Installation Guidelines for Pro-install Partners

This article provides installation policy requirements and best practices to Motive professional installation partners. 

These guidelines establish mandatory installation procedures and requirements for Motive professional installation partners. All installations must be performed by qualified technicians with appropriate training and experience in automotive electrical systems and vehicle-specific requirements prior to performing work under this partnership. This article provides the required operational procedures, not foundational training.

Overview

Install partner supplies

• Tools

• Pre-installation checks

• Post-installation checks

• Job sheet submission requirements

Installation policies

• Approved electrical connection methods
• Prohibited and unapproved connectors and methods
• Fusing standards
• Electrical connections inside a dry cab
• Electrical connections outside a cab
• Device and equipment grounding
• Butt connectors, ring terminals
• Add-a-circuit holders
• Posi-lock connectors
• Cable management
• Drilling guidelines
• Mounting and securing Vehicle Gateways and Asset Gateways
• Mounting and securing Dashcams
• Roll-over protective structures (ROPS)
• Pro-install partner requirements

Disclaimer

Install partner supplies 

In addition to the installation and mounting hardware that Motive supplies, pro-technicians are expected to arrive at the worksite prepared with the standard installation supplies necessary to complete that day’s dispatched work in the event there are unforeseen inventory shortages, manufacturing defects, or shipping issues with the Motive-provided supplies.

Customer-specific requests (for example, specialty wire with a PVC jacket or multi-conductor cabling) and loom can be reviewed for reimbursement on a case-by-case basis. To seek approval, contact the Motive installation scheduler by phone or email for approval before purchase.

Tools

• 16-18 AWD Primary Wire (TXL grade or better)
• Cable ties - UV, Heat and Chemical Resistant when installed outside of the cab
• 1/4" Split plastic loom or better 
• Stainless steel heat shrink butt connectors and ring terminals. See exception notes on crimp caps.
• Two-sided VHB tape and VHB-backed reclosable fasteners such as Duo-lock
• Super33+ electrical tape or better, electrical connectors, fuses, and weatherproof fuse holders, 5pt SPDT relays, 2-sided rubber grommets, 100% all-weather silicone, RTV, dielectric grease, 70-99% isopropyl alcohol, and any PPE required to be worn by customers at their work sites. 
• Installation of Asset Gateways on semi-trailers requires a portable power pack and 7-pin SAE J-560 compatible connector for power confirmation testing of hardwired asset gateways.
• It is highly recommended to have a ladder available. A ladder may be necessary to fulfill customer requirements for the installation of Asset Gateways, Omnicams, and certain types of sensor input monitoring.

Pre-installation checks

1. Before beginning installations, technicians should speak with the authorized site contact and try to confirm any customer-specific device mounting or electrical connection or wiring preferences. Reasonable efforts should be made to accommodate all customer preferences that align with our approved connection methods and device mounting policies.  
2. Perform a detailed inspection of the vehicle, noting any existing issues, such as physical damage, cracked panels, missing screws, broken clips, cracked windshields and malfunction indicator lights. Include notes and photo documentation in your job sheets. 

Post-installation checks

1. Verify that the equipment is installed and working properly by checking the LED patterns and installation apps.
2. Ensure that the vehicle starts and idles as it did before installation, and that no new malfunction indicator lights have appeared. 
3. Return the same or better physical condition than it was in before installation. Clean up any stray packaging, unused parts, or tie wraps. 
4. Include notes and photo documentation in your job sheets.

Job sheet submission requirements

All installation partners are required to create and submit job sheets that document the installation of each vehicle and the products installed. While the formats may vary, content alignment is critical.

• Email job sheets to jobsheets@gomotive.com
• Members of the Motive team may also occasionally request job sheets ad hoc. These requests should be sent directly to the person making them. 

A job sheet serves as an extra level of installation validation, and tells us pertinent details about an installation such as:

• Vehicle or asset identifying information
• What was installed?
• When it was performed?
• Who completed it?
• Inspection notes about pre-existing vehicle conditions
• Pictures of all electrical connection points, cable management, and device mounting including all accessory items and sensor inputs.
• Dashcam installs also require a photo taken from the driver’s seat showing the sun visors down
• During Fleet App installation verification, screenshots must also be included for Asset Gateways, Vehicle Gateways, Dashcams, and Omnicams showing they passed installation verification testing.
• For Asset Gateways, if the equipment was originally set for a hardwired install, but it was installed as a battery-powered only device, then the technician must provide justification for the change. 

