Canadian Tech Compares Commercial Vehicle Diagnostic Tools
Choosing a commercial vehicle diagnostic tool is an important business decision. Diagnostic accuracy, uptime, and the ability to program and/or calibrate components determine how quickly a truck returns to the road. As a Canadian tech, I have experience with all kinds of diagnostic tools, and have come to deeply understand the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Join me as I dive into Canada’s top commercial vehicle diagnostic tools, comparing costs, features, and more to determine what tool reigns supreme.
What Makes a “Good” Commercial Vehicle Diagnostic Tool?
Vehicle & System Coverage: Engines, transmissions, aftertreatment, ABS/EBS, and body ECUs for your makes and models.
Bidirectional Control & Programming: Forced regens, injector coding, ECM updates, parameter changes when required.
Reliability & Updates: Frequent, stable updates and North American support.
Cost of Ownership: License model (license subscription vs single purchase), dongles/cables, and whether it reduces dependency on the dealer.
Diagnostic Tool Comparison: Rating the Top Diagnostic Tools Used in Canada
Jaltest CV
Jaltest CV is the commercial vehicle package of Cojali’s well-known diagnostic tool – Jaltest. It is a full multi-brand commercial vehicle diagnostic suite used heavily in mixed fleets, mobile repair trucks, and independent shops.
I may be a little biased here. Jaltest is a favourite of mine, I’ve recommended it and sold it to many techs across North America, and that’s because Jaltest has what brand-specific tools and other third-party diagnostic tools lack. It blends the multi-brand capabilities of most third-party tools with the OEM functionalities only available with brand-specific tools like INSITE.
Key Advantages:
Includes bi-directional tests that techs actually use, including:
Forced DPF regenerations on Cummins, PACCAR, Volvo/Mack, Detroit.etc
Injector cut-out tests on ISX/ISB/ISC engines.
SCR dosing tests (common when troubleshooting NOx faults).
ABS/EBS solenoid actuation for Bendix & Wabco.
Jaltest doesn’t offer the full ECM flashing you’d find in the dealer-level tools, but that’s the only place it noticeably falls short.
It can also be quite pricey, which can make it less accessible for small shops and freelancers needing to keep a tight budget. The price is justified by the suite of features offered, but we understand such a big investment is not as easy as it sounds. Wholefleet has started offering a Jaltest financing option to help reduce the upfront price.
Where Jaltest Works Best:
Mixed fleets
Service trucks, and independent diesel shops that want high capability with predictable licensing costs.
My Rating: 10/10
Comment: Jaltest has everything you need in one place to simplify operations and cash flow. Dealer-level diagnostics without the dealer-level costs. My go-to! No complaints here. Every mixed fleet should have this.
Autel MaxiSys CV (MS909CV / MS919CV / Ultra EV + CV package)
Autel is a tablet-based diagnostic platform with strong multi-brand coverage. At WholeFleet, we like to describe it as “a tool with just the essentials”, and that’s very much what it is. The tool primarily focuses on ease of use and fast navigation.
Key Advantages:
Fast graphing and data refreshing, which is useful for diagnosing intermittent EGR or NOx performance issues.
Performs best with medium-duty vehicles like Freightliner M2, Ford Powerstroke 6.7, Duramax, Isuzu NPR, Hino, Ram 6.7.etc
Autel auto-draws the network (ex: CAN, LIN), which helps when diagnosing communication faults.
Actuator tests available for DEF pumps, VGT actuators, DOC/DPF temp sensors.etc
Limitations:
Heavy-duty aftertreatment tests aren’t as deep as other tools, namely Jaltest.
Programming support varies widely by brand and model year. You’ll likely need to invest in additional OEM licenses for ECM programming.
Cable/adaptor bundles are large, so techs need to be able to tell on their own which plug to use for pre-2000s trucks.
Where Autel Works Best:
Shops wanting speed, ease of use, and great medium-duty coverage
Shops who don’t need OEM capabilities or already have relevant OEM licenses
Mobile techs who like a single rugged tablet setup
My Rating: 6/10
Comment: Great, cost-effective tool to cover the basics. I recommend it but it depends on the needs of your shop whether it's the best option. With the lack of OEM capabilities, I can’t put it any higher than 6.
TEXA (IDC5)
TEXA is a third-party diagnostic solution with strong coverage for heavy trucks. It’s the closest competitor to Jaltest.
Key Advantages:
Standard actuator & configuration abilities (calibrations, clutch adaptions, regenerations.etc)
Great coverage for European trucks like Sprinter, Volvo EU, Renault, Iveco, MAN, and Scania
Updates 3-5 times per year with new system support
Limitations:
Least user-friendly interface compared to closest alternatives (Jaltest, Autel.etc)
Coverage for certain North American domestic trucks can be inconsistent
More expensive option than Autel
Where TEXA Works Best:
Shops that want dealer-level depth but a cheaper option than Jaltest
Shops that mainly handle European trucks or OHE
Jaltest or TEXA, which is better? Find out on our blog!
My Rating: 7/10
Comment: TEXA has far more advanced functionalities than Autel, which is why it gets a higher rating. Regardless, I can’t have it any higher than 7 because Jaltest offers better coverage, better customer service, better user-friendliness, and better load speeds. You may be able to get a less comprehensive version of TEXA for cheap, but the better versions are generally the same price or more expensive than Jaltest CV.
OEM Software (Cummins INSITE, CAT ET.etc)
This section covers OEM software as a whole using Cummins INSITE as the primary example.
OEM software is a broad term we use to describe manufacturer-level diagnostic and programming software. These diagnostic tools are designed for the specific brand only, and cannot be used for different brands in the same fleet.
Here’s a quick summary of INSITE’s advantages and disadvantages:
Cummins INSITE
Key Advantages:
Full ECM calibrations (including updates for emissions and fuel mapping).
Live snapshots with timestamped PID recording, excellent for diagnosing power loss or derate histories.
Cylinder performance tests and full aftertreatment reset procedures.
Great for Cummins equipment.
Limitations:
Cummins only, not useful for other engines.
Licensing fees + hardware requirements (Inline adapters).
Where INSITE Works Best:
Fleets that exclusively use Cummins vehicles.
My Rating: 6/10
Comment: Rating INSITE was difficult because there’s no denying it has great capabilities, and in the right tech’s hands, it can do amazing things. However, I have always represented the mixed fleet, so multi-brand support is really important to me. INSITE is the most valuable in very specific and rare scenarios (Cummins-only fleets), so I can’t put it any higher than this.
