Telematics

Telematics is the combination of GPS positioning and vehicle data transmitted over mobile networks that lets a fleet see where its vehicles are, how they are being driven and what condition they are in.

In practice, telematics ranges from a phone app tracking trips to an installed device streaming second-by-second position, ignition, engine data and driver events. What matters is what the data is used for: live visibility, journey history, maintenance triggers, fuel and tax reporting, and safety.

The honest comparison between phone-based and device-based telematics is in what phone tracking shows and misses.

Last updated 10 July 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice.