Volvo Geofencing technology tested on-road: Real-world performance and insights

Geofencing might sound like futuristic self-driving car lingo, but the technology has reached the heavy vehicle world with Volvo Trucks’ recently launched Safety Zones service, offering improved safety, compliance and operator comfort. 

Volvo Trucks launched its Safety Zones service in Australia last year, as part of its comprehensive Volvo Connect suite, available on the heavy-duty FH, FM, FMX models, as well as all the brand’s electric trucks. 

The system was originally designed for use in buses, using GPS and a cloud-connected map to create virtual perimeters that limit a vehicle’s speed using the cruise control system. But it also makes a lot of sense in trucks.

For those of you thinking this is the truck ‘taking the wheel’, drivers can override the speed limit by pressing the kick-down button with the accelerator.

"With this service, a transport company can secure that the speed of the vehicle is kept low,” Volvo Trucks product