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What is Motive

Motive is a commercial fleet operations platform that combines telematics, AI-powered video and event detection, spend controls, equipment monitoring, and workforce management into a single, connected system. The platform targets businesses that operate vehicles and mobile assets — including trucking fleets, construction companies, field services, passenger transit, and last-mile delivery — and aims to consolidate vehicle, driver, and spend data to support operational decisions.

Built around telematics hardware and cloud software, Motive aggregates location, engine diagnostics, fuel and maintenance signals, and camera-based safety events. The product also includes a corporate fleet card, automated workflows for maintenance and compliance, and modules for timekeeping and qualification tracking. That consolidated approach reduces the number of point products needed to run a fleet while making it easier to correlate safety events, utilization, and cost data.

Large fleets use Motive to create centralized operational views: live vehicle locations, prioritized risk events detected by AI, and spend reports tied to physical assets. Smaller fleets can use Motive’s out-of-the-box dashboards and automated coaching to reduce risky driver behaviors and uncover cost savings across fuel, maintenance, and procurement.

Motive features

Motive bundles multiple modules so teams can manage safety, assets, and spend from one platform. The core functional areas include driver safety, fleet and equipment monitoring, spend management, workforce management, AI vision, and integrations.

What does Motive do?

Motive ingests telematics and camera data to identify risky driving behaviors such as hard braking, rapid acceleration, lane departures, and distracted driving. The system flags events, attaches video or event snippets when available, and can automatically route those incidents into coaching workflows so supervisors can review, coach, and document corrective actions.

For fleet management, Motive provides live and historical location tracking, vehicle health monitoring via OBD-II or OEM integrations, fuel and idle analytics, route and utilization metrics, and preventive maintenance scheduling. These signals help operations teams plan service windows, reduce downtime, and allocate assets to the highest-value tasks.

Equipment monitoring extends tracking to non-powered assets and attachments, enabling utilization analysis, anti-theft geofencing, and remote diagnostics for sensors and attachments. Spend management centers on the Motive Card for driver purchases, paired with AI flagging to detect potential fraud, reconcile receipts, and categorize spending for accounting workflows.

Workforce features include qualification and certification tracking, time and attendance capture, structured coaching and training records, and role-based access control so safety leaders can scale programs across large organizations. Finally, Motive’s AI Vision lets teams create or apply custom models tuned to industry-specific visual patterns (site-specific hazards, correct PPE use, loading/unloading risks).

Key piece-by-piece capabilities:

• Driver safety: AI-driven event detection, in-cab alerts, video review and coaching workflows
• Fleet management: GPS tracking, engine diagnostics, maintenance scheduling, utilization reports
• Equipment monitoring: Asset-level tracking, geofencing, anti-theft alerts
• Spend management: Motive Card controls, purchase monitoring, fraud detection
• Workforce management: Qualifications, time tracking, training logs, coaching
• AI Vision: Custom vision models and site-specific object/event detection
• Integrations & APIs: Links into dispatch, payroll, ERP, and maintenance systems

Motive pricing

Motive offers flexible pricing tailored to different business needs, from single-vehicle operations to enterprise fleets with thousands of assets. Pricing is typically based on the mix of modules (telematics, video, spend tools, workforce), the number of vehicles or assets, and the level of hardware and support required. Common billing approaches include per-asset/per-month rates for telematics and camera subscriptions, card interchange/transaction fees for spend management, and custom enterprise contracts for large deployments.

Typical tiering you may encounter on enterprise platforms takes forms like Free Plan, Starter, Professional, and Enterprise where feature availability and included hardware options increase with each tier. For Motive, many customers purchase bundles that combine telematics hardware with video subscriptions and the Motive Card to get an integrated view of safety, utilization, and spend.

Because fleet size, hardware choices, and contract terms materially affect per-unit prices, contact-based quotes are common. For accurate, up-to-date numbers and information about hardware bundles, hardware warranties, and service-level options, consult Motive’s vendor pricing resources. Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

How much is Motive per month

Motive offers flexible pricing and typically charges monthly subscription fees for telematics and camera services, often quoted on a per-vehicle or per-device basis. Monthly costs depend on whether you choose basic GPS-only tracking, a telematics package with diagnostics, or a camera-enabled safety package; each step up adds incremental monthly fees for bandwidth, video storage, and AI event processing.

