10 Best Fleet Tracking Software for Waste Management 

When you’re managing a waste hauling business, there's a lot to track: schedules, routes, drivers, invoices, payments – the list goes on. With so many moving parts, real-time visibility into your fleet is critical. ‍

‍

Fleet tracking software is the solution. It helps you monitor driver progress, and quickly identify any delays or deviations from scheduled routes. 

‍

Most modern platforms use GPS technology to centralize fleet data, making it easier to manage daily operations from a single system. With real-time data and insights, you can make informed decisions that can significantly impact your business’s profitability and efficiency. 

‍

But with so many different solutions to choose from, it can be a daunting task to find the right one. That’s why we have put together this list of the 10 best fleet tracking software solutions for waste management companies. ‍

‍

TL;DR: Best Fleet Tracking for Waste Haulers

• Top Pick: Basestation for waste-specific features like dumpster tracking and integrated billing.
• Safety & AI Leaders: Samsara and Motive leverage AI-powered dashcams for real-time safety alerts and coaching.
• Compliance Experts: Verizon Connect and BigRoad provide robust, automated ELD and regulatory compliance tools.
• Operational Efficiency: AMCS and Navusoft focus on high-level route optimization and seamless ERP integration.
• Specialized Logistics: CRO excels in "assets in motion" logistics for recycling and roll-off operations.
• Fleet Visibility: Powerfleet (Fleet Complete) offers a "single-pane-of-glass" dashboard for high-intensity environments.
• Customization & Access: Geotab is highly expandable through a global marketplace and offers multilingual support.

‍

What is Fleet Tracking Software?

Fleet tracking software, or fleet management software, is a digital system that uses GPS and telematics to monitor the location, movement, and performance of vehicles in real time. In the waste management industry, it helps haulers track trucks, optimize routes, monitor driver activity, and manage daily fleet operations from a central platform.

‍

Most fleet tracking systems collect data from vehicles and display it through a web-based dashboard or mobile app. This allows dispatchers, operations managers, and fleet owners to see where trucks are, how routes are progressing, and where inefficiencies or delays occur. 

‍

Key Features of Fleet Management Software

While capabilities vary by provider, most fleet tracking platforms for waste management include:

• Real-Time GPS Tracking: Live vehicle location data to monitor routes, stops, and progress throughout the day.
  
• Route Optimization & Dispatching: Tools to plan efficient routes, adjust schedules, and reroute trucks based on traffic, service changes, or missed pickups.
  
• Driver Monitoring & Communication: Visibility into driver activity, arrival times, and route adherence, often paired with in-app messaging or mobile driver tools
  
• Reporting & Analytics: Performance reports on route efficiency, fuel usage, idle time, and service completion to support data-driven decisions.
  
• Compliance & Safety Tools: Features such as ELD support, driver behavior monitoring, and audit-ready logs to help meet regulatory requirements.

‍

Benefits for Waste Hauling Businesses

Fleet management software delivers measurable operational and financial benefits, including:

• Improved route efficiency and on-time service
• Lower fuel, labor, and maintenance costs
• Greater visibility across residential and commercial routes
• Faster issue resolution and fewer missed pickups
• Better customer communication with accurate ETAs
• Scalability as fleets and service areas grow

‍

Top 10 Fleet Tracking Solutions to Consider for your Waste Hauling Business

Below are 10 of the top fleet tracking solutions suitable for waste haulers. We outline each solution and its main features to help you determine which fleet tracking software is the right choice for your business.‍

‍

Waste Management Fleet Tracking Comparison Table

‍

1. Basestation

Basestation is a comprehensive software solution designed for waste haulers to streamline their operations. It offers a wide array of features in a simple and user-friendly format so that businesses can save time, stay organized, and reduce administrative headaches.

‍

Basestation provides a suite of tools covering everything that a waste hauler needs, including but not limited to: order management, real-time dispatching and routing, billing and invoicing, and route optimization.

‍

It also provides real-time fleet and asset tracking features so that you know where your assets and vehicles are at all times.

