This document lists the tools that are available for you to use after the Motive MCP connection is successful.
Explore the tool catalog
The catalog contains 32 tools:
- 31 tools map 1:1 to the Motive Public API. Of those, three are composite operations and 28 are single-purpose operations.
- motive_feedback_submit is the 32nd tool. It writes product feedback rather than fleet data.
- 26 tools are read-only.
- Six tools write data or trigger an action.
Fleet and vehicles
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_fleet_read | View vehicle locations, health, and utilization | Read (composite) | Locates the fleet, gets vehicle health, lists vehicles, gets utilization, or lists ELD devices. Covers ELD-equipped vehicles. |
| motive_list_assets | View non-powered assets and trailers | Read | Lists non-powered assets such as trailers and equipment. |
| motive_get_asset_location | View latest GPS location for an asset | Read | Returns the latest GPS location for one asset. |
| motive_locate_asset | Request asset location | Write | Requests a fresh GPS ping for one asset. |
| motive_update_vehicle | Edit vehicle details and status | Write | Updates a vehicle's active status, service availability, fuel type, groups, ELD device, camera and audio settings, notes, and related fields. |
motive_fleet_read supports these operations: locate_fleet, get_vehicle_health, list_vehicles, get_vehicle_utilization, and list_eld_devices. Vehicle utilization supports a maximum 30-day range.
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_fleet_read | operation (required), vehicle_id, vehicle_ids, driver_ids, identifiers, asset_name, fuel_type, start_date, end_date, updated_after, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_assets | name, exact_match, status, page_no, per_page |
| motive_get_asset_location | id (required), start_date, end_date, page_no, per_page |
| motive_locate_asset | id (required) |
| motive_update_vehicle | id (required), status (active or deactivated), availability_details_availability_status (in_service or out_of_service), availability_details_additional_note, availability_details_custom_driver_app_warning_prompt, fuel_type, group_ids, eld_device_id, driver_facing_camera, incab_audio_recording, ifta, metric_units, prevent_auto_odometer_entry, notes, permanent_driver_id, external_ids_attributes |
Try asking:
- "Where is truck 4021 right now?"
- "List all active trailers."
- "Mark vehicle 4021 out of service with a note about the transmission."
Compliance
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_compliance_read | View hours of service, logs, and violations | Read (composite) | Returns HOS status, dispatch readiness, logs, or HOS violations. |
| motive_list_driving_periods | TBD | Read | Lists raw ELD driving segments. These are distinct from HOS log entries returned by get_logs. |
| motive_list_log_suggestions | View HOS log edit suggestions | Read | Lists HOS log edit suggestions and their status. |
| motive_list_inspection_reports | View driver-vehicle inspection reports | Read | Lists driver-vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs). |
motive_compliance_read supports these operations: get_driver_hos_status, check_dispatch_readiness, get_logs, and list_violations.
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_compliance_read | operation (required), driver_ids, status, violation_types, start_date, end_date, updated_after, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_driving_periods | driver_ids, vehicle_ids, type (pc, ym, or driving), status (interrupted, in_progress, or complete), annotation_status, assigned_to_driver, start_date, end_date, updated_after |
| motive_list_log_suggestions | status (suggested, approved, rejected, cancelled, or voided), page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_inspection_reports | vehicle_ids, asset_ids, driver_ids, entity_type (asset or vehicle), status, start_date, end_date, updated_after |
Try asking:
- "Which drivers are within two hours of their HOS limit?"
- "List driving periods for driver 552 that are still in progress."
- "List yesterday's DVIRs with unresolved defects."
Safety
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_get_scorecard_summary | View driver and fleet safety scores | Read | Returns fleet or driver safety scores and event counts. |
| motive_list_speeding_events | View driver speeding events | Read | Lists speeding events. |
| motive_list_driver_performance_events | TBD | Read | Lists harsh braking, tailgating, distraction, drowsiness, and other camera-tagged events. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_get_scorecard_summary | driver_ids, start_date, end_date, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_speeding_events | driver_ids, vehicle_ids, start_date, end_date, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_driver_performance_events | driver_ids, vehicle_ids, event_types, annotation_tags, positive_behavior_tags, media_required, ignore_thresholds, start_date, end_date, updated_after |
Try asking:
- "Give me this month's safety scorecard for the Phoenix team."
- "List speeding events for driver 552 last week."
- "Show harsh braking events with video available this week."