Enterprise customers frequently negotiate volume discounts and multi-year commitments; smaller fleets may pay standard monthly list rates for hardware rental or purchase plus a recurring subscription. The Motive Card may have separate fee structures tied to transaction handling and card features.

If you need exact monthly numbers for budgeting, reach out to Motive’s sales team or request a quote through their contact channels because they will tailor a per-month figure based on fleet composition and the modules you require.

How much is Motive per year

Motive offers discounts for annual commitments in many commercial contracts, with lower effective per-month costs when billed annually. Annual contracts also sometimes bundle hardware warranties, priority support, and training hours that are not included in month-to-month subscriptions.

When comparing annual versus monthly billing, procurement teams should calculate total cost of ownership including hardware depreciation, support fees, and any one-time installation or onboarding charges. Motive’s enterprise customers often structure invoicing annually or on multi-year terms to lock in pricing and simplify budgeting.

Visit their official pricing page for current annual terms and available bundling discounts.

How much is Motive in general

Motive pricing ranges depending on fleet size, hardware selection, and module mix. Entry-level GPS-only tracking for a small vehicle may cost substantially less per month than a camera-equipped truck on a full safety and coaching plan. Large fleets commonly enter enterprise agreements that lower per-vehicle rates in exchange for volume commitments and additional services like dedicated onboarding and advanced reporting.

To estimate costs in general: include device costs (purchase or rental), recurring telematics and camera subscriptions, cloud video storage fees (if applicable), the cost of the Motive Card program, and implementation or integration services. Calculate expected savings areas — reduced crash costs, lower fuel/idle, and fewer unauthorized transactions — to compare against subscription costs.

For precise numbers relevant to your fleet, request a tailored quote via Motive’s pricing resources.

What is Motive used for

Motive is used to centralize fleet operations and safety programs into a single operational control plane. Operators use Motive to track vehicle locations in real time, prioritize safety events using AI, automate coaching, and tie spending back to specific assets or drivers.

Operational use cases include scheduling preventative maintenance triggered by diagnostic trouble codes, using camera-sourced evidence for incident investigation and liability reduction, and enforcing card controls to eliminate unauthorized purchases. Motive’s data also supports route and utilization planning by highlighting underused or overworked vehicles and identifying patterns in asset downtime.

Safety leaders use Motive to quantify risky behaviors and measure coaching outcomes, turning video-backed incidents into verifiable training records. Finance and procurement teams use spend reporting to reconcile fuel and repair costs and to detect anomalies, while HR and operations use qualification tracking to ensure drivers remain legally authorized for assigned duties.

Pros and cons of Motive

Motive’s integrated suite reduces platform sprawl, which is a key advantage when fleets want consolidated views of safety, utilization, and spend. The platform’s AI-driven event detection and video evidence are valuable for shortening investigation times and improving coaching effectiveness. Integration of a fleet card reduces reconciliation effort by correlating transactions with assets and drivers.

At the same time, an integrated platform can be more complex to deploy: installation of cameras and telematics devices, onboarding multiple modules, and integrating with existing TMS/ERP systems requires project management and change control. Large organizations should plan for phased rollouts and data migration. Pricing can be higher than single-function tools if you procure the full suite; however, bundled procurement often reduces the number of vendors and integration costs.

Pros:

• Consolidated safety, telematics, and spend data in one platform
• AI vision for higher-fidelity event detection and automated coaching workflows
• Direct linkage between card spend and physical assets
• Scalable workforce and compliance modules for regulated industries

Cons:

• Upfront deployment and integration effort for large, heterogeneous fleets
• Recurring costs for video storage and AI processing that grow with scale
• May require process changes to fully capture value from coaching and spend controls

Motive free trial

Motive commonly offers demonstrations and pilot programs that let fleets test devices and software at scale before full rollout. Pilot programs allow operations teams to validate hardware reliability, video clarity, AI event accuracy, and the usefulness of the coaching workflows in a controlled subset of the fleet.