• Central Management Hub: Basestation provides you with a centralized system for managing your entire waste management business. It improves everything from order-taking to route planning and customer communication.‍
• Asset & Fleet Tracking: Track your assets at all times. Fleet tracking enables you to see where your drivers are in real-time so that you can make more informed dispatching and routing decisions.‍
• Driver App: Stay in contact with your drivers via their driver app. You can communicate scheduling details directly to your driver’s smartphone or tablet without distracting them while they’re focused on driving. ‍
• Manage Orders & Plan Routes: This software is designed to meet the unique needs of the waste management industry. It helps you with order taking, route optimization, and customer management.‍
• Easy Implementation: Basestation is cloud-based. There’s nothing to download and you don’t need any special hardware. Access Basestation’s features anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

‍

2. Samsara

Samsara is an all-in-one "Connected Operations" platform that goes beyond basic GPS tracking. It is built to give waste haulers a complete, real-time view of their entire operation, from the trucks on the road to the dumpsters in the yard. Because the platform is cloud-based and customizable, it can be tailored to the specific needs of residential, commercial, or roll-off businesses.

‍

Samsara offers a variety of plug-and-play hardware, including vehicle gateways, high-definition dash cams, and specialized sensors. 

• AI-Powered Safety: HD dash cams use artificial intelligence to detect risky behaviors like distracted driving or tailgating. The system provides real-time, in-cab audio alerts to help drivers correct their habits before an accident occurs.
• Comprehensive Asset Tracking: Easily track assets on a single map. This is useful for waste haulers who need to monitor the location and "time on site" for roll-off containers and heavy equipment.
• Route Optimization: Use smart map overlays to monitor live traffic and weather patterns. This allows dispatchers to reroute drivers instantly, ensuring pickups stay on schedule.
• Enhanced Customer Service: You can send live location links to your customers, providing them with accurate, real-time ETA information and verification of service.
• Fuel & Sustainability Tools: Monitor engine idling and fuel consumption across your fleet. Detailed reports help you identify fuel-wasting patterns and lower your operational costs.
• Real-Time Maintenance: The software tracks engine diagnostics and fault codes in real-time, alerting your team to potential issues.

‍

3. Verizon Connect

Verizon Connect offers a robust GPS fleet-tracking platform designed to help waste haulers improve efficiency and protect their bottom line. The system provides near real-time visibility into vehicle locations and driver progress, allowing dispatchers to respond quickly to new pickup requests or route changes.

Verizon Connect focuses on high-level safety and compliance. With AI-integrated dashcams and automated reporting, it helps waste management companies reduce risk, improve driver safety, and stay on top of strict industry regulations. The platform is accessible via a user-friendly mobile app.

• GPS Tracking: Stay updated with your fleet’s progress using a live map that refreshes every 30 seconds.
• AI Dashcams & Safety: Integrated AI dashcams automatically detect risky behaviors like speeding, harsh braking, and distracted driving. 
• Automated Compliance: Simplify regulatory hurdles with built-in ELD (Electronic Logging Device) support. This feature automates "hours of service" (HOS) tracking and helps fleets stay compliant with Department of Transportation (DOT) and FMCSA rules.
• Proof of Service: Use "Route Replays" and Power Take-Off (PTO) engagement data to show exactly when and where a waste container was picked up or dropped off.
• Asset & Container Monitoring: Track the location and status of trailers and roll-off containers on the same map to improve equipment utilization.
• Smart Maintenance Alerts: Set up automatic notifications for scheduled vehicle services based on mileage or engine hours.
• Commercial Navigation: Access specialized turn-by-turn navigation that keeps drivers on truck-legal roads and away from hazards like low bridges or restricted residential zones.

‍

4. Motive

Motive (formerly KeepTruckin) provides fleet management software complemented by AI-powered features and 24/7 technical support. For waste management companies, Motive is effective at proving service completion and protecting against the high liability risks associated with operating heavy vehicles in residential areas.

‍

The platform is designed to be user-friendly for both drivers and managers. With 24/7 technical support and a central dashboard, it simplifies complex fleet management into actionable data.

• AI-Powered Safety & Coaching: The AI Dashcam Plus detects over 15 unsafe behaviors, such as cell phone use, fatigue, and lane swerving, in real-time. It provides instant in-cab alerts and automated coaching workflows to help drivers correct habits before accidents happen.
• 360° Visibility: The AI Omnicam system provides 360-degree visibility around the truck. This is critical for waste haulers navigating tight alleys, pedestrians, and blind spots.
• Maintenance Tracking: Automatically track engine diagnostics and hydraulic system health. The system sends real-time fault code alerts and schedules preventative maintenance based on mileage or engine hours .
• Automated Compliance: Stay ELD (Electronic Logging Device) compliant with a top-rated mobile app that automates HOS (Hours of Service) and IFTA fuel tax reporting.
• Asset & Dumpster Tracking: Motive Asset Gateways tracks the live location and utilization of roll-off containers and heavy equipment.
• Customer Communication: Improve transparency with automated ETA notifications and live location sharing.

‍

5. CRO

CRO is a specialized ERP and fleet management platform built for the waste, recycling, and construction industries. Unlike general GPS tools, CRO focuses on the high-volume logistics of "assets in motion.”

‍

The software is designed to bridge the gap between the back office and the field, ensuring that every bin drop-off, pick-up, and swap is tracked and billed accurately. 

• Real-Time Tracking: Track trucks, rental dumpsters, and containers. 
• Photo-Verified Service: Drivers can use the mobile app to take photos of completed jobs or "blocked bin" incidents. These photos are automatically attached to the customer record.
• Automated Field-to-Invoice Billing: As soon as a driver marks a job as complete in the app, the data flows directly into the billing system. 
• Route Optimization: The software automatically generates the most fuel-efficient paths for your drivers.
• QuickBooks Integration: CRO offers a robust standalone accounting module but also integrates deeply with QuickBooks (Desktop and Online).
• Automated Customer Alerts: Keep your clients informed with automated email or SMS notifications when a job is dispatched, started, or completed.

‍

6. Geotab

Geotab is a web-based fleet-tracking software that gives you access to all your vehicle and driver information in one place. Both driver and fleet safety benefit from in-vehicle coaching features, which help drivers avoid common driving mistakes.

‍

For waste management companies with a diverse workforce, Geotab’s support for over 14 languages makes it one of the most accessible options on the market.

‍

What sets Geotab apart is its expandability. Through the Geotab Marketplace, haulers can integrate specialized third-party tools like onboard scales, bin sensors, and waste-specific dispatching software.

• In-Vehicle Coaching & GO TALK: Improve driver safety with real-time audible alerts. The GO TALK feature provides spoken instructions to drivers when they exceed speed limits, brake harshly, or deviate from their schedule.
• Active Tracking: See your fleet’s location in near real-time with high-frequency GPS updates.
• Engine Diagnostics & PTO Monitoring: Access deep engine data to monitor fuel usage and engine hours. For waste trucks, Geotab can track Power Take-Off (PTO) engagement.
• Safety Scorecards: Use predictive analytics to identify at-risk drivers before an accident occurs.
• Open Platform & SDK: Use the MyGeotab Software Development Kit (SDK) and APIs to integrate your fleet data directly with your existing billing, payroll, or route optimization software.
• Fuel Management: Track idling trends and fuel consumption across your entire fleet. Geotab also offers Electric Vehicle (EV) suitability assessments.

‍

7. Powerfleet (formerly Fleet Complete)

Powerfleet offers a versatile fleet-tracking platform that allows waste haulers to manage their entire operation from a single screen. The system is designed for high-intensity environments, providing real-time visibility that helps managers improve route efficiency and quickly address safety risks.

‍

With a focus on "all-in-one" visibility, Fleet Complete helps waste management companies reduce administrative overhead by centralizing telematics, video, and maintenance data.

• Unified Dashboard: Track, monitor, and manage your entire fleet and all your equipment on one map. This "single-pane-of-glass" view makes it easy to oversee high-volume waste routes.
• AI-Powered Vision Dashcams: Integrated dual-facing cameras use AI to detect high-risk behaviors like tailgating, lane drifting, and distracted driving. 
• Collision Detection & Reconstruction: Advanced G-sensor hardware detects accidents the moment they happen.
• Automated ELD & IFTA Compliance: Simplify back-office work with automated Hours of Service (HOS) logging and IFTA fuel tax reporting. The software is certified for use in both the U.S. and Canada.
• Mobile-First Management: Access your live fleet maps, video clips, and driver safety scores from any mobile device.
• Engine Diagnostics & Maintenance: Connect directly to your trucks' Engine Control Modules (ECM) to monitor vehicle health. Receive real-time alerts for fault codes to schedule preventative repairs before a truck breaks down on a route.‍

‍

8. Big Road

BigRoad (by Powerfleet) is an all-in-one platform known for its simplicity and reliability in fleet management and telematics. For fleet managers, it provides a centralized dashboard that monitors vehicles in real time, helping coordinate daily pickups and maintain operational transparency.

