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Creating and Managing Geofences

Joel Jijo
Updated

Overview

Geofences are virtual boundaries on the map that trigger alerts when units enter or exit them. Use geofences to monitor authorized areas, customer sites, restricted zones, and more.

What are Geofences?

Geofence Types

Circular Geofences

  • Defined by center point and radius
  • Best for: Customer locations, service areas
  • Easy to create quickly

Rectangular Geofences

  • Defined by two opposite corners
  • Best for: Buildings, parking lots
  • Simple shape for regular areas

Polygon Geofences

  • Defined by multiple points
  • Best for: Irregular areas, complex boundaries
  • Most flexible option

Line Geofences

  • Defined as a route or path
  • Best for: Delivery routes, highway monitoring
  • Can trigger on crossing

Creating Geofences

Quick Create from Map

Circle Geofence

  1. Click "Geofences" → "Create"
  2. Select "Circle" tool
  3. Click center point on map
  4. Drag to set radius
  5. Enter geofence details
  6. Click "Save"

Rectangle Geofence

  1. Select "Rectangle" tool
  2. Click first corner
  3. Drag to opposite corner
  4. Release to complete
  5. Enter details and save

Polygon Geofence

  1. Select "Polygon" tool
  2. Click each corner point
  3. Double-click to close shape
  4. Enter details and save

Detailed Geofence Setup

Basic Information

  • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Main Depot", "Customer Site A")
  • Description: Additional details
  • Color: Choose color for map display
  • Visibility: Show/hide on map

Geofence Rules

  • Entry Alert: Trigger when unit enters
  • Exit Alert: Trigger when unit exits
  • Inside Alert: Trigger when unit stays inside
  • Outside Alert: Trigger when unit stays outside

Alert Settings

  • Recipients: Who receives alerts
  • Alert Type: Email, SMS, in-app notification
  • Alert Message: Custom message template
  • Cooldown Period: Minimum time between alerts

Geofence Settings

Schedule Settings

Always Active

  • Geofence active 24/7
  • No time restrictions

Scheduled Activation

  1. Set activation schedule
  2. Choose days of week
  3. Set time ranges
  4. Multiple time windows possible

Example Schedules

  • Business hours only: Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 6 PM
  • Night hours: Every day, 10 PM - 6 AM
  • Weekends only: Sat-Sun, all day

Unit Assignment

Apply to All Units

  • Geofence applies to entire fleet
  • Simplest option

Apply to Specific Units

  1. Click "Units" tab
  2. Select specific units
  3. Only selected units trigger alerts

Apply to Unit Groups

  1. Select "Groups" tab
  2. Choose groups
  3. Applies to all current and future group members

Managing Geofences

Editing Geofences

Edit Boundary

  1. Click geofence on map
  2. Click "Edit Shape"
  3. Drag points to reshape
  4. Add points: Click on boundary line
  5. Remove points: Click point, press Delete
  6. Click "Save"

Edit Settings

  1. Right-click geofence
  2. Select "Edit"
  3. Modify settings
  4. Click "Save"

Copying Geofences

Duplicate Geofence

  1. Right-click geofence
  2. Select "Copy"
  3. Modify name and settings
  4. Save as new geofence

Use Case: Create similar geofences for multiple locations

Deleting Geofences

  1. Right-click geofence
  2. Select "Delete"
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Historical data is preserved

Geofence Groups

Creating Geofence Groups

Why Use Groups?

  • Organize related geofences
  • Enable/disable multiple geofences at once
  • Simplify management

Create Group

  1. Go to Geofences → Groups
  2. Click "Create Group"
  3. Enter group name
  4. Add geofences to group
  5. Save group

Managing Groups

Add Geofences to Group

  • Drag and drop geofences
  • Or edit geofence → Select group

Show/Hide Groups

  • Toggle group visibility
  • All geofences in group hide/show together

Advanced Geofence Features

Buffer Zones

What is a Buffer?

