Guide
What is a Geofence?
A geofence is a shape on a map—usually a circle or polygon—used as a rule: notify someone when a device reports that it entered or left the area.
- A geofence is software. It does nothing unless the device reports a position that can be compared to the shape.
- Enter, exit, dwell, and “has not reported” are different events.
- TruckerPro lists geofences as planned pilot work, not a live feature.
How a geofence is evaluated
The application stores a geometry (point plus radius, or a polygon). Each accepted location report is tested: inside or outside, and whether the previous report was the other side of that line. That edge crossing becomes an enter or exit. Dwell is “inside for longer than N minutes.” None of this runs on the satellite; it runs in software after the point arrives.
What fleets use them for
- Yard control: a trailer left after hours.
- Customer sites: arrival and departure timestamps for detention.
- Jobsites: equipment that should not leave the fence.
- Corridors: a unit that wandered off an expected route—only if reports are frequent enough.
A sparse battery tracker can miss a brief exit. That is a reporting-profile problem, not a “geofence bug.” Match interval to the event you care about.
Design rules that keep geofences useful
- Name fences after places people recognize (“Calgary drop lot”), not “Fence 17.”
- Size them to GNSS error. A 20-metre circle around a steel warehouse will chatter.
- Alert a person who can act. A mailbox nobody reads is not a control.
- Keep a silence alarm. Stolen or dead units often stop reporting rather than politely exiting.
Motive and Samsara both productize geofences on top of high-frequency vehicle pings. A future TruckerPro application would need the same building blocks: trusted points, stored geometry, and delivery. Those blocks are not shipped.
Related reading
Questions
What is a geofence in fleet tracking?
A virtual perimeter around a yard, customer, jobsite, or corridor. The application compares reported coordinates to that shape and can raise an event.
Does a geofence work if the tracker is offline?
No. If the device cannot send a point, the fence cannot evaluate it. “Has not reported” is the event you want for silence.
Can I set geofences in TruckerPro GPS today?
No. Geofence alerts are a planned capability. They are not offered as a production service.
Share a pilot use case
Tell us what you would track and where it operates. This records interest; it does not place an order.