FE polled its panel of telematics industry experts for a rundown of what fleet managers need to be asking potential trailer telematics providers. Be sure to add a few of these to your list of questions when you’re shopping around.

1. How long has the supplier been in the business of providing trailer-tracking solutions? Make sure you aren’t one their first five customers.
2. Ask for multiple customer references. Make sure you talk to more than just one customer reference.
3. Does the supplier offer different service plans? You want a plan that will meet your specific needs, whether you want your data integrated into your TMS or you want full use of the supplier’s user interface.
4. How often does the supplier update their user interface software? Suppliers should update at least once a quarter to ensure their service is keeping pace with the ever-changing industry, and offering customers every advantage available.
5. Does the supplier have open APIs to integrate this information into my system or other third-party systems?
6. Can you provide me with documentation on how your company secures my data?
7. What third-party companies does your system integrate with from both a hardware and software standpoint?
8. What type of system do you use to power the device when the trailer is not plugged into the tractor? If it’s a battery, what type of maintenance do I need to provide?
9. How long it takes to install the solutions and what is this cost?
10. Does the solution provide enough updates per day to support accurate decision making?
11. Does the solution provide the right sensors to support my use cases?

Click here to read our in-depth story on trailer telematics.