How Much Does Vehicle Tracking Cost?

If you’re considering a vehicle tracking system for your fleet but want to gauge the prices first, we’ve got you covered. Our independent research into the vehicle tracking providers in Australia shows that you can sign up for as little as $13 per vehicle, per month.

As per the industry norm, the cost of a GPS tracking system will still depend on your fleet size, the chosen features (whether you want add-ons or not), and the contract length. Vehicle tracking systems are key if you aim to improve your fleet’s efficiency and performance as they offer fuel tracking, vehicle management, and driver management.

Read on for the full breakdown of the cost factors at play when it comes to vehicle tracking. If you need a faster option, try our free quote comparison tool. All you need to do is answer a few questions about your business and we will match you up with the top providers. They will then be in touch with obligation-free quotes that are tailored to your needs.

Prices correct as of last update.

How much does vehicle tracking cost?

Vehicle tracking costs can vary greatly depending on your needs, with basic options starting at around $13 per vehicle, per month, while the feature-rich trackers cost upwards of $35 per vehicle, per month. This may rack up, depending on your fleet size, contract length, and chosen features. For example, if you choose to add dash cams, fuel cards, or tablets, these additions could increase your monthly fees.

Factors that can influence vehicle tracking costs include:

• Your fleet (size of fleet and type of vehicle)
• Your choice of tracker (active or passive)
• Your tracking system needs (location-based or telematics)
• The tracker installation type (wired or plug-in)

You also need to consider insurance costs, as this is a legal requirement. While ostensibly fixed, you can work out ways to reduce your fleet insurance costs.

Overall, the easiest way to compare the cost of GPS tracking systems is to split the market into three tiers: entry-level, advanced, and expert. Each tier is associated with a particular fleet size and has a certain cost range, highlighted in the table below:

Vehicle tracking costs by fleet size

As demonstrated in the table above, your fleet size will be the biggest determining factor when it comes to vehicle tracking costs. Most contracts are written on a per vehicle, per month basis. There are different vehicle tracking solutions that we can recommend depending on your fleet size. As a rule of thumb, larger fleets require more in-depth tracking and data than smaller ones, thus, they will need a more sophisticated system. This applies to fleets of all types of vehicles, including trucks, vans, cars and motorbikes.

Vehicle tracking and route mapping are a standard requirement for all tracking systems. Let’s see how the different levels of vehicle tracking compare after that:

Entry-level fleet tracking costs (1 to 20 vehicles)

Entry-level vehicle trackers are often plug-and-go options that you can get from $13 per vehicle, per month.

As you’d expect, these are the most basic option and they’re usually passive, meaning they collect data but it won’t update automatically or be visible in real time.

If you have a smaller fleet and only need to map and track vehicles, then a simple, entry-level tracker should suffice. If you’re looking for specialised, in-depth functionalities, like traffic updates, fuel usage, and driver alerts, you’ll need something that’s hi-spec.

Advanced level fleet tracking costs (20 to 50 vehicles)

You can get advanced level fleet trackers with plans that start from $25 per vehicle, per month. Depending on your fleet size, this can quickly build up – so make sure you’re getting the best deal you can.

Advanced trackers are typically active, which means they collect a whole host of data and feed it back in real time. It’s worth noting this works both ways as an advanced system that allows drivers to receive alerts from HQ as well as traffic updates. Of course, this added functionality bumps the price up, but it will definitely help your fleet become more efficient.

Expert level fleet tracking costs (50+ vehicles)

If you have a fleet of 100 vehicles or more, it’s worthwhile investing in the highest tier of fleet management software. These trackers are active, can track individual vehicle and driver performances, and are backed by a range of sophisticated reporting software. They are easily the best option for larger fleets as their biggest expenses include fuel, vehicle maintenance, and labour costs. Active trackers like that of Verizon can help you keep maintenance records, automatically detect faulty parts in your vehicles, optimise your routes, and monitor your drivers as they work.

Expert level tracking devices cost upwards of around $35 per vehicle, per month, but some providers, like Inseego and Netstar, offer free installation support, so you can check that one off your list.

