If you've started shopping for asset tracking, you've already been pitched at least three wildly different technologies and probably told that the salesperson's particular flavor is the only one that works. It's not. Each technology was built for a different job and each one wins clearly in its lane. The trick is knowing which lane you're in.
The three technologies in one paragraph each
Cellular GPS trackers
A self-contained device with a GPS chip and a SIM card. It calculates its own location from satellites, then transmits that location over the cellular network to a server. Used for live vehicle tracking for the last 25 years. Strengths: accuracy, second-by-second updates, works anywhere there's cell signal. Weaknesses: hardware cost, install labor, monthly cellular fees, big and battery-hungry.
Find My / AirTag-style tags
A coin-cell-powered Bluetooth tag. It doesn't calculate its own location — it broadcasts a signal that nearby iPhones report back to Apple, which relays it to the tag owner. Built for finding lost personal items, but a managed fleet platform turns it into a real asset tracking system. Strengths: cost, install, battery life. Weaknesses: dependent on nearby phones, not real-time on moving vehicles. Read more on how AirTag fleet tracking works.
LoRaWAN trackers
Long-range, low-power radio that talks to dedicated gateway antennas. Built for industrial IoT — sensors in remote agriculture, utility meters, large-scale logistics yards. Strengths: very long range, very long battery, no cellular fees. Weaknesses: requires you to install and maintain your own gateway infrastructure (or pay for network coverage where it exists, which is patchy).
The honest comparison
| Cellular GPS | Find My tags | LoRaWAN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware per unit | $150–$300 | $25–$30 | $80–$200 |
| Recurring per unit | $10–$25/mo | $0 (in software fee) | $0–$5/mo |
| Battery life | Days to weeks (or hardwire) | 1 year, coin cell | 5–10 years |
| Install effort | High (often hardwire) | Low (stick on) | Medium (mount + range check) |
| Update frequency | Live, second-by-second | Every few minutes | Every 10–30 min |
| Coverage in cities | |||
| Coverage in suburbs | |||
| Coverage on highways | |||
| Coverage in remote backcountry | yes (with gateway) | ||
| Indoor warehouse | |||
| Inside a metal container | |||
| Setup complexity for a 100-asset fleet | High | Low | Medium-high |
When to choose each
Choose cellular GPS when:
- You're tracking trucks, vans, or any moving vehicle where you need live location every few seconds
- You operate in genuinely remote areas with no smartphone density
- You need to track inside sealed metal containers most of the time
- You're under a regulator or insurance contract that mandates cellular telemetry
- You already have hardwired install infrastructure on every truck
Choose Find My-network tags when:
- You're tracking trailers, generators, hand tools, carts, rental gear — anything that's not a moving truck
- You operate anywhere with normal smartphone density (cities, suburbs, populated rural)
- You want install measured in minutes, not hours
- You want to forget about batteries for a year at a time
- You want per-asset cost, not per-device cellular fees
- You run any kind of rental fleet, construction yard, landscape operation, or vacation rental business
Choose LoRaWAN when:
- You operate large-scale industrial yards (ports, container facilities, energy)
- You need 5+ year battery life with no maintenance
- You're willing to install and maintain your own gateway infrastructure
- Your assets sit on a fixed property you can blanket with antenna coverage
- You're tracking environmental sensors alongside location
The mixed-fleet reality
Many operators end up running two technologies, not one. Common patterns:
- Cellular GPS on the truck cabs, tags on the trailers and gear. The cab tracking gives you live driver visibility. The tag tracking gives you cheap, scalable visibility on everything that gets parked.
- Tags everywhere except the OTR fleet. If you do both local and over-the-road work, GPS the long-haul, tag the rest.
- LoRaWAN on the fixed yard, tags on what leaves it. LoRaWAN gives you super-long battery on the stuff that stays put. Tags handle anything that travels.
There's no purity prize here. Use what fits each part of the operation.
Common sales-pitch nonsense to ignore
- "GPS is the only real tracking." Untrue. GPS is real-time tracking. It's not the only tracking, and most fleet ops don't need real-time.
- "AirTags don't work for business." Untrue. The consumer Find My app doesn't work for business. The underlying network handles fleets fine when paired with a managed platform.
- "LoRaWAN is the future." Maybe, eventually. Today, public LoRaWAN coverage is patchy outside specific industrial corridors.
- "We use AI / blockchain / [latest buzzword]." None of that matters for tracking a trailer. Move along.
The decision tree
If you have to pick one technology to start with, the question is simple:
- Is the asset a moving truck or van that needs second-by-second tracking? Choose cellular GPS.
- Is the asset on a fixed industrial site with massive scale and no power? Choose LoRaWAN.
- Is it anything else — trailers, generators, rental gear, fleet tools, mowers, carts? Choose Find My-network tags.
Most operators land on door #3 because most fleets are made of door #3 assets.
How AlwaysTracked fits
We're a managed Find My-network fleet platform. We're not in the GPS or LoRaWAN business and we'll tell you which one to use if your situation calls for it. For the 95% of operators whose fleets are made of trailers, gear, carts, and tools, we save 50–70% over cellular GPS while doing the job better, because the dashboard was built for fleet ops instead of for vehicle tracking.
Compare directly: tags vs. GPS trackers. Or book a demo and we'll walk through your specific fleet on the call.