About Motive
Motive (rebranded from KeepTruckin in 2022) is Samsara's closest competitor in connected-fleet, with stronger owner-operator and small-fleet penetration plus a growing mid-market push. Core products are the Motive ELD/Vehicle Gateway, AI Dashcam, Driver App, and Spend (fuel card). Motive positions itself as more affordable and more driver-focused than Samsara, with an open Marketplace and developer API. Many carriers under 50 trucks land on Motive first; some migrate to Samsara as they scale, others stay. For TMS buyers, Motive is the second integration to check after Samsara.
Why this integration matters for carriers
Same operational logic as Samsara: without integration, your dispatchers cross-check HOS and GPS by hand. The Motive nuance is that Motive's smaller-fleet customer base means many of the carriers shopping for a TMS are already on Motive and won't switch — so deep Motive support is often a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have. The Motive Driver App is also where many fleets do trip docs (BOL/POD scanning); a TMS that integrates document flow with Motive can avoid forcing drivers onto a second app. Workflows enabled: live GPS, HOS-aware dispatch, ETA generation, geofence-based arrival stamping, and (with deeper integrations) document return through Motive's app.
The integration matrix
Each cell below was verified against either the TMS vendor's integrations page, the Motive Marketplace, or both. Native = documented integration listed in the Motive Marketplace or vendor first-party docs. Listed = TMS vendor mentions Motive but depth is unclear. Unverified = no evidence either direction.
| TMS | Score | Motive integration | Source / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truckbase | 96/100 | Native | Truckbase integrations — Motive is a flagship ELD partner; small-fleet customer base skews Motive-heavy |
| AscendTMS | 92/100 | Native | Motive Marketplace — Documented integration on Motive Marketplace |
| Rose Rocket | 91/100 | Listed | Available via Rose Rocket Marketplace; depth uncertain — verify GPS vs HOS coverage in demo |
| Alvys | 90/100 | Native | Alvys integrations — Direct Motive integration including GPS, HOS, document flow |
| McLeod LoadMaster | 88/100 | Listed | Supported via McLeod's telematics adapter; depth depends on McLeod modules licensed |
| Trimble TMW.Suite | 87/100 | Listed | Supported through Trimble Mobile Communications. Less common than PeopleNet/Samsara at this tier |
| Tailwind TMS | 85/100 | Unverified | Vendor lists Samsara only; Motive depth not confirmed |
| Axon Software | 84/100 | Native | Motive Marketplace · Axon listing — Listed on Motive Marketplace |
| PCS TMS | 82/100 | Native | PCS Software integrations — Listed as a primary telematics partner |
| ITS Dispatch | 78/100 | Listed | Truckstop docs confirm Motive ELD support; depth varies |
What to pressure-test in a demo
- Marketplace listing isn't proof of depth. Confirm what the TMS actually pulls — some Motive Marketplace integrations are GPS-only.
- Driver App document workflow. Ask whether the TMS can post dispatch instructions and receive trip docs through the Motive Driver App, or whether drivers need a second app.
- HOS clock visibility. Make sure remaining drive/on-duty hours render in the dispatcher's load board, not just in a separate Motive tab.
- Token / OAuth refresh stability. Motive's API has had token-refresh churn; ask the TMS vendor how they handle re-auth and whether disconnects alert dispatchers.
- Webhooks vs polling. Real-time-feeling dispatch requires the TMS to use Motive's streaming/webhook endpoints, not polling on a 5-minute cadence.
Sources
Each Native cell links to its primary source. Items flagged Unverified or Listed remain in the verification queue.