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Fleet Management · head to head

CalAmp vs NexTraq

CalAmp logo

CalAmp

Fleet Management

Fleet telematics hardware and software provider that went through Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024 and is now privately held by its former lender

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NexTraq logo

NexTraq

Fleet Management

US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CalAmp the company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.; NexTraq the NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • They diverge on capability: CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CalAmp and NexTraq actually diverge.

Attributes where CalAmp and NexTraq differ
AttributeCalAmpNexTraq

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Fleet Management).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CalAmp

  • GPS tracking hardware
  • Telematics Cloud platform
  • Driver behaviour monitoring
  • Asset tracking
  • Partner API access
  • Diagnostic alerts

Only in NexTraq

  • Vehicle tracking
  • Hours of service
  • Fuel and idling reporting
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Job dispatch
  • Driver scorecards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CalAmp

  • A software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data API to build a custom fleet application on top ofnot NexTraq
  • A fleet needing basic GPS tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full BI-grade analytics suitenot NexTraq
  • An asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematicsnot NexTraq
  • A buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devicesnot NexTraq

NexTraq

  • A North American trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and ELD compliance from one mid-market vendornot CalAmp
  • An operator already buying Michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreementnot CalAmp
  • A fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challengernot CalAmp
  • A distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programmenot CalAmp

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CalAmp

  • The company underwent Chapter 11 restructuring and a change of ownership in 2024, and any multi-year contract should factor in the risk and uncertainty that follows a recent bankruptcy, even a fast one.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished and combines hardware and subscription costs, making direct comparison against software-only telematics competitors harder to do cleanly.
  • It has historically leaned on a software partner ecosystem rather than a single polished end-user product, so the buying experience and interface quality vary depending on which partner application sits on top of CalAmp data.
  • Newer, well-capitalised competitors such as Samsara and Motive have captured significant market share with more unified hardware-software products, and CalAmp market position has weakened relative to them.
  • As a private company since 2024, financial transparency that public-market buyers previously had access to (quarterly filings, analyst coverage) is now reduced.

NexTraq

  • The NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • Michelin is merging three separately engineered telematics products, which historically means feature freezes on the older platforms and a migration that existing customers pay for in disruption rather than cash.
  • The feature set is mid-market and unexceptional, so it rarely wins a technical evaluation against Geotab or Samsara on capability alone.
  • Contracts bundle hardware into multi-year terms, so a fleet that shrinks or is acquired continues paying for devices, and early exit triggers hardware recovery costs.
  • The integration ecosystem is small and the API is not a selling point, so connecting telematics data to job costing or payroll usually means custom work or scheduled file exports.

Pricing, plan by plan

CalAmp

On request
  • CalAmp Telematics Cloud$undefined/year
    • Hardware and subscription priced together, no published rate
    • Cost varies by device type, data plan and partner/direct sales channel

NexTraq

On request
  • NexTraq$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware bundled into the term
    • Multi-year agreements are standard
    • ELD and dispatch modules priced as tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose CalAmp if

  • You need gps tracking hardware.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want telematics cloud platform.
CalAmp review

Choose NexTraq if

  • You need vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hours of service.
NexTraq review

Questions people ask

Is CalAmp or NexTraq better?
Neither clearly leads. CalAmp starts at On request and NexTraq at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CalAmp or NexTraq?
CalAmp starts at On request and NexTraq at On request.
Does CalAmp or NexTraq run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is CalAmp best used for?
CalAmp is most often used for a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of, a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite, an asset-heavy operation needing non-powered trailer and equipment tracking alongside vehicle telematics, a buyer specifically wanting a hardware-plus-cloud vendor rather than a software-only platform layered on third-party devices. Of those, a software company or system integrator wanting telematics hardware and a data api to build a custom fleet application on top of and a fleet needing basic gps tracking, driver behaviour and diagnostic alerting without a full bi-grade analytics suite are not what NexTraq is typically brought in for.
What can CalAmp do that NexTraq cannot?
CalAmp covers GPS tracking hardware, Telematics Cloud platform, Driver behaviour monitoring, Asset tracking. NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CalAmp: Is CalAmp still in business?

Yes. It completed a fast Chapter 11 restructuring in 2024, eliminating roughly $230 million in debt, and is now privately held by Lynrock Lake Master Fund LP.

NexTraq: Is NexTraq still a separate company?

No. Michelin bought it in 2017 and has folded it into Michelin Connected Fleet, together with Masternaut in Europe and Sascar in Brazil.

CalAmp: Does CalAmp sell directly to fleets or through partners?

Both, but a significant part of its business is providing hardware and data APIs to software partners who build the end-user fleet application.

NexTraq: Will my NexTraq system be migrated to a different platform?

Assume so, eventually. Ask directly what the migration timetable is, what happens to historical data, and who bears the cost of re-fitting or re-configuring devices.

CalAmp: Is pricing published?

No. Hardware and subscription costs are combined and quoted, varying by device type, data plan and sales channel.

NexTraq: Does buying Michelin tyres get me a better telematics price?

It is worth testing. The commercial logic of the acquisition is bundling vehicle services, and that is where discounting is most likely to be available.

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