Installation policies

Approved electrical connection methods

1. All Motive provided cables
2. Add-a-circuit fuse holders
3. OEM splice pack pin connectors 
4. Rivet nuts (normally reserved for Asset Gateways mounted on a semi-trailer’s aluminum skin).
5. Posi-Lock connectors (Posi-Tap for dry areas; Posi-Tite for wet areas)
6. Stainless steel, heat-shrink butt connectors, ring terminals, and bullet connectors. 

7. Use Solder only when specifically requested by the customer, and only if you are trained. If you lack soldering experience, do not attempt it during an installation. If you must use soldering, take precautions to avoid dripping solder, which can damage interiors or other wiring.

Prohibited and unapproved connectors and methods

Never source power or ground by connecting to the wiring of an OBD-II or other type of DLC connector. The following connector types are prohibited from use by Motive Pro-install partner technicians.

1. Scotch locks
2. T-taps
3. Wire nuts
4. Spade connectors
5. Fuse blades
6. Poke and Loop technique

Important additional requirements 

1. Never twist wires directly together or around fuses, lugs, or screws. Always use an approved connection type. 
2. Never source power or ground by making a wire-to-wire splice to an OBD-II  or other type of DLC connector. See Grounding 

Fusing standards

1. All power feeds to Motive devices must include a 3–5 amp fuse located within 6" inches (15cm) of the connection to the power source
2. Fuses outside the cab must always be in a waterproof fuse holder.
   Inline fuses (3–5 amp) must be added within 6" inches (15 cm) of any unfused power feed.
3. Waterproof fuse holders are required anywhere moisture may be present (including in cabs with wet zones such as beneath a sill plate). 

Electrical connections inside a dry cab

Acceptable connectors: See Approved electrical connection methods section above.

1. Stainless steel connectors with heat shrink are required anywhere moisture exposure is possible, such as under carpet, sill plates, etc. 
2. Conceal wiring under trim or sill panels, headliners, and carpet. With exceptions for customer special requests and trial installs.
3. Always protect wire runs in exposed runs with loom.

Electrical connections outside a cab

Only use stainless steel or zinc-coated weather-resistant mounting screws/bolts and electrical connectors with heat shrink. Refer to Acceptable connectors from the Approved electrical connection methods section above.

Device and equipment grounding 

Heavy trucks & construction equipment 

Do not ground to the cab’s chassis with a self-tapping screw. The chassis of these vehicles often rides on rubber grommets, which make ad-hoc chassis grounding a risk to damage ECM/ECU’s and other sensitive electronic equipment. 

Acceptable methods for creating a heavy truck, construction, or agricultural equipment ground: 

1. Factory-marked OEM splice packs ground wires
2. A factory-marked grounding bolt or buss bar
3. Extend the device ground to the battery’s negative terminal
4. An engine location with an existing grounding point 

Light-duty vehicles

Use a ring terminal with a self-tapping screw to make an isolated chassis ground, or tie into an OEM-designated ground point such as a factory-marked grounding point or bolt, a spare wire labeled for the purpose, or the battery.

Butt connectors, ring terminals

1. Use stainless steel connectors with heat-shrink for any connections outside the cab. Consider applying dielectric grease to provide additional insulation and protection from the elements. 
2. Butt connectors without heat shrink can only be used within a dry cab.

Add-a-circuit holders

1. Use only add-a-circuit style adapters, never standard fuse taps.
2. Protect new circuits with a 3–5 amp fuse feeding the tracking device.

Posi-lock connectors

These connector types are allowed for use under the following guidelines. 

1. Use Posi-Tap connectors in dry areas
2. Use Posi-Tite in wet areas and areas regularly exposed to the elements. Environments such as sea air contain enough salt to quickly corrode connectors.

Cable management

Installation of devices and harness routing should never interfere with the driver or the normal operation of the vehicle. 

1. Create a 6” loop with any excess harness length and cable tie it to a stable location.

2. Pay special attention to avoid moving parts such as shift levers, steering column, telescoping steering wheels, and sources of high heat. 
3. Devices and harnesses must be secured to stable brackets and/or wiring bundles. Use as many tie wraps as necessary to secure the device.  
4. Secure harnesses outside the cab using tie-wraps every 12” at minimum and/or by using cable management mounts to ensure strain relief and additional security for the physical routing. 

Drilling guidelines

1. Always obtain customer permission before drilling into vehicles or assets.
2. Always check both sides of the surface before drilling to ensure no adjacent equipment will be damaged. 
3. Use grommets and protective loom when routing any wiring through a pass-through hole.
4. Use weatherproof 100% silicone to seal pass-throughs.

