GPS tracker with location history

[Pew]

Hi folks,

My mom was looking for GPS trackers in accordance to Oklahoma law for transportation of certain things and require a GPS tracker with vehicle history that is not a cell phone (so no google maps unfortunately.) It has to be easily accessed via a PC and the other requirements below:

(b) All vehicles used to transport medical marijuana and medical marijuana products shall be:(1) Equipped with active Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers, which shall not be mobile cellular devices and which shall be capable of storing and transmitting GPS data; and(2) Insured at or above the legal requirements in Oklahoma.

The only criteria my mom has is no monthly/yearly subscription which limits the GPS trackers that I know of. Would anybody have any experience on GPS trackers, strongly preferable without a subscription?

 

[fsdork]

Definitions are important when it comes to legalese. "active" and "cellular devices" are two that jump out as being important here if you're looking for a cheap workaround. If you built a device with a Raspberry Pi and a SIM card, would that be a "cellular device"? How frequent do the position updates have to be to qualify as "active"?

If the GPS data isn't being broadcast via cellular network, it would have to be bounced back up to a satellite. Since I'm not aware of anyone who runs a service like that as a charity, I think the "no monthly/yearly subscription" requirement might directly conflict with the restriction on cellular devices.

Again, clear definitions may lead to a workaround.

 

[tcp71]

Almost all trackers use a SIM card to be "active". There are devices available that download via wifi when they get into range of the main station, but they don't have the ability to "active" track as the data only comes available at the main station. If the use of a SIM card not installed into a cell phone is allowed, the device below includes date for one year, but then requires payment for the next year, so not a monthly subscription, but annual payment for use:

Amazon.ca

 

[JMJNet]

You may want to ask the law enforcement or trucking company or the military on how they tracked their vehicle to see if there is such a thing that even met your mom's requirement.

I don't think anybody wants to provide "free" service. LOL!!!
But I can be wrong.

 

[mk378]

The law seems to be written with the intent to make it impossible to comply. Transmitting data from a vehicle by means other than cellular is specialized and expensive.

 

[Pew]

As far as I know, mobile cellular devices just mean no cell phones so GPS trackers that use a SIM card and such are allowed. I did tell her it's going to be near impossible to find one that doesn't require subscription. We use Trimble stuff at work for vehicle tracking but that's expensive and their web interface is far too complicated and utilitarian for my mom. I'd buy one for my mom under my phone plan if that's the case but TMobile/Sprint gets zero signal out there; Verizon is the only company that gets some sort of signal. I wonder if her car insurance can provide GPS trackers.

 

[nthach]

Verizon sells an OBD-II dongle but you’ll have to pay for a data-only plan or have it as a connected device on your plan. https://www.verizon.com/solutions-and-services/hum/

Some dashcams such as the Vantrue brand have an optional GPS mount that will log geolocation data onto the SD card for the camera.

If the car has OnStar, FordConnect, Toyota/Lexus SafetyConnect with an active subscription above the “safety” level, you can see real-time location data too.

 

[Pew]

Verizon sells an OBD-II dongle but you’ll have to pay for a data-only plan or have it as a connected device on your plan. https://www.verizon.com/solutions-and-services/hum/

I'm thinking that might be the best. I like Verizon's online interface, it's easily accessible online, and she can just add it to her phone plan.