Demo sessions are useful to evaluate UI workflows, reporting capabilities, and the administrative controls for users and roles. When vendors run a pilot, they often include camera and telematics hardware as part of the trial or offer a short-term subscription waiver so customers can collect real operational data.

If you want to evaluate Motive hands-on, request a product tour or pilot through their site; the company’s sales process includes options to schedule proof-of-concept trials and to discuss pilot terms that match your fleet size and compliance needs. Use their contact page to start a trial conversation and to obtain pilot program details.

Is Motive free

No, Motive does not offer a permanently free, fully featured plan for large fleet operations. Instead, the company provides demos and pilot programs to validate capabilities and often accommodates short trials for prospective customers. Smaller teams might access limited trials or demo instances, but full production deployments require paid subscriptions, hardware fees, or enterprise contracts.

For the most accurate information about trial availability or any promotional offers, check Motive’s official pricing page or contact sales directly.

Motive API

Motive offers integration capabilities that let fleets connect telematics, event data, and spend records to third-party systems. Standard integration approaches include APIs, webhooks, and pre-built connectors for common fleet, payroll, ERP, and dispatch systems. These integration points are essential for automating workflows such as sending diagnostic alerts to maintenance platforms or exporting trip and spend data to accounting systems.

API access typically includes vehicle and device state, event streams (safety events, telematics exceptions), and spend transaction data when using the Motive Card. Webhooks are commonly used to push real-time alerts into downstream systems or to trigger automated responses such as work orders.

If your organization requires custom integrations, Motive’s developer and partner documentation (available via enterprise agreements or partner portals) covers authentication, rate limits, payload formats, and supported endpoints. For implementation and integration questions, use Motive’s developer resources and integration pages to view supported partners and API documentation.

10 Motive alternatives

Paid alternatives to Motive

• Samsara — A comprehensive telematics and connected operations platform that combines GPS, video, ELD compliance, maintenance workflows, and integrations for enterprise fleets. Popular for its strong cloud dashboards and broad hardware ecosystem.
• Verizon Connect — Enterprise-focused fleet management that integrates telematics, scheduling, routing, and compliance with the reliability of Verizon’s network and managed services options.
• Geotab — Scalable telematics and analytics platform known for a marketplace of partner integrations, deep vehicle diagnostics, and strong fleet-level reporting capabilities.
• Fleet Complete — Offers asset tracking, vehicle telematics, and workforce management modules with industry-specific solutions for construction, service fleets, and delivery.
• Teletrac Navman — Fleet analytics, compliance, and safety-focused telematics with reporting and global support for mixed fleets.
• Azuga — GPS and safety platform with driver scorecards, maintenance scheduling, and gamification features to engage drivers in safer behavior.
• KeepTruckin (now part of Motive historically) — Historically focused on ELD and telematics for trucking; users migrating from legacy KeepTruckin deployments often evaluate Samsara, Geotab or Verizon Connect as direct replacements.

Open source alternatives to Motive

• Traccar — An open-source GPS tracking platform with server components for device support, web UI, and mobile apps. It requires self-hosting and provides wide protocol support for many tracking devices.
• OpenGTS — One of the older open-source fleet tracking servers, suitable for teams that want complete control over data and hosting but which requires more engineering resources to customize and maintain.
• OpenFleet (community projects) — A collection of community-driven projects and starter kits that combine open telematics stacks with third-party analytics; best suited for organizations prepared to build and maintain integrations and storage.

Open source alternatives are useful for teams that prefer self-hosting, data residency control, and the ability to extend or customize every aspect of the stack, but expect to invest in infrastructure, security hardening, and ongoing maintenance.

Frequently asked questions about Motive

What is Motive used for?

Motive is used for fleet management and driver safety. Organizations use it to track vehicles and mobile assets, detect risky driving through AI vision and telematics, manage preventive maintenance, and reconcile operational spend using the Motive Card. The integrated data helps reduce accidents, equipment downtime, and unauthorized spending.