  • Additional boundary around geofence
  • Creates warning zone before main alert

Setting Up Buffer

  1. Edit geofence
  2. Enable "Buffer Zone"
  3. Set buffer distance (e.g., 100 meters)
  4. Configure buffer alert separately

Use Case: Warn driver approaching restricted area

Geofence Templates

Create Template

  1. Create well-configured geofence
  2. Click "Save as Template"
  3. Give template a name
  4. Template saved for reuse

Use Template

  1. Click "Create from Template"
  2. Select template
  3. Place on map
  4. Adjust as needed

Common Templates

  • Customer site (circular, 200m radius)
  • Depot (rectangular, entry/exit alerts)
  • Restricted zone (polygon, stay-out alerts)

Geofence Alerts

Configuring Alerts

Alert Triggers

  • On Entry: Unit enters geofence
  • On Exit: Unit leaves geofence
  • On Stay: Unit remains inside for X minutes
  • On Absence: Unit stays outside for X minutes

Alert Recipients

  1. Select users to notify
  2. Add email addresses
  3. Add phone numbers for SMS
  4. Configure notification preferences

Alert Content

  • Unit name and details
  • Geofence name
  • Time of trigger
  • Location information
  • Link to map view

Alert History

View Past Alerts

  1. Go to Reports → Geofence Alerts
  2. Select date range
  3. Filter by geofence or unit
  4. View all triggered alerts

Export Alert Data

  • Export to CSV for analysis
  • Include in compliance reports
  • Track patterns over time

Use Cases

Customer Site Management

Setup

  • Create geofence at each customer location
  • Set 100-200 meter radius
  • Enable entry/exit alerts
  • Assign to delivery units

Benefits

  • Verify customer visits
  • Track service duration
  • Automate visit logging

Restricted Area Monitoring

Setup

  • Draw geofence around restricted zone
  • Enable "stay out" alerts
  • Set to all units or specific groups
  • Add buffer zone for early warning

Benefits

  • Prevent unauthorized entry
  • Ensure compliance
  • Quick incident response

Depot/Yard Management

Setup

  • Create geofence around depot
  • Enable entry/exit alerts
  • Schedule for business hours only
  • Track after-hours access

Benefits

  • Monitor fleet movements
  • Track arrivals/departures
  • Identify after-hours activity

Best Practices

Naming Convention

  • Use clear, descriptive names
  • Include location/purpose
  • Add category prefix (e.g., "DEPOT-Main", "CUST-ABC Corp")

Size Considerations

  • Not too small: Account for GPS accuracy (~10-30m)
  • Not too large: Alerts become meaningless
  • Typical range: 50-500 meters

Alert Management

  • Don't over-alert: Leads to alert fatigue
  • Use schedules to reduce noise
  • Set appropriate cooldown periods
  • Test before full deployment

Organization

  • Use groups for related geofences
  • Apply consistent colors by category
  • Hide geofences not in active use
  • Regular cleanup of obsolete geofences

Importing/Exporting Geofences

Import Geofences

Supported Formats

  • KML (Google Earth)
  • KMZ (Compressed KML)
  • CSV (coordinates)
  • GeoJSON

Import Process

  1. Go to Geofences → Import
  2. Click "Choose File"
  3. Select file
  4. Map fields (if CSV)
  5. Review preview
  6. Click "Import"

Export Geofences

Export Options

  • All geofences
  • Selected geofences
  • Geofence group

Export Format

  1. Select geofences to export
  2. Click "Export"
  3. Choose format (KML, CSV, GeoJSON)
  4. Download file

Use Cases

  • Backup geofences
  • Share with other systems
  • Bulk editing in spreadsheet

Troubleshooting

Geofence alerts not triggering?

  • Check if geofence is active
  • Verify unit assignment
  • Check schedule settings
  • Ensure alerts are enabled

Too many false alerts?

  • Increase geofence size
  • Add cooldown period
  • Check GPS accuracy
  • Review alert conditions

Can't see geofence on map?

  • Check if layer is enabled
  • Verify zoom level
  • Check if geofence is in visible area
  • Ensure geofence is not hidden

Next Steps

Need Help?

Contact support for:

  • Complex geofence configurations
  • Bulk geofence management
  • Custom alert requirements
  • Training and best practices
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