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Fleet Management · head to head

NexTraq vs Zonar Systems

NexTraq logo

NexTraq

Fleet Management

US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zonar Systems logo

Zonar Systems

Fleet Management

Telematics for school buses and vocational fleets, built around verified physical inspections

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Zonar Systems the product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • They diverge on capability: NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Zonar Systems covers EVIR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NexTraq and Zonar Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where NexTraq and Zonar Systems differ
AttributeNexTraqZonar Systems

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 NexTraq

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

Only in Zonar Systems

  • EVIR
  • Z Pass
  • MyView
  • Zonar Logs
  • Fault code monitoring
  • Zonar Coach

What people use each for

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

NexTraq

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

Zonar Systems

  • A school district that must evidence pre-trip inspections to a state regulator and cannot rely on a driver ticking boxes on a screennot NexTraq
  • A pupil transport operation that needs to answer parent queries about which bus a child boarded and whennot NexTraq
  • A waste or utilities fleet with heavy vehicles where a missed defect becomes a liability question in courtnot NexTraq
  • A public sector fleet running a formal tender where verified inspection records are a scored requirementnot NexTraq

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Zonar Systems

  • The product is shaped around pupil transport and heavy vocational work, so light commercial van fleets pay for inspection and ridership machinery they will never use.
  • EVIR requires RFID tags fitted at zones on every vehicle plus a handheld or tablet, so installation labour and ongoing tag replacement are real costs that a plug-in competitor does not carry.
  • Continental has been separating its automotive divisions into standalone businesses, which leaves the long-term ownership and investment path for Zonar uncertain just as districts sign multi-year agreements.
  • The interface and reporting are dated next to newer platforms, and administrators moving from a modern dashboard find report building and data export unnecessarily manual.
  • Pricing is quoted rather than published and bundles hardware into multi-year terms, so comparing it fairly against a month-to-month competitor requires modelling total cost across the whole contract rather than the monthly figure.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Zonar Systems

On request
  • Zonar Systems$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware and installation quoted separately
    • RFID inspection tags and rugged tablets priced per vehicle
    • Student ridership and parent app licensed per district

Which should you pick?

Choose NexTraq if

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

Choose Zonar Systems if

  • You need evir.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want z pass.
Zonar Systems review

Questions people ask

Is NexTraq or Zonar Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. NexTraq starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NexTraq or Zonar Systems?
NexTraq starts at On request and Zonar Systems at On request.
Does NexTraq or Zonar Systems run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is NexTraq best used for?
NexTraq is most often used for a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor, an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement, a fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challenger, a distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programme. Of those, a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor and an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement are not what Zonar Systems is typically brought in for.
What can NexTraq do that Zonar Systems cannot?
NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling. Zonar Systems covers EVIR, Z Pass, MyView, Zonar Logs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Zonar Systems: What does EVIR actually prove?

That a person carrying the scanning device was physically next to each tagged zone on the vehicle in sequence. It does not prove they looked carefully, but it removes the common defence that an inspection was recorded from the cab.

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.

Zonar Systems: Is Zonar only for school buses?

No. It is used across waste, utilities, construction and transit, but pupil transport is where its ridership and parent-facing features have no direct equivalent.

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.

Zonar Systems: How disruptive is the installation?

More disruptive than a plug-in device. Expect a vehicle out of service for a fitting appointment, tags mounted at several points, and a rolling programme across the fleet rather than a same-day rollout.

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