Geofencing and fleet management: What you need to know

What is a geofence

A geofence is a specifically defined virtual perimeter that represents a real-world geographical area. Geofences can come in all shapes and sizes, they can be mapped to match the boundaries of a premises or locality, or could be a radius of any size around a particular point. Geofences are usually created on mapping software, where a user can define the perimeters.

What are geofences used for?

When a participating mobile device, GPS tracker or RFID tag enters or exits the boundaries of a geofence this triggers an action or alert defined by the creator of the geofence. This opens up a range of possibilities for uses depending on your organization. This could range from simple vehicle tracking to monitoring timecards.

What type of locations are geofences set up for?

What industry you are in will influence the type of locations you will use for your geofence. For example, if you are in the construction business you might want to know how long your trucks are spending on a worksite or if you are in an industry like food and beverage transport, where your loads can be more sensitive to time pressures, you might want to know when your trucks are arriving at a supplier’s depot.

Some examples include:

• Depots
• Work sites
• Yards
• Suppliers
• Warehouses
• Customer locations
• Truck stops and gas stations
• Cities
• States
• Highways

 

Geofencing can help prevent theft

Theft of vehicles and equipment is a common issue in the transport and construction industries. By setting up alerts that notify you when an asset is leaving a location when it shouldn’t be, generally outside of operating hours, geofences can act like an extra insurance policy against theft. When you get the alert in real time, you can act quickly, contacting the authorities and providing them with detailed information that will make it easier for them to solve the case and hopefully retrieve your property. 

Geofencing keeps you on track and on schedule

Knowing when your vehicles arrive at a destination, and how long they spend there is critical data that can be used by your organization to ensure that you are staying on schedule, and to improve these efficiencies. This could involve estimating arrival times for deliveries, how long it takes to load or unload deliveries, or identifying underused assets that could be more productive if used elsewhere.

If you have high-value, time sensitive loads such as refrigerated food or medicine, knowing when they arrive to their destination can be critical. By getting notifications when a truck arrives at or leaves a destination you can ensure that everything is on track, and if it is not, take quick action to improve the situation.

Geofencing improves customer service

By sharing your geofence notifications with your customers, not only do they get alerted when their deliveries are arriving allowing them time for any necessary preparations, but it is also helps to build trust in your customer relationships. This improvement in customer service gives you a competitive advantage over your competitors and will keep business coming in in the future.

To find out how Coretex can help you with your GPS and Geofencing needs get in touch with us today.