How does Motive improve driver safety?

Motive improves driver safety by combining AI-powered event detection with in-cab alerts and structured coaching. The system identifies high-risk driving behaviors, attaches video evidence where cameras are deployed, and routes incidents into a coaching workflow so supervisors can provide targeted feedback and document corrective actions.

Does Motive integrate with other fleet or payroll systems?

Yes, Motive supports integrations and APIs for third-party dispatch, payroll, maintenance, and accounting systems. The platform provides connectors and webhooks to export event and trip data, enabling automated workflows and data synchronization across enterprise systems. Check their integrations page for partner listings and common connectors.

Can Motive’s camera system be used for incident investigation?

Yes, Motive’s camera system is designed for post-incident review and evidence collection. Video snippets triggered by AI events or manual review provide contextual footage that supports investigations, claims processing, and coaching. Video retention and access controls are managed through subscription and account settings.

Is there a free version of Motive?

No, Motive does not offer a permanently free, full-featured plan. The company offers demos and pilot programs so fleets can validate hardware reliability and software fit before committing to production subscriptions. Contact Motive for trial options and pilot terms.

Why choose Motive over single-point telematics tools?

Motive combines telematics, AI vision, spend controls, and workforce management in one platform. That integrated approach reduces vendor overhead, simplifies data correlation across safety and spend, and can accelerate ROI by linking purchase behavior to asset use and safety outcomes.

When should a fleet consider a pilot or full rollout of Motive?

A fleet should consider a pilot when they have clear safety or utilization objectives and a subset of vehicles to test on. Typical pilots validate camera reliability, AI event accuracy, and the administrative workflows for coaching and spend reconciliation. Full rollouts are often staged after pilots demonstrate measurable reductions in incidents, improved uptime, or clear spend savings.

Where can I read independent reviews of Motive?

You can read independent user reviews on software review sites such as G2 and Capterra. For example, view Motive’s customer ratings and user-submitted feedback on G2’s Motive page and on Capterra to compare feature sentiment and use-case fit across similar products.

How does Motive charge for hardware and subscriptions?

Motive typically uses a combination of one-time hardware fees and recurring subscription charges. Subscription fees are commonly quoted per device or per vehicle per month and can include tiers for GPS-only tracking, telematics with diagnostics, or camera-enabled safety packages; enterprise pricing is available through quotes. Visit their official pricing page or contact sales for a tailored quote.

What support options does Motive offer?

Motive provides commercial support channels including sales, onboarding, and customer support. Large customers often receive designated account managers and priority support provisions in enterprise contracts. For technical integration questions, Motive’s documentation and partner channels can provide implementation guidance.

Motive careers

Motive hires across product, engineering, sales, customer success, and field deployment roles to support hardware installation and fleet onboarding. Positions typically reflect the needs of a company that combines hardware manufacturing logistics, cloud software, AI, and operational services. Open roles and job descriptions are posted on Motive’s careers pages and linked job portals.

Working at Motive often requires cross-functional collaboration between software engineers, hardware technicians, and operations specialists — particularly for customers with large, multi-site deployments. Roles related to AI model training, telematics firmware, and field services are common for companies producing and supporting in-vehicle hardware.

If you’re exploring opportunities, look for positions tied to fleet operations, product engineering, or customer implementation and verify role requirements, location options, and remote/hybrid policies on Motive’s careers listings.

Motive affiliate

Motive runs partner and reseller programs that allow technology integrators, fleet dealers, and managed service providers to bundle Motive hardware and software with their services. Affiliate and partner programs typically include referral structures, partner training, and co-selling arrangements. For details about partnership tiers, revenue share, and technical onboarding, contact Motive’s partner team through their corporate channels.

Where to find Motive reviews

Independent reviews are available on industry review platforms and communities. Consult Motive’s profile on G2 to read user reviews and ratings, check Capterra for feature comparisons and customer feedback, and consult industry publications or trade associations for case studies and enterprise references. For verified customer stories and case studies, Motive’s resources pages contain curated examples and measurable outcomes.