Geofencing draws virtual boundaries on a map of a facility so that a location system can trigger an action, such as a speed limit, an alert or a block, when a forklift or tagged person crosses one.
Indoors, geofences rely on a positioning method that knows where the truck is: a real-time location system, floor or ceiling markers, or zone beacons at doorways. Outdoors, GPS can do the job. Common uses are slowing trucks in pedestrian areas, keeping certain truck types out of certain aisles or mezzanines, alerting when a forklift enters a dock or a restricted area, and recording where trucks spend their time.
A geofence is only as accurate as the positioning behind it, so boundaries in dense racking or near doors may need margins. Automatic speed reduction inside a geofence works only on compatible forklifts that accept a speed command. Geofencing manages where vehicles go; it does not detect a pedestrian who steps out in front of a truck, so it complements rather than replaces pedestrian detection. Keep geofences updated when layouts change, or the system will enforce rules for a floor that no longer exists. The forklift geofencing guide covers set-up and limits.