This may seem expensive, but the level of sophistication in these devices mean they can provide real, tangible cost-saving benefits for your business, which can more than justify your outlay over the length of the contract.

If you want to find the best option for your fleet size, our free quote comparison tool is just a click away. It’s a fast and easy way to get personalised quotes from the top vehicle tracking providers.

Fleet tracking contracts

To get the best deal for your business, pay close attention to the type of vehicle tracking contract you’re signing. Some companies offer flexible pricing, where you pay slightly more upfront for the devices and subsequently pay a lower monthly fee. Likewise, the opposite may be true, so talk with your provider to find the right deal for your business.

In years gone by, you could acquire perpetual licences for your vehicle tracking systems if you chose to buy the devices and software upfront. This would allow you to use the system forever without any restrictions. However, it’s now much more common in the industry to provide subscription-based licences.

With a subscription-based licence, you pay a monthly fee to continue using the fleet tracking software and devices. Many fleet tracking providers will charge you a modest upfront fee for the devices and then charge you a monthly fee.

If you’d like to find a contract that suits your business, try our free quote finding tool. Answer a few questions about your fleet to be matched up with the best vehicle tracking software providers for you. Sit back, and they’ll contact you with bespoke, no-oligation quotes and contract information.

So, what are the pros and cons of a subscription-based vehicle tracking system?

Additional fleet tracking costs

In addition to the contract and monthly fees, there are extra costs associated with vehicle tracking. These fees include:

• Setup and installation costs
• Customisation or bespoke design costs
• The cost of integrating the fleet tracking software with existing systems and software
• Outside technical support for software systems
• Incurring charges if your vehicles travel outside of a certain area, e.g. city limits
• Roaming charges for vehicles using GPS signals outside of city limits
• Termination fees (these vary by supplier)

You can easily identify and budget for these extra costs, just be sure to ask the right questions and read your contract thoroughly.

6 tips to save money on your vehicle tracking

1. Compare quotes

Yes, it’s an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t collect a variety of tracker prices before making their choice. Our free quote comparison tool can help you save money by linking you up with our trusted providers, who will then give you tailored quotes for your business. It’s hassle free, quick, and easy!

2. Be wary of longer contracts

Another important thing to do is to look at how long you’ll be tied into a contract for. If it’s a number of years, think about looking for a different option, where you can optimise a pay-as-you-go option or offer flexible contracts. Also, be aware of contracts that renew automatically.

3. Check your tracking system is scalable

Your vehicle tracker should help your business grow, not become an obstacle. Check out the prices and protocol for adding more vehicles to your system. If it seems complicated or costly, it might be better to look elsewhere.

4. Double check the equipment

This doesn’t mean manually examining every tracking device you’ll be using, but rather checking whether the SIM cards in the GPS trackers are locked to a single network. Locked SIMs can struggle for signal in remote areas, making your vehicle tracking system redundant. A SIM card that works with multiple networks should have no trouble finding signal whenever, wherever.

5. Check how often the GPS ping updates

An industry standard GPS updates itself with a fresh location ping about every two to five minutes. However, opting for slower pings can result in a cheaper monthly bill, although this comes at the cost of reduced tracking and location accuracy. Higher frequency pings increase accuracy and the amount of data tracked, but it will be more expensive in the long run.

6. Find out what training is provided

A tracking system that seems cost effective can quickly become less appealing if you can’t get it to work properly! Most suppliers tend to include some complimentary training as standard, but it’s good to be clear on how many employees this extends to, and whether support will be ongoing. If there aren’t any, many providers have knowledge centres on their websites that you can refer to for urgent help – so check that they have this as well!

Next steps: how to get your fleet tracker

Expert Market’s team of dedicated writers and researchers can drive you towards the right solutions for your business. Be it choosing or paying for a vehicle tracker, we’ve got you covered with our in-depth research, so you know exactly what you’re getting with every provider.

How do we do that, you ask? Well, it all starts with our free quote comparison tool. We only need a few details about your fleet, and once you’ve filled out our form, we will match you up with our trusted providers. They will then get back to you with personalised quotes for your business without any obligations! It’s a fast and easy way to gauge the best prices in the market for your business.