someone downloads it. This sensor sends the trailer temperature to your phone in real time and keeps an independent record a shipper cannot wave off as "the unit was fine."
3. Where does the probe go, and does one cover the whole trailer?
One probe usually sits in the return air near the front bulkhead. For a long trailer or a multi-temp load you add a probe per zone, plus pulp-temp probes for spot checks at the dock. We set the placement to what you haul.
4. Will these records hold up if a receiver rejects a load?
A continuous, time-stamped temperature log with location is the evidence carriers use to fight a rejection or a claim. It shows the load stayed in spec through the trip, or pinpoints when and where it did not, which also helps you recover from the party at fault.
5. Does it help with FSMA compliance?
It covers the record-keeping side. Under the FSMA Sanitary Transport rule the carrier must maintain the temperature the shipper specifies and show records on request. Continuous logging gives you those records without a clipboard; written agreements and training are still on you.
6. Can I add temperature sensors to trailers I already track?
Usually yes. If the trailer has a Top Tracking System GPS unit, a wireless probe pairs to it. If it is on another provider's tracker, you may need our trailer unit. Send us the trailer list and we will tell you what each one needs.
Dash Cams & Fleet Safety
1. Do the cameras watch the driver the whole shift?
Only if you set it that way. The in-cab lens has a physical shutter, and behavior alerts can be turned off so footage is reviewed only after an incident. Many fleets run the road-facing camera alone and never point one at the driver.
2. Will adding cameras make drivers quit?
Unannounced in-cab cameras with constant AI alerts are what drives turnover. Fleets that keep drivers explain the change first, review footage only after an incident, and let drivers cover the lens off duty. A road-facing-only setup rarely causes pushback.
3. Do I have to use the AI alerts?
No. You choose which events are flagged and can switch the in-cab audio prompts off entirely. Some fleets keep only the severe ones, like collision or no-seatbelt at speed, because a flood of false alerts trains drivers to ignore the system.
4. Will cameras lower my insurance premium?
Often. Many commercial insurers offer a credit for road-facing cameras and a larger one for in-cab, and some help pay for the hardware. The amount depends on your carrier and loss history, so confirm it with your agent before you buy.
5. Is the footage continuous or only clips?
Both. The camera records continuously to local storage, usually a few days on a loop, and automatically saves and uploads a short clip around any incident. You can pull any specific window from local storage while it is still there.
6. Who can see the video, and how long is it kept?
Access is limited to the dashboard accounts you authorize. Incident clips stay in the cloud for the retention period you set; continuous local footage rolls off after a few days unless you flag it. You control both.
Connected Tablets & Driver Tools
1. Do I need the tablet to use the ELD, or can drivers use their own phones?
Either works. The ELD app runs on a driver's own phone if they are willing to use it. The tablet is for fleets that want one company-owned, work-only device with an included data plan and no dispute over a driver's personal phone or data.
2. Is the data plan included or a separate bill?
Included. The tablet ships with an active plan sized for logs, navigation, and messaging, on the same monthly invoice as the rest of your Top Tracking service. There is no separate carrier account to set up.
3. Can drivers use it for personal browsing and apps?
Only if you allow it. By default a managed profile limits the tablet to fleet apps, so it stays a work tool. You can open it up per driver from the dashboard if you want to.
4. What navigation does it use, and is it truck-legal?
It runs truck routing that accounts for height, weight, length, and hazmat restrictions, not car GPS. That is the difference between a legal route and a low bridge, and it keeps a dispatched stop and the driver's route in agreement.
5. What happens if a tablet is lost, stolen, or broken?
Lock or wipe it from the dashboard so fleet data is safe, then we ship a replacement already set up with your apps and plan. The driver signs in and picks up where they left off.
6. Does it work where there is no cell coverage?
Navigation and forms keep working offline from cached data, and the tablet syncs messages, logs, and documents when signal returns. A dead zone slows updates, it does not stop the driver.
Still have a question?
Talk to the Miami team about ELD, GPS, or getting a truck online, same number as the header.