Telematics vs. desert: Wialon tackles Dakar Rally challenge

Wialon, a global leader in fleet digitalization, telematics and IoT software, has successfully completed a grueling real-world test of its software during the legendary Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, combining long-distance logistics tracking for a rally competitor team with an off-road challenge of its own for selected partners.

During the Dakar Rally 2026, held January 3–17, Wialon was used to track the support vehicle of the Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics Team, led by Dakar Ultimate class driver Benediktas Vanagas.

“During Dakar Rally stages, competitors are not allowed to use GPS devices or software platforms for navigation and must rely solely on equipment provided by the organizers,” explained Benediktas Vanagas. “We used Wialon to track the support vehicle on the way to Saudi Arabia, throughout the rally, and on the return route. The vehicle transported equipment, spare parts, and the race car trailer, covering several thousand kilometers by road, sea, and desert, and relocating multiple times between bivouacs during the rally. In this context, telematics became a digital lifeline for the support crew, enabling mission-critical decisions when we were hundreds of kilometers from help.”

Inspired by the official Dakar Rally, Wialon assembled a “desert crew” of 16 telematics experts representing IoT and fleet digitalization companies from its global partner community. In their own Wialon Dakar Challenge, they formed four teams that navigated off-road vehicles along the official rally routes. Wialon software was used for real-time tracking, live data transmission, and management of the event’s fleet logistics.

The Wialon teams tackled a shorter, five-day challenge, mirroring the official rally experience by tracing the routes of professional teams across the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia. The teams included Wialon partners from Lebanon, South Africa, Australia, Tanzania, Ireland, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Chile, and Mexico, alongside Wialon executives.

The competition involved a series of demanding missions, from navigating with analogue roadbooks similar to ones that Dakar pros are having, to a simulated stolen vehicle recovery chase, all tracked live in Wialon. The software supported real-time location tracking, mileage monitoring, speed compliance, and competition scoring. Checkpoints were configured as geofences, allowing teams to be ranked by arrival time. Each vehicle was equipped with multiple tracking devices, including a satellite backup, reflecting the mixed-hardware scenarios common in commercial fleet operations. On average, each of the four Wialon teams drove 1,900 km during the challenge (over the same period, official Dakar racers covered 1,600 km).

“While the Dakar Rally is an extreme challenge for people and vehicles, for our software, it’s a chance to demonstrate the reliability we’ve perfected over two decades,” said Aliaksandr Kuushynau, Head of Wialon, who participated in the challenge. “The brutal conditions — unyielding sun, endless dunes, vibrations, and fluctuating networks — make it the ultimate proving ground. Wialon once again validated its capability to handle such harsh environments with ease, delivering flawless performance when it mattered most.”

“In addition to community conferences and events, it has become a valued tradition at Wialon to organize bold challenges for our top partners. In the past, we brought partners together to climb Kilimanjaro or conquer Mount Rinjani, the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. The 2026 Dakar Challenge is our boldest community event yet, and it’s great to see that it not only delivers a breathtaking adventure, but also embodies the spirit of our community: mutual support and growth,” added Aliaksandr Kuushynau.

Wialon fleet digitalization software solutions connect and track over 4 million fleet vehicles in more than 160 countries, supporting 4100+ device models. Wialon has a global network of over 2700 partners, including fleet service providers, integrators, and value-added resellers.

Developed by Gurtam, a European software company with over two decades of experience, Wialon offers fleet tracking, fuel management, video telematics, and more — helping companies and organizations digitalize and streamline fleet operations, from cars and trucks to heavy vehicles and machinery.