Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about plans, battery life, tracking, installation, and running AlerTrax across a fleet.
Plans & Pricing
Answer:
You choose. Pay $599 once with no monthly fees ever, or pay $19.99/month and cancel or pause anytime, or pay $249/year. Every plan includes the tracker hardware, cellular service, and a free lifetime warranty, so there is no separate data plan or SIM card to buy. Compare plans at checkout.
Answer:
The one-time plan breaks even with the monthly plan at about 30 months. If you expect to use AlerTrax for more than two and a half years, the $599 one-time plan costs less over the life of the device. If you would rather keep the upfront cost low or only need tracking for a season or a project, the monthly plan is the better fit. If you would rather pay once a year, choose the $249 yearly plan.
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Yes. You can cancel or pause the monthly plan at any time. While your plan is paused, we keep your location history and settings for one year, so a seasonal boat, RV, or trailer can pick up right where it left off.
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Yes. AlerTrax comes with a 30 day, no questions asked money-back guarantee. If you are not happy for any reason, email sales@alertrax.com within 30 days for an RMA, and once we receive your working unit we will promptly issue your refund. Return shipping is the customer's responsibility.
Answer:
Every AlerTrax includes a free lifetime warranty for as long as the original purchaser owns the device. If your tracker fails, email sales@alertrax.com for an RMA and we will send out a replacement once we receive your unit. The warranty does not cover routine battery replacement, physical damage, misuse, or use with non-AlerTrax accessories. The full terms are on our home page.
Tracking & Alerts
Answer:
You set the update interval anywhere from every 2 minutes to once an hour in the app or the Web Fleet Portal. Shorter intervals give you a more detailed trail while an asset is moving. Longer intervals make the batteries last longer. Movement alerts are sent as soon as the tracker senses movement, whatever interval you choose.
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More than 1 year with 10 minute location updates and a check-in every 24 hours, on an asset that moves occasionally, such as a trailer, boat, or piece of equipment. On an asset that moves all day, five days a week, expect about 4 to 6 months. Faster update intervals and more movement shorten battery life. You will get a low-battery alert before the batteries run out.
Answer:
AlerTrax uses GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou satellites and is typically accurate to about 30 feet (10 meters) outdoors. When it cannot see the sky, it falls back to Wi-Fi and cellular positioning, which is accurate to about 90 feet (30 meters), or about 2,000 feet (600 meters) on cellular alone. See the full specifications.
Answer:
Yes. Metal walls and roofs block GPS signals, so inside a building or an enclosed trailer AlerTrax switches to Wi-Fi and cellular positioning to keep reporting where it is. The location will be less precise than outdoors, but you will still know which building, lot, or street it is on.
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In the US, AlerTrax uses LTE CAT-M1 on the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks, which are built for low-power trackers and reach well into rural areas. Cellular service is included in your plan.
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Yes. AlerTrax keeps reporting when a tracked asset crosses the border into Canada or Mexico, so a trailer, boat, or truck that travels across the border stays on your map.
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You can get alerts for movement, speeding, entering or leaving a geofence, low battery, and no contact (a device that has not reported in over 3 days). Geofences can be a simple circle or a custom polygon drawn around a yard, jobsite, or marina. Alerts can arrive as app notifications, text messages (SMS), email, or any combination, and every alert is saved to a searchable history in the app and the Web Fleet Portal.
Answer:
The app and portal keep showing the last location the tracker reported and when it reported it. Once the tracker is back in coverage it picks up reporting again on its normal schedule. If a device goes more than 3 days without reporting, a no contact alert lets you know so you can check on it.
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Yes. You can share a device with other people so they can view it and set up their own alerts and geofences, which is useful for crews, business partners, or family members who help keep an eye on things.
Installation & Hardware
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One AlerTrax tracks one asset at a time, but you can move it between assets whenever you like, for example from a boat in summer to a snowmobile trailer in winter. To track several assets at the same time, use one device per asset. All of your devices show up together in the same app and fleet portal account.
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Yes. There is no wiring, and the two AA batteries are included. Put in the batteries, add the device in the app, and mount it with the built-in 8 lb magnet, screws, or zip ties. Most people are tracking within a few minutes.
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Somewhere a thief will not see at a glance, such as along a frame rail, behind a panel, or inside a storage compartment. Avoid sealing it inside a solid metal box when you can, since metal on every side reduces GPS accuracy. Plastic, fiberglass, and wood panels do not block the signal.
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Use zip ties rated for heat, cold, and UV exposure. Standard zip ties left out in the weather can become brittle and break over time.
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Yes. AlerTrax is IP67 rated and protected against salt water, so it holds up to rain, snow, road spray, and marine environments on boats, docks, and trailers that get dunked at the ramp.
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Two standard AA batteries, which come in the box with every AlerTrax. For replacements you can use alkaline, single-use lithium, or rechargeable lithium AAs, all of which are sold almost anywhere. The app sends a low-battery alert when it is time to swap them.
Business & Fleet
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Yes. The Web Fleet Portal shows every device on one map, with location history, geofences, and a filterable list of alerts. It is the same account you use in the iOS and Android app.
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Yes, with TeamTrax. It tracks work-issued phones and tablets on a schedule you set, such as work hours only, or all the time, with location updates every 10 minutes. TeamTrax with 10 minute updates is free, and your crew shows up alongside your vehicles, trailers, and equipment.
Answer:
Yes. Approved partners can pull live device location, alerts, and history into their own software. Access is granted case by case. See API and Integrations to request access.
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In every state, yes. You can always track a vehicle your business owns or leases, which is exactly how fleets use AlerTrax. The rules only get stricter when a vehicle belongs to someone else, such as an employee's personal vehicle, and a handful of states ask you to give drivers written notice first. For a plain-English, state-by-state breakdown with the governing statute for each state, see our GPS Tracking Laws by State guide. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm the current law in your state with an attorney.
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It is a good idea even where the law does not require it. A written policy and a signed acknowledgment from each driver is the paper trail that protects you if tracking is ever challenged. Our free Employee GPS Consent Form builds one with the notice language for your state.
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It depends on the state, and the rules are genuinely inconsistent. Most states only require a title once a trailer is above a specific weight, some title every trailer regardless of weight, a few sort it by trailer type instead of weight, and at least one state does not issue trailer titles at all. Homemade or shop-built trailers usually need their own process, such as a state-assigned VIN and a certified weight slip. See our Trailer Titling and Registration by State guide for your state's weight threshold and requirements. This is general information, not legal or DMV advice, so confirm the current requirement with your state DMV before you title or register a trailer.