What are Geofences?
The meaning of geofences is a virtual boundary. Fleet or field managers can create it around a real-world geographical location. This is done by using GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular networks. Geofences help businesses track vehicles or field teams within a predefined location. They trigger alerts when a specific device or individual enters or exits the defined area.
How Geofence Works?
The working principles of geofences are boundary creation, signal tracking, and event triggering. See how it works:
- Boundary Creation: A geofence is a virtual boundary around a specific geographical location. They use GPS coordinates to create the boundary.
- Signal Tracking: The geofence tracking system detects the movement of a vehicle or device. It detects when the device enters or exits the defined boundary.
- Event Triggering: It triggers an alert when the device enters or exits the defined boundary. The system sends the real time notification to the software.
Trackobit uses geofences for vehicle movement and asset-tracking. This improves the fleet’s visibility and operational control.
Types of Geofences
Circular, polygon, corridor, and dynamic are the various types of geofences. Let’s understand this in more detail:
- Circular Geofence: This geofence uses a fixed radius or central point. Warehouses and offices adapt this geofence for visibility.
- Polygon Geofence: It is a polygon boundary which consists of various geographical points. Factories and construction sites rely on this type of geofence.
- Corridor Geofence: A corridor geofence tracks vehicle along a specific route. It helps logistics and transportation companies improve operational visibility.
- Dynamic Geofence: This boundary changes according to specific conditions, location and operational requirements. Delivery operations, and fleet operations use this type of geofence.
What are Geofences Used For?
Use cases of geofence in fleet management software are:
- Restricted areas: Geofence can highlight the restricted areas or locations. It can trigger alerts when the vehicle or device enters or leaves the specific zone.
- Dynamic ETA: Geofences can identify when a vehicle reaches a specific area. This can help provide more accurate arrival updates.
- Automatic PODs: A geofence can detect the delivery vehicle reaching the designated location. This can help confirm the delivery’s arrival.
- Route Deviation Alerts: Businesses can detect when vehicles are following a defined route. They can also track when vehicles leave designated operational areas.
- Industry Applications: Geofences are used across logistics, construction, field services, and other industries.