On the Geofence

It’s tough to miss a fence — especially the tall, beat-up, chain-link fences common in and around jobsites. Fences are called upon for a variety of sometimes contradictory reasons. Keeping people and equipment inside a defined area, or out of an area. Demarcating a gate for entry and egress, or blocking a road or driveway. Marking where it is safe to work or drive, or where conditions make it unsafe. Serving as a place to display important information for all to know, or to maintain privacy. 

On today’s T3-connected jobsite, your assets, people and materials are managed in the cloud so you always know where everything and everyone is. As for the humble jobsite fence, T3 allows you to create an entirely different sort of boundary — a geofence — and give it even more power than the chain-link one.

‍What is a geofence?

At its most basic, a geofence is simply a virtual boundary you can place on a map that encloses an area. It uses GPS data to define the area inside and outside of the geofence. While geofences aren’t visible to the human eye the way a physical fence is, T3 can “see” your geofences and your machines at the same time and help you gain further insight and control over your operations.

‍See how to create a geofence in T3 on our YouTube channel

‍The power of geofences

Once you’ve created a geofence, T3 gives you the power to create real-time alerts, as well as detailed reports based on how your equipment interacts with it. Here are a few ways geofences can help you take control of your jobsite:

‍Equipment delivery alerts: You can configure a geofence around your whole jobsite and receive an alert when equipment arrives via delivery or transfer from another location. This can help you make decisions regarding operator assignments, as well as track on-time performance from your transportation partner. 

‍Limiting access to unsafe areas: Some parts of your jobsite, such as trenches and areas of loose soil, are dangerous for heavy equipment until proper site preparation has been performed. You can create a smaller geofence around these unsafe areas and configure T3 so your safety officer or fleet manager receives a text if equipment drifts too close. This allows your team to act fast to remove the equipment before an accident occurs. When proper site preparation is complete, alter the alert or delete the geofence as needed.

‍Jobsite speed limit: Using a geofence and alerts, your foreman and safety manager can be notified when a machine or vehicle exceeds your jobsite speed limit — helping you avoid collisions and reduce the risk of injuries. 

‍Equipment theft: When no one is around to watch, your chain-link fence can be moved or cut — but not your geofence. Set up an alert associated with your geofence to notify you if equipment from your jobsite is started outside working hours. If you have dedicated security personnel, add their name and cell phone number to T3 and they will get a text when thieves turn the key.

‍Geofence reports: T3 Analytics helps you get actionable insights from your assets, people and machines. With the Jobsite Usage Report, you can see what machines and vehicles were active within the geofence and filter by date, asset, category, class and ownership. You’ll know exactly which machines were earning you money on-site and which ones were just parked. 

They may not have the iconic look of chain-link, but geofences are powerful tools that help you do so much more than just demarcate an area. With T3, geofences help you see the bigger picture with your fleet, improve safety, reduce theft and make better decisions on how to deploy equipment. 

‍Learn about deploying T3 on your fleet today or start a T3-powered equipment rental.