In this article
- Where should you start when choosing fleet software?
- What should a fleet software checklist cover?
- Why does offline support matter for mining routes?
- What rules should the software be ready for?
- What does India's data protection law mean for your choice?
- How should you test software before you commit?
- What are common mistakes when buying fleet software?
- Where does Bohiba fit?
Fleet software looks similar on a features page and very different after three months of daily use. For a mining transport business the gap is wider, because the work involves weighment slips, transit documents, remote sites, drivers who may not be comfortable with complex apps and rules that are changing. This is a vendor-neutral checklist you can use to compare any option, including ours.
Where should you start when choosing fleet software?
Start with the problem, not the feature list. Write down the three things that cost you the most money or time today. For most truck owners these are trips and payments that are hard to reconcile, expenses nobody records, expired documents that stop a truck, and drivers you cannot verify. Software that does not fix your top three is not the right software, however long its feature list is.
What should a fleet software checklist cover?
Use the table below as a scorecard. Give each product a score of 0 to 2 on every row and compare totals.
| Area | Ask the vendor | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trip records | Can I record each trip with truck, driver, route, load, weighment and freight? | One record per trip that everything else attaches to |
| 2. Expenses | Can drivers and managers record fuel, tolls, repairs and advances per trip, with a receipt photo? | Per-trip and per-truck totals without spreadsheets |
| 3. Documents | Does it store truck and driver documents with expiry reminders? | Insurance, fitness, permit, tax, PUC and licence dates in one list with alerts |
| 4. Drivers | How are drivers verified, and can I see their licence class and expiry? | A profile per driver with status you can check before assigning a trip |
| 5. Poor connectivity | Does the app work offline and sync later? | You can test it live, and offline is not marked "coming soon" |
| 6. Language and ease | Can a driver use it in a language they read, with few taps? | A short trial with your least technical driver succeeds |
| 7. Rules readiness | How will it support changing rules such as e-Transit Passes, tracking units and FASTag costs? | A specific plan, not "we are compliant" |
| 8. Your data | Who owns the data, can I export everything, and what happens when I leave? | Written ownership, free export and a stated deletion process |
| 9. Access control | Can owners, managers and drivers see different things, and is there an audit trail? | Role-based access with a history of changes |
| 10. Total cost | What is the full cost over 3 years, including hardware, add-ons, support and price changes? | A written, itemised quote |
| 11. Support | Who answers when it breaks, in which language and at what hours? | Named channels and response times |
| 12. Exit terms | What are the notice period, auto-renewal rules and early-exit charges? | Monthly or short terms, with no surprises |
Why does offline support matter for mining routes?
Mines, weighbridges and haul roads can have patchy mobile coverage, so check your own sites. A buyer's guide from fleet software vendor Oxmaint tells buyers to test whether the mobile app works without a signal and to avoid platforms where offline features are "coming soon". Do the same: switch off data on a test phone and try to record a trip.
What rules should the software be ready for?
- Odisha's mineral transport rules. Once in force, the 2025 rules require registration on a government platform, a tracking unit, an RFID tag and an e-Transit Pass for mineral trucks. See what the 2025 rules mean for truck owners. Ask whether the vendor supplies devices, integrates with the platform or only helps you keep records.
- Tolls and overload fees. Toll is a trip cost and, since April 2026, overloaded trucks can pay 2x or 4x at plazas with weighing devices. Check the software can capture toll per trip. Our FASTag guide has the details.
- Documents and licences. See our guides to the truck document checklist and heavy vehicle licence classes.
What does India's data protection law mean for your choice?
You will store personal data about drivers, such as identity documents, licences and phone numbers. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 were notified on 14 November 2025 with an eighteen-month period for phased compliance, according to the Government's press release. The release says the highest penalty, up to Rs. 250 crore, applies to failing to maintain reasonable security safeguards, and up to Rs. 200 crore for failing to notify a data breach.
When you ask vendors about data, check how they keep driver documents secure, whether they have a breach process, where data is stored and how you can delete it. You remain responsible for the driver data you collect, so it matters who holds it.
How should you test software before you commit?
- Run a 2-week pilot with 3 trucks and their drivers, not the whole fleet.
- Record real trips and expenses in the new system and in your current method, then compare the totals.
- Test the hard cases: a trip with no signal, a lost receipt, a driver change mid-trip and a document that expires during the pilot.
- Ask your least technical driver to use it with no help.
- Export everything on the last day to prove you can leave with your data.
What are common mistakes when buying fleet software?
- Choosing on the number of features instead of the three problems you wrote down.
- Judging price by the monthly fee and ignoring hardware, add-ons and support.
- Skipping the pilot, then finding out in month three that drivers do not use it.
- Trusting "compliant" without asking exactly what is supported and what is not.
- Not checking how to export your data and how to leave.
Where does Bohiba fit?
Bohiba is built for India's mining transport. Today it covers trip management, driver verification, expense tracking and document management in one app, and there is a free plan. Live truck tracking, FASTag recharge, challan payment and insurance renewal are marked "Coming Soon" on our pricing page, so score us on what exists now. Review the features against the checklist above, then try the free plan on a real trip.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose fleet software for a mining transport business?
List your top three problems first, then score each product 0 to 2 on trip records, expenses, documents, drivers, offline use, language, rules readiness, data ownership, access control, total cost, support and exit terms. Run a two-week pilot on three trucks before you commit.
Should fleet software work offline?
Mines and haul roads can have poor coverage, so test the app with data switched off. Avoid products where offline mode is described as coming soon.
What should I ask about data and privacy?
Ask who owns the data, whether you can export everything for free, how driver documents are secured, what the breach process is and how data is deleted when you leave. India's DPDP Rules, 2025 were notified on 14 November 2025 with an eighteen-month phased compliance period.
How long should a software pilot run?
About two weeks on three trucks and their drivers is enough to test real trips, expenses, a no-signal trip, a driver change and a document expiring, and to prove you can export your data.
Sources and accuracy
- PIB — DPDP Rules, 2025 Notified (17 November 2025)
- Oxmaint — Top 10 questions to ask before buying fleet management software (vendor guide, May 2026)
Last checked against the sources above on October 7, 2026. Rules, fees and procedures are set by the relevant authorities and can change. This guide is a summary for general information, not legal advice. Always confirm the current requirements on the official portal.
