Work out the true cost of an ELD system for your fleet: upfront, monthly and over the full contract.
What ELDs really cost
ELD pricing has two parts: hardware (often $100 to $250 per vehicle, sometimes free with a contract) and a monthly subscription that typically runs $20 to $45 per truck depending on the provider and how much fleet management functionality is bundled in. Providers structure these very differently, which is why the only fair comparison is total cost over the same contract length, the figure this calculator produces alongside a per-truck-per-year rate.
Compliance context
The FMCSA ELD mandate requires most drivers who keep records of duty status to use a device on the FMCSA registered ELD list, and the agency has removed dozens of devices from that list in the last two years, forcing carriers to replace them at short notice. Choosing an established provider reduces the risk of paying for a migration you did not plan. Penalties for running without a compliant device are severe: 2026 maximum civil penalties for HOS violations reach $19,246 per violation for carriers.
Getting more than compliance
The price difference between a bare compliance ELD and a full telematics platform is often only $10 to $20 per truck per month, and the extra spend buys GPS tracking, fuel and idle reporting, and maintenance alerts that can pay for themselves. We compare over 50 providers in our ELD guide, including pricing where published, so shortlist two or three and run their real quotes through this calculator.
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