Dispatch and geofencing
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_list_dispatches | View dispatch assignments and trips | Read | Lists dispatch assignments, including driver, vehicle, load, and status. |
| motive_list_dispatch_locations | View company dispatch locations | Read | Lists saved pickup and dropoff dispatch locations. |
| motive_list_geofences | View company geofences | Read | Lists company geofences such as yards, customers, and job sites. |
| motive_create_geofence | Create a company geofence | Write | Adds a geofence as a polygon or address. |
| motive_list_geofence_events | View geofence events and detention | Read | Lists geofence entry and exit events. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_list_dispatches | driver_ids, vehicle_ids, vendor_ids, statuses, ids, include_native, mcleod_driver_ids, mcleod_vehicle_ids, updated_after, updated_before |
| motive_list_dispatch_locations | ids, vendor_ids, mcleod_ids, tmw_ids |
| motive_list_geofences | name, category, status, updated_after |
| motive_create_geofence | name (required), category (required), location_points (required, closed polygon), address, description, status |
| motive_list_geofence_events | geofence_ids, vehicle_ids, driver_ids, start_date, end_date, updated_after |
Try asking:
- "List active dispatches for the Southwest team."
- "Create a geofence around our new Reno yard."
- "Which trucks entered the Dallas yard this morning?"
Users and groups
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_list_users | View company users and drivers | Read | Lists company users, including drivers, fleet users, and admins. |
| motive_get_user | View user details | Read | Returns one user's details by ID. |
| motive_update_user | Edit user account settings | Write | Updates a user's name, contact details, status, role, groups, time zone, ELD and time-tracking mode, and HOS settings. |
| motive_list_groups | View company groups and terminals | Read | Lists company groups such as terminals, fleets, and teams. |
| motive_list_group_vehicles | View vehicles in a group | Read | Lists vehicles belonging to a group. |
| motive_lookup_read | Resolve drivers, vehicles, assets, or company by identifier | Read (composite) | Resolves a name, email, phone number, vehicle number, or external ID to an internal ID. It can also identify the connected company. |
motive_lookup_read supports these operations: resolve_entity, resolve_by_external_id, and identify_company.
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_list_users | role (admin, fleet_user, or driver), status (active, pending, or deactivated), duty_status, updated_after, page_no, per_page |
| motive_get_user | id (required) |
| motive_update_user | id (required), customuser_role_id (required), first_name, last_name, email, username, company_reference_id, time_zone, status, role, group_ids, eld_mode, time_tracking_mode, cycle2, secondary_cycle_enabled, custom_user_role* fields (group IDs, delete flag, coach assignment), and HOS exception flags |
| motive_list_groups | updated_after, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_group_vehicles | id (required), updated_after |
| motive_lookup_read | operation (required), entity_type, and one of email, username, driver_company_id, or phone for a user; vehicle_number for a vehicle; or external_id plus integration_name for an ERP-linked entity |
Try asking:
- "List all active drivers."
- "Move user 8842 to the Phoenix group and set their role to fleet user."
- "What is the internal ID for vehicle number 4021?"
Time and fuel
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_list_timecard_entries | View driver timecard entries | Read | Lists time-tracking entries, including clock-in, clock-out, and job time. |
| motive_list_fuel_purchases | View fuel purchase receipts | Read | Lists fuel purchase receipts. |
| motive_get_ifta_summary | View IFTA fuel-tax miles and jurisdictions | Read | Returns IFTA miles and gallons by jurisdiction. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_list_timecard_entries | user_ids (required), start_date, end_date, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_fuel_purchases | vehicle_ids, vehicle_type (ifta or all), fuel_type, jurisdictions, source, start_date, end_date |
| motive_get_ifta_summary | vehicle_ids, fuel_type, jurisdictions, start_date, end_date |
Try asking:
- "Pull timecard entries for user 8842 this pay period."
- "List fuel purchases in Texas last month."
- "Give me the Q3 IFTA summary by jurisdiction."
Messaging
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_send_message | Send message to driver or dispatcher | Write | Sends a message from one sender to one or more receivers. |
| motive_list_inbox_messages | View company inbox messages | Read | Lists the company-wide inbox feed. It does not require a sender. |
| motive_list_conversation_messages | View conversation thread messages | Read | Lists messages in one conversation thread. It requires a sender ID. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_send_message | sender_id (required), receiver_ids (required), body (required) |
| motive_list_inbox_messages | min_updated_at, max_updated_at, page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_conversation_messages | sender_id (required), receiver_ids, sent_after, sent_before |
Try asking:
- "Send a message to all drivers on the Southwest team about the weather delay."
- "Show inbox messages updated in the last 24 hours."
- "Show my conversation with driver 552 from this week."
Freight visibility
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_list_freight_visibility_companies | View freight visibility partner companies | Read | Lists partner companies with freight-visibility consent. |
| motive_list_freight_visibility_vehicle_locations | View freight visibility vehicle locations | Read | Lists shared vehicle locations from consented partners. Use motive_fleet_read for your own fleet. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_list_freight_visibility_companies | page_no, per_page |
| motive_list_freight_visibility_vehicle_locations | page_no, per_page |
Try asking:
- "List our freight visibility partner companies."
- "Show shared locations from our freight visibility partners."
