Rastrac

Rastrac: Three Decades of GPS Fleet Tracking

Rastrac started tracking vehicles in 1993, when GPS was still mostly a military technology. Operating from Elgin, Illinois, they've built a quietly reliable fleet tracking platform that focuses on doing the basics well rather than chasing every new trend. While competitors race to add AI dashcams and predictive analytics, Rastrac keeps refining the core: know where your vehicles are, know what your drivers are doing, and keep your fleet maintained.

Thirty years of operation means something in fleet management. The company has survived multiple technology shifts, economic downturns, and the arrival of well-funded competitors. That stability matters when you're choosing a vendor to install hardware in your vehicles.

Tracking and Visibility Features

Real-time GPS tracking shows vehicle positions on a map with configurable refresh intervals. The mapping interface is functional—not pretty, but it loads quickly and handles large vehicle counts without lagging. Historical playback lets you replay any vehicle's route for the past 90 days, which comes in handy for customer disputes and timecard verification.

Geofencing is straightforward. Draw zones on the map, set entry/exit alerts, and get notifications via email or text. You can create unlimited geofences, which construction companies and delivery operations particularly appreciate. Speed alerts trigger when vehicles exceed customizable thresholds on specific roads or across the board.

Maintenance and Fuel Management

Maintenance scheduling runs on odometer readings and time intervals. Set oil changes every 5,000 miles, tire rotations every 10,000, and the system tracks actual mileage against your schedule. Upcoming maintenance appears in a dashboard widget, and overdue items generate alerts. It's not predictive like some AI-powered platforms, but rule-based scheduling catches 90% of what matters.

Fuel monitoring connects to fuel card data when available. You can track fill-ups, calculate MPG trends, and flag anomalies that might indicate fuel theft or unauthorized use. The integration isn't as deep as dedicated fuel management platforms, but it gives fleet managers a reasonable picture without another subscription.

What Holds Rastrac Back

The interface shows its age. Three decades of feature additions have created a dashboard that takes new users a while to navigate. Reports exist for nearly everything, but finding the right one requires more clicks than modern competitors. Mobile app functionality trails the desktop experience.

Integration options are limited compared to newer platforms. Rastrac offers an API, but the ecosystem of pre-built integrations with accounting, dispatch, and HR systems is smaller than what you'd find with Samsara or Verizon Connect. If you need your fleet data flowing into multiple business systems, evaluate the API carefully.

No video telematics. Rastrac doesn't offer dashcam hardware or integration, which increasingly puts it behind competitors for safety-focused fleet operations.

Best Fit for Rastrac

SMBs with 10-100 vehicles needing reliable GPS tracking without enterprise pricing. Construction and trades companies that rely heavily on geofencing for job site management. Fleet operations that value vendor stability and proven technology over cutting-edge features. Companies that don't need ELD compliance or video telematics.