March 2008, Work Truck - Feature
GeoFencing Adds to Your Truck Security Arsenal
By Paul Dexler
GeoFencing Can Help
A new technology — GeoFencing — now can be added to the fleet safety arsenal. This technology, using the systems already present in phones and GPS devices, instantly signals fleet management to determine if the truck and/or driver are somewhere they should not be.
GeoFencing describes a feature that enables the cell phone or other tracking device to start tracking only when it has entered or exited a predefined region. GeoFencing may also mean that an alert is sent when the phone crosses the virtual fence around an area. In addition, GeoFencing allows fleet managers to keep better tabs on the routes their drivers take, often improving fuel efficiency.
Occasionally, drivers break from their routes to engage in some unauthorized activity. Most of the time it is harmless and results only in a small loss of time. However, it could become pervasive throughout the fleet, or it could get out of hand, either unintentionally or deliberately on the part of the driver, depending upon the destination and what he or she is doing there.
According to Maptuit, a provider of GeoFencing services, "Customers can define named georegions using a combination of geocoded points and direct manipulation. Once defined, georegions can be tested to determine inclusion or exclusion."
The company noted that its service can be integrated into Google Earth, allowing geofence boundaries to be drawn directly onto a satellite view of the area.
AeroAstro, another provider of GPS locating and GeoFencing services, notes that "GeoFencing capability will allow definition of a boundary of normal business operations for fleets with alarms and other fleet management features when those boundaries are crossed. GeoFencing enables you to identify deviations from expected routes, reduce liabilities incurred when state lines or other boundaries are crossed, and improve fuel management."