Mounting and securing Vehicle Gateways and Asset Gateways

1. Approved fastening methods include cable ties, screws, and industrial-grade VHB fastener tape, hook-and-loop, and dual-lock fasteners with VHB backer depending on device type and mounting surface.

• When installing Vehicle Gateways, use a minimum of 2 cable ties 
• When installing Asset Gateways in a cab without mechanical fasteners, technicians should thoroughly clean the surface with 70-75% isopropyl alcohol and use a minimum of two 1” wide strips of VHB tape applied to the longest sides of the Asset Gateway. Further secure the device using cable ties whenever possible. 

2. Install Vehicle Gateways with the Motive logo facing up or outward toward the vehicle body. 
3. Do not mount devices under metal support plates or components that will appreciably degrade GPS/Cell signal strength.
4. Do not unplug vehicle gateways during setup or firmware updates. 

Mounting and securing Dashcams

1. Clean and dry the mounting surface with the supplied alcohol wipes before applying the adhesive device mounts.
2. Position road-facing cameras so they are able to see the hood and mirrors with the horizon near the center of the camera’s vertical view.
3. Position driver-facing cameras to capture the Driver from the waist up, with minimal obstructions. 
4. Do not unplug cameras during setup or firmware updates.

Compliance with FMCSA and Other Regulatory Bodies

Ensure the Dashcams’ mounting location complies with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations.

Summary of FMCSA regulation Title 49 CFR § 393.60(e)(2)(ii)(ABC)

Devices with vehicle safety technologies must be mounted:

(A) Not more than 8.5 inches (216 mm) below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers;

(B) Not more than 7 inches (175 mm) above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers; and

(C) Outside the driver's sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals.

Roll-over protective structures (ROPS)

Roll-over protective structures, Tip-over protective structures, and Falling Object protective structures will be collectively referred to as ROPS in this document. 

Do not drill into, or use any size mounting screws or bolts on, any part of the ROPS. Doing so violates OSHA and Department of Labor requirements and may create costly repair or recertification issues. 

ROPS are a critical piece of safety equipment. OSHA regulations require these operator and equipment protective structures for some, but not all construction equipment, agricultural, and heavy trucks in official OSHA and Dept. of Labor guidance.

How to identify roll-over protective structures

Per OSHA requirement 1928.51(c), each ROPS structure shall have a label, permanently affixed to the structure.

• Check for a ROPS Label: This is the most direct way to confirm a structure is a certified ROPS. The label must include:
  • The manufacturer's or fabricator's name and address.
  • The ROPS model number, if applicable.
  • The specific tractor or equipment makes, models, or series numbers the ROPS is designed to fit.
  • A statement that the ROPS model was tested in accordance with OSHA requirements.
• Inspect the Structure: A ROPS will appear as a sturdy, securely mounted frame:
  • It can be a two- or four-post frame.
  • The structure is designed to provide a zone of protection for the operator.
  • Some ROPS may be folding, designed to reduce overhead clearance.
• Look for a Seatbelt: A ROPS structure works in conjunction with a seatbelt to keep the operator within the protected zone. The presence of a manufacturer-installed seatbelt is a strong indicator that the structure is a certified ROPS. 
• Consult the equipment's owner's manual or the equipment manufacturer to verify the specific structures the manufacturer defines as ROPS. 

Pro-install partner requirements

These requirements are non-negotiable conditions for:

• Reimbursement eligibility for all installation servicesReimbursement eligibility for all installation services
• Maintenance of partnership status in good standing
• Continued participation in Motive’s professional installation network

Non-compliance consequences

Failure to follow any installation method, safety protocol, or technical specification outlined in this document will result in immediate reimbursement denial for the affected installation. Repeated non-compliance or patterns of substandard work may result in partnership suspension or termination at Motive’s sole discretion.

Partner Responsibility

This section applies exclusively to Motive professional installation partners operating under signed partnership agreements. 

Installation partners are solely responsible for ensuring that all technicians performing work under their partnership agreement understand, are trained on, and consistently follow these mandatory requirements. Partners must maintain appropriate oversight and quality control to ensure compliance with all provisions of this document.

Disclaimer

Independent Contractor Status and Regulatory Compliance: Installation partners operate as independent contractors and are solely responsible for ensuring their own compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and industry standards governing their installation services, including but not limited to OSHA requirements, Department of Transportation regulations, and vehicle safety standards.  Partners must maintain all necessary licenses, certifications, and insurance required to perform installation services.  Nothing in this document creates an employment relationship, joint venture, or agency relationship between Motive and installation partners.

 

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