• ECM Integration: The Fleet Tracker connects directly to the vehicle’s Engine Control Module (ECM) to monitor real-time engine health metrics.
• Live GPS & Historical Data: View your entire fleet’s current location on a live map and access historical trip data to review past routes. 
• AI-Powered Video Telematics: BigRoad bundles include AI-driven, dual-facing dash cams. These cameras record critical events and provide in-cab feedback to help drivers avoid traffic violations and improve overall road safety.
• Simplified ELD & IFTA Compliance: BigRoad is a leader in electronic logging, offering FMCSA-certified and 3rd-party certified (Canada) ELD solutions. It automates Hours of Service (HOS) and IFTA fuel tax reporting, significantly reducing the burden of manual paperwork.
• Power Take-Off (PTO) Monitoring: Specialized sensors can track PTO engagement, allowing waste haulers to verify exactly when and where a compactor was activated or a bin was lifted.
• Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVIR): The "Inspect" app allows drivers to quickly complete and submit digital inspection reports. 
• Asset & Tool Tracking: BigRoad offers battery- and solar-powered trackers for roll-off containers, trailers, and heavy equipment.

‍

9. Navusoft

Navusoft is a cloud-based platform for service-based waste management businesses. By unifying CRM, ERP, and fleet operations into a single database, it eliminates the need for disconnected spreadsheets and legacy systems. 

‍

For waste haulers, Navusoft provides visibility from the office to the field so managers can dispatch drivers and track service completion at all times. Its role-based mobile apps provide customized workflows for drivers, supervisors, and sales teams. This ensures that every member of the team has the specific tools they need.

• Fleet Visibility: Monitor your entire fleet's movements and status from a live map accessible on any smartphone or tablet.
• Route Supervisor App: Field managers can manage and optimize routes directly from their mobile devices. 
• Performance Monitoring: Automatically compare a driver’s actual arrival time against the scheduled ETA. This data helps identify inefficiencies and improves the accuracy of future route planning.
• Role-based Mobile Apps: Specialized interfaces for different job functions (drivers, supervisors, and sales) ensure that employees only see the data relevant to their own tasks.
• Service Verification & Documentation: Drivers can capture images of completed pickups or "blocked bin" exceptions and collect electronic signatures in the field. 
• Geofencing for Key Locations: Set up virtual boundaries around customer sites, disposal facilities, and equipment yards. 
• Automated Field-to-Billing Sync: As soon as a job is completed in the mobile app, the data flows directly into the billing module.

‍

10. AMCS

AMCS offers a variety of products tailored to fleet management, tracking and maintenance, as well as route optimization. This makes it a suitable solution for the transport, recycling, and waste management industries. 

‍

The platform is highly scalable and has deep integration capabilities. Whether you are a municipal operator or a private hauler, AMCS provides Transport Automation that links your back office directly to the trucks in the field. This ensures that every route is executed as planned and every service event is captured for accurate billing.

• Route Optimization: AMCS Fleet Planner uses algorithms to automate the planning of master routes and daily ad-hoc orders. 
• Proactive Vehicle Maintenance: The software automates work orders based on real-time vehicle diagnostic codes. This preventive approach reduces the risk of on-route breakdowns.
• AMCS Vision AI: This industry-specific AI solution uses on-vehicle cameras to automatically identify material contamination in bins or detect overfilled containers. 
• Telematics & Live Performance Map: Get up-to-the-minute visibility with a "Transport Live View." This map displays the real-time location of your fleet and compares actual progress against the planned route.
• Comprehensive Waste ERP Integration: AMCS Telematics and Fleet Planner communicate seamlessly with the AMCS Platform (ERP). This allows for real-time exchange of order data, customer contracts, and complex waste pricing models.
• Proof of Service & Image Capture: Field crews can use the mobile app to capture photos and digital signatures for every pickup. This data is automatically synced to the customer’s record, providing a clear audit trail. 

‍

Conclusion

Whether you use it for route mapping, navigation, or enhanced security, you need your fleet tracking software for waste hauling businesses to be user-friendly. It should be easy to implement and quick to set up, with all the features your business needs. 

‍

Do you need an all-in-one fleet tracking and management solution that is specifically built for the waste industry? Try Basestation. 

‍

Our software is designed to meet the unique needs of front-load commercial, roll-off, curbside residential, and portable toilet and septic haulers. Not only does Basestation provide fleet tracking features, but it also has features specifically built for the waste industry, such as order management, dispatching and routing, dumpster tracking, and billing and invoicing. Discover what Basestation can do for your fleet management and tracking by booking a demo today.

‍