Although GPS navigation is generally considered an accurate way of knowing where you are, it's sometimes unreliable in a large metropolitan area. Because of this, fleets have been creating geofences - zones designed to help keep vehicles within boundaries - to work around those issues.
This article will explore the various benefits geofencing can offer fleet managers.
What is Geofencing?
Geofencing enables fleet managers to monitor and track all their fleets by restricting movement to a particular area or route. Deviations from the designated routes or permitted areas will result in an alert. Geofencing works by establishing a boundary and then knowing when it is crossed.
Fleet managers can also use Geofencing to obtain precise information about wait times at particular locations. They can use this information to identify past trends in adherence to outbound and incoming load schedules. Geofencing allows carrier fleets to fix delays and improve route plans, saving money on fuel.
Advantages of Geofencing
Here are four benefits of geofencing fleet managers and fleet owners can leverage:
1. Performance, Efficiency, and Utilization Monitoring
Fleet managers can use geofencing to monitor the performance of their fleet vehicles. Geofence tracking can provide powerful insights on fuel expenses, operational costs, and more. You can also control how these factors interact to impact your company's performance based on setting boundaries.
One classic use case is when multiple shipments must be dropped during the day. You can save fuel, time, and other resources by getting your trucks to the next stop faster. This will make things easier for both you and your customers. Your clients will be notified when their packages are almost arriving by receiving alerts before your trucks pass the geofences.
Your drivers will be able to prepare themselves for receiving the orders. This will reduce confusion and delay and allow them to move on to their next destination. You can also show your drivers the truth by showing them that longer routes are more efficient and guiding them to the best ones.
2. Improve Compliance and Fleet Safety
Geofencing is a great way to improve safety and compliance. You can start traffic restriction management. Authorities in many cities have established restrictions on large commercial vehicles and forbid certain types of vehicles from operating on specific roads.
You can use geofences to notify you when your truck is about to cross into restricted areas. Drivers can also be alerted to avoid dangerous areas. You can also receive alerts in real-time and have your drivers reroute. This will help improve safety and compliance in your fleet.
3. To Simplify Time and Payroll Management
Geofencing allows you to automatically track drivers' working hours if you pay them hourly. With geofences, you can create virtual time stamps/cards. Your fleet management software can begin recording working hours as soon as your staff passes through your geofenced digital perimeters.
This will give you precise logs of when drivers appear on your job sites and how long they work. When it comes time to calculate payroll, the admin and finance team will be able to do so with greater accuracy without dealing with lots of paperwork or manual record checking.
4. More Innovative Planning and Asset Deployment
Geofencing relies heavily on GPS tracking. The software can provide real-time updates and enhance operational planning and scheduling. You can track your vehicles and adjust your trips to their exact locations using GPS and geofencing data.
How to Incorporate Geofencing Into Your Fleet
Working with a quality fleet management software will allow you to use Fleet Command, a high-quality fleet management software that will enable you to use geofencing. You can create specific territories for your drivers and monitor them in real-time with alerts sent to your email when they cross the boundaries.
You can get instant feedback on driver behavior, safety, and vehicle usage. This software is the best tool to monitor your fleet, increase productivity, and protect your drivers. It's easy to set up, monitor, adjust, and modify your geofenced territories with the right software.
This is just the beginning of fleet management software that can be amazing. For more information, please contact Wilmar to request a demo.