Feedback
| Tool | Name in Claude settings | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| motive_feedback_submit | Submit user feedback | Write | Logs a bug, feature request, usability issue, or performance issue to the product team with session context attached. It is not part of the 31-tool fleet-data catalog. |
| Tool | Key parameters |
|---|---|
| motive_feedback_submit | category (bug, feature, usability, or performance), feedback_text (required), rating (required, 1–5) |
Try asking:
- "This should also let me filter by region. Log that as feedback."
Tool usage notes
- Every tool accepts an optional user_intent string containing the original prompt. This is used for logging.
- Writes are real actions. Review the request before approving a write tool.
- If you start with a name, email, phone number, or vehicle number instead of an internal ID, call motive_lookup_read first and pass the resolved ID to the specific tool.
- Tool names and parameters may change as the catalog evolves. Reconnect periodically to pick up updates.
- If a tool's data model distinguishes internal IDs from TMS IDs, use the correct parameter for the ID type.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Before troubleshooting, save the full prompt, tool calls, and error text produced by the AI client. The agent runs client-side rather than on Motive's servers, so this transcript is the fastest way to diagnose a problem.
Authentication
A tool call fails with a 401 or "The access token is invalid." What should I do?
Your OAuth session may have expired or been revoked. Disconnect and reconnect the connector, then sign in again. Sessions may also be revoked after a password change or an admin action.
I cannot complete sign-in, or the connector option does not appear. Why?
Only fleet admin accounts can connect to the Motive MCP today. Use a fleet admin login.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 401 or invalid access token | Expired or revoked OAuth session | Reconnect and sign in again. |
| Connector option is missing or sign-in fails | Non-admin account | Connect with a fleet admin login. |
Approvals
A tool call returns "No approval received." What does that mean?
Some AI clients require an explicit approval before a tool executes, especially on first use. Check the client for a pending approval prompt, confirm it, and retry.
I confirmed the approval and it still fails. What should I do?
Retry once more. If the problem continues, check the client's tool-approval configuration because the issue may be client-side.
Permissions and visibility
The agent returns data for vehicles, drivers, or groups I did not expect to see. Is that a bug?
No. Any connected fleet admin currently receives fleet-wide visibility, regardless of dashboard role. Per-user permission scoping is not live yet.
Do not connect non-admin workflows when scoped access is required.
A write action behaves differently from my dashboard permissions. Why?
Writes run under the connected admin account's permissions, not necessarily the permissions of the person typing in the chat. Confirm which admin account is connected before relying on a write action.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected fleet-wide results | Per-user scoping is not available yet | This is expected at this stage; do not connect non-admins for scoped access. |
| A write behaves unlike your own permissions | Writes run as the connected admin | Confirm which admin account is connected. |
Empty or unexpected results
A list tool returns nothing when I expect data. What should I check?
Check these items in order:
- Date range: Many list tools accept start_date and end_date. An omitted range may default to a narrower range than expected. motive_fleet_read with get_vehicle_utilization has a 30-day maximum.
- ID field: Some tools distinguish internal IDs from TMS IDs. For example, motive_list_dispatches uses driver_ids separately from mcleod_driver_ids and mcleod_vehicle_ids.
- Entity type: motive_list_inspection_reports and motive_lookup_read branch on asset versus vehicle.
- ID resolution: If you start with a name, email, phone number, or vehicle number, call motive_lookup_read first and pass the resolved ID to the target tool.
I asked about a trailer or equipment and got no results, or I got vehicle data instead. Why?
motive_fleet_read covers ELD-equipped, motorized vehicles. Trailers and other non-powered assets are handled by motive_list_assets, motive_get_asset_location, and motive_locate_asset.
Messaging
motive_list_conversation_messages returns an error about a missing sender. What should I use instead?
motive_list_conversation_messages requires sender_id and returns one thread. For a broad, sender-agnostic feed, use motive_list_inbox_messages with min_updated_at and max_updated_at.
| Tool | Needs a sender? | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| motive_list_conversation_messages | Yes | One specific thread. |
| motive_list_inbox_messages | No | The company-wide feed. |
Regions
Authentication fails even though my credentials look correct. Could it be regional?
Possibly. The Motive MCP can be used in Canada. For Europe, use Motive's EU MCP. Check your organization's region against the current Help Center status before assuming the problem is credentials.
Still stuck
None of these issues matches what I am seeing. What should I do?
Call motive_feedback_submit from the same conversation where the issue occurred. It captures session context, including tools called, trace IDs, and errors, alongside your note.
Use these parameters:
- category: bug, feature, usability, or performance
- feedback_text: required
- rating: required, from 1 to 5
Should I send the chat transcript with my report?
Yes. Send the full transcript, including your prompts, tool calls, and exact error text.
- Export or copy the conversation from your AI client and attach it to your support ticket or share it with your Motive contact.
- Include the complete request and error rather than a paraphrase.
- Redact passwords, tokens, cookies, and unrelated personal data before sharing.
- If you used motive_feedback_submit, mention it in the ticket so support can cross-reference the captured trace IDs.