Skip to content
See the Magic
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Real-Time Location Tracking

What is Real-Time Location Tracking?

Real-Time Location Tracking gives you continuous visibility into where your trucks are without interrupting drivers with check calls. Through ELD integrations and the Driver Mobile App's GPS sharing, TMS.ai shows current truck locations on maps within order and manifest views, updating every 15 minutes automatically. You see the last known location of each truck, track progress toward delivery, and identify delays before customers call asking for updates.

Location data feeds directly into operational workflows. When viewing an order, the map displays the truck's current position alongside pickup and delivery locations, making it easy to estimate arrival times and communicate accurate ETAs to customers. The integration between ELD location data and TMS.ai's HERE Maps ETA calculator creates a complete picture: where the truck is now, where it's going, and when it's expected to arrive. If delays develop, the system identifies them automatically based on comparing actual location to planned schedule, triggering notifications so you can take action before the delivery window passes.

How Real-Time Location Tracking works:

  1. Enable ELD integration: Connect your ELD provider (Motive, Samsara, Geotab, Verizon Connect, EROAD, Fleet Complete, ISAAC, or any of the 100+ supported providers) through the integration settings in TMS.ai. With a paid subscription, location data refreshes automatically every 15 minutes for all active orders.
  2. Driver Mobile App location sharing: Drivers open the TMS.ai mobile app, navigate to the "Active" tab, and enable "Sharing Location" to allow the app to access their device's GPS. The app requests location permission from the device operating system during this step.
  3. Driver control over sharing: Drivers control location sharing and can turn it off at any time through the app. Location sharing runs in the background without requiring the app to be open continuously, but drivers have full control over when they share their location.
  4. View location on order maps: Open any order or manifest to see the truck's current location displayed on the map view. The map shows pickup locations, delivery locations, and the truck's current position with clear visual markers.
  5. Last Known Location field: The Last Known Location field displays the truck's most recent GPS coordinates and timestamp, showing exactly when the position was last updated. This ensures you know how current the location data is.
  6. Automatic location updates: With a paid ELD subscription, location data refreshes every 15 minutes without any manual action required. The map view and Last Known Location field update automatically as new location data arrives from the ELD.
  7. Manual ELD connection (free tier): Users on the free subscription can manually enable ELD integration for individual orders. Navigate to an order you want to track, click "Connect to ELD" in the data panel, and log in with your ELD credentials. The driver's last known location appears on the map and in the Last Known Location field for 30 minutes.
  8. Re-enable after timeout: On the free tier, you can re-enable the ELD connection every 30 minutes by clicking "Connect to ELD" again and logging in. This provides location data for another 30-minute window.
  9. ETA calculation integration: Location data feeds into HERE Maps ETA calculations automatically. The system uses current truck position, remaining distance, traffic conditions, and historical drive time patterns to calculate expected arrival time.
  10. Delay detection: When the system calculates that a truck won't arrive within the requested delivery window based on current location and drive time remaining, it marks the order as delayed and sends notifications to dispatch and account managers.
  11. Map view for planning: Use the map view during dispatch planning to see where all trucks are currently located. This helps you assign loads to drivers who are already positioned near pickup locations, reducing deadhead miles.

What it means for you:

Check calls become the exception instead of the rule. Your team sees where every truck is at a glance, eliminating the need to interrupt drivers for status updates every few hours. When customers call asking for delivery ETAs, you provide accurate answers in seconds based on current location rather than guessing or promising to call them back.

The visibility helps you catch problems early. If a truck isn't making progress toward its delivery, you spot it in time to communicate with the customer proactively or arrange backup coverage. Detention and late fees decrease because you're managing delivery timing based on actual position rather than hoping the driver arrives on time. Your operation runs with more certainty because you're working with facts about where trucks are, not assumptions about where they should be. Customer calls asking "where's my truck?" drop by 75%, and your on-time delivery rate improves by 25% because you're managing exceptions before they become failures.