There are two ways to put tracking hardware on a fleet: buy it inside PortaPro, or bring hardware you already own. The numbers below cover both.
Hardware bought inside PortaPro
Vehicle tracker (Queclink GV500MAP, plug-in OBD-II): $200 one-time, shipped and configured for your account, plus $10/month of tracking service. Cellular service included. Install is plugging it into the port under the dash.Unit tracking device (Digital Matter Oyster3 with a 10-year 1NCE SIM): $200 one-time including the device, SIM, configuration and shipping, plus $1/month or $10/year. Battery lasts 5–7 years; Device Health shows the battery-service date and alerts 90 days before it.Service for every device starts the day it sends its first location, never the day you order.Requires the Growth plan. See How much does GPS Tracking cost, and what plan do I need?.
Bringing your own hardware
Professional trackers you already own can often be re-pointed at PortaPro, in which case you pay only the monthly tracking service. If you are sourcing new hardware yourself, the figures below are 2026 US street pricing gathered across authorized resellers and independent reviews. Digital Matter and Ruptela are partner-channel only, so hardware price commonly varies ±20% by reseller and is often bundled with a platform fee; confirm with your quote before ordering.
Battery asset tags (Digital Matter Oyster3 / Yabby Edge, Queclink GL):
Device: Oyster3 $125–$140, Yabby Edge Cellular $95–$130, Queclink GL320MG $89 (base) – $155 (extended battery).Cellular data: $1–$3/mo pay-as-you-go on Hologram or KORE Super SIM at 1–5 MB/mo typical; $14 once for a 1NCE 10-year flat SIM covering 500 MB + 250 SMS, which amortizes to under $0.12/mo on low-traffic assets.Battery life: 7–10+ years on the default cadence (1–4 fixes per day plus motion wake). At end of life, replace the tag or send it for battery service.Total 5-year cost per tag: ~$130–$210 with a 1NCE SIM; ~$150–$280 with a monthly cellular plan.Vehicle trackers (Queclink, Teltonika, Ruptela):
Device: Queclink GV500MAP OBDII $105–$130 (Verizon- and AT&T-certified, stocked domestically), GV500 OBDII $65–$110, GV350M $140–$210; Teltonika FMB920 $38–$50, FMB130 $41–$70, FMC003 OBDII $97–$120 (a European part; US stock is thin and import duty adds ~$15–$40); Ruptela FM-Eco4/Pro4 ~$60–$180 (usually quoted through integrators).Buy from a distributor, not a consumer marketplace. A $25–$80 OBD tracker on a consumer marketplace is subsidised by a mandatory monthly subscription and ships locked to that vendor's servers; it cannot be pointed at PortaPro.Installation: $0 for OBDII plug-in; $75–$150/vehicle for a hardwired professional install in fleet quantities, or $150–$300 for a one-off mobile-tech call. Shop rates are typically $85–$125/hr, ~45–75 minutes per install.Cellular data: $3–$6/mo on Hologram or KORE Super SIM at 20–80 MB/mo typical for 30-second ping under ignition.No battery, powered by the vehicle.Total 5-year cost per truck: ~$225–$630 (device + one install + 5 years of data).Bundled turnkey alternatives
Hardware, SIM, and a tracking platform in one monthly fee run $10–$44/vehicle/mo (Azuga, GPS Insight, Verizon Connect Reveal), most requiring a 3–5 year contract. They are listed only for comparison: that fee buys *their* tracking software, which is redundant if you're tracking in PortaPro.
Samsara comparison
Fleet vehicle path only: $27–$33/vehicle/mo advertised entry, $40–$60 all-in after routing / maintenance / AI dashcam add-ons; hardware $99–$148 for the base gateway or $350–$500 with the AI dashcam and install; 3-year prepay required. Samsara does not publish pricing, so every quote is sales-led; 50+ vehicle fleets typically negotiate 15–25% off list. If you already have Samsara, this is a sunk cost and connecting it to PortaPro is free.
A worked bring-your-own budget
100 tracked units + 20 tracked trucks over 5 years, sourcing your own mid-range hardware, 1NCE SIMs on the tags, KORE Super SIM on the trucks:
Asset tags: 100 × ~$170 avg (device + 10-year SIM) = $17,000Vehicle trackers: 20 × ~$400 avg (device + one install + 5 yrs data) = $8,000Total hardware cost 5-year: ~$25,000, plus the monthly tracking service on each deviceSame fleet on bundled third-party hardware would run ~$110,000–$130,000 over 5 years.
These bring-your-own numbers are for planning only. Most operators simply buy the hardware inside PortaPro, shipped and configured, and never source a device or a SIM.
