What is a Geofence?

Ensuring the safety and security of equipment, vehicles and assets is a top priority for any fleet manager. Fleet management technology with integrated features such as geofences can help alleviate this responsibility.

But what is a geofence?Think of a geofence as a virtual fence or perimeter around a physical location. Like a real fence, a geofence separates a location and the area around it. Unlike a real fence, it can also detect movement inside the virtual boundary.

Geofences are created using mapping software. The user draws the geofence over the desired geographic area. It is made up of a collection of coordinates (i.e., latitude and longitude) or in the case of circular geofences, there is one point that forms the centre.

How does geofencing work?

Fleet managers can decide where to set up geofences (the virtual perimeters around a particular address or location). The GPS tracker that is integrated with your vehicle or asset sends location information to fleet management platforms.

If the tracker sends location information to the platform from within the area surrounded by a geofence, this triggers an alert. The more frequent the pings, the more accurate the alert.

The Verizon Connect solution allows the fleet manager to set the alert to trigger when the selected vehicle or asset:

• Enters a geofence
• Exits a geofence
• Both enters and exits a geofence
• Stops within a geofence
• Fails to enter a geofence by a specified time
• Remains within a geofence for longer than a specified time

The use of geofences

-Geofences to protect your team and assets working in hazardous areas: 

According to HSE, the construction industry has the third highest number of fatal injuries compared to all other industries. Statistically, “the fatal injury rate (1.63 per 100,000 workers) is around 4 times the industry norm”. (1)

This is usually because there are so many different machines and pieces of equipment working simultaneously on construction sites, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. 

Using a GPS system with an integrated geofencing feature in more dangerous areas can help mitigate the risk of accidents. 

To boost equipment safety, geofencing lets you know if any of your assets or equipment have entered areas defined as “risky” or have found themselves in areas where certain machinery or equipment operate and therefore other equipment should keep out.

-Geofences to protect your powered and non-powered assets from theft:

Machinery theft in the construction industry is a common occurrence and can end up being very costly for a business.. That is why more and more companies choose GPS asset tracking systems to monitor their powered and non-powered assets.

Once the GPS asset tracking system is in operation, geofences can be created. You decide where the fence (which is activated automatically when crossed by the assets) should be placed. This will then trigger an alert, in near-real time, that will warn you so that you can check the live map to see what is happening and take control of the situation and, if necessary, notifying the authorities.

-Geofences for route planning and route optimisation.

Fleet managers can set geofences around a client’s base or the service destination to make sure the team follows the established routes. These are chosen based on parameters such as safety, travel time, fuel consumption and traffic (traffic jams can increase fuel consumption and lead to increased engine wear).

-Geofences to avoid unauthorised use of vehicles and thefts:

Establishing geofences in the area that your vehicle fleet is parked in can help you detect unauthorised use or possible theft.  

The moment the vehicle is used outside working hours, or doesn’t follow its usual routes, you will receive an alert so you know something unusual is happening. In addition, you will be able to check what is happening on the live map and quickly take action to stop unauthorised use. If one of your vehicles is stolen, you can remotely immobilise the vehicle when the engine is turned off and attempt to get it back.

How geofences benefit your business

Geofences are invaluable when it comes to safety, theft, unauthorised vehicle use and routing. When integrated with fleet management and telematics solutions, geofences can be used to alert you via text message in near-real time if a vehicle or valuable piece of equipment with an integrated GPS tracker is removed from your property without your authorisation, and this can have a huge impact  for your business.

For more information on how geofences can help your fleet, schedule an online demo today and see them in action.

Sources: 

(1) https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction.pdf