Digitalisation is at the forefront of fleet management. Beyond locating assets, GPS data is being applied in tracking, geofencing, security and improved efficiency, driving technological advances in the sector.
What is Geofencing?
Geofencing is the process of creating an artificial ‘virtual’ boundary for geographic areas. Almost limitless in terms of scope, it identifies streets, routes, a city, or a county and triggers actions or alerts when entering or leaving these zones.
What are the benefits of Geofencing?
1. Security and safety
Warnings for high-risk roads and locations being used can mitigate potential for incidents, inform thefts and identify the location of stolen goods.
Specified areas highlight where vehicles should not be left unattended, lowering risk and positively impacting insurance premiums. Routes can be drawn that protect both fleet assets and to improve driver safety.
2. Enhance efficiency
Operational productivity may improve by choosing the most efficient journeys and dividing zones appropriately for large teams.
Logbooks can be determined by geofencing jobsites, alerting to entry and exit of vehicles.
For delivery services alerts would be used to notify if goods are close by or allow for customer services to proactively engage, should a package be late.
3. Increase transparency
Transparency for management, drivers and end clients would improve with the use of geofencing. Notifications allow for up-to-date information to be shared effectively.
Seeing a set route being diverted allows operations to ask relevant questions of their workforce – it could highlight a crash or road closure previously unknown. Information that adds value to the wider team.
4. Sustainability
Geofencing can map routes that would be the most fuel efficient. It allows low emission zones to be drawn up, ensuring electric vehicles in a fleet remain inside, while petrol or diesel vehicles stay outside.
5. Lower costs
Improving safety, efficiency, transparency and communications and sustainability lowers costs for all sizes of fleet. ‘Lost miles’ and fuel costs will be reduced along with better insurance premiums offered, using geofencing technology.
Over time this data could inform further adaptations to the virtual ‘fences’, making operations more efficient, aiding your business.
Many businesses are looking at how to implement telematics into their fleet management systems, using geofencing as part of your operations can add value, from smaller SMEs to larger fleets. Close Brothers Vehicle Hire telematic solutions can meet the requirements of many industries, from utilities, to distribution, couriers, welfare and traffic management. Get in touch with your vehicle needs.
