Your ELD already knows how many hours a driver has left and exactly where the truck is. If your dispatch software can't see any of that, you're paying for the same information twice — once in data, once in phone calls.
An ELD records hours of service, location and miles straight from the engine. A TMS (transportation management software) plans loads, assigns drivers, bills customers and tracks the money. When they don't talk, a dispatcher ends up as the human bridge — texting drivers for their remaining hours, guessing an ETA, and retyping miles into an invoice. Integration removes that middle step.
Disconnected systems cost you in small, constant ways: a load assigned to a driver who runs out of hours and sits overnight, a late check call that costs you the next load from that broker, mileage typed wrong on a settlement. None of it is dramatic on its own, but across a week and a fleet it adds up to real dollars and a dispatcher who never gets ahead.
You don't need both systems from one vendor, but you do need a confirmed connection. Ask whether the TMS is ELD-agnostic, which ELDs it supports, and whether hours and location sync automatically or on a delay. If you're still choosing software, our guide to the best TMS for small carriers walks through the trade-offs.
TruckSpot Dispatch is ELD-agnostic, so it connects to your logging data and puts driver hours and truck location right on the dispatch board — then carries recorded miles into settlements, payroll and IFTA automatically. One screen for who's available, where they are, and whether the load pays, with a free 14-day trial.
See your hours and loads on one board — free 14-day trial →It's a data connection between your electronic logging device and your transportation management software so hours-of-service clocks, truck location and mileage flow into dispatch automatically, instead of being retyped or phoned in.
No. Many TMS platforms are ELD-agnostic and connect to common ELDs through an integration or API. Using one vendor for both can be simpler, but it isn't required — confirm your ELD is supported before you commit.
Yes. Even a handful of trucks generate constant check calls and manual data entry. Letting hours and location sync into dispatch saves time every day and helps you assign the next load to a driver who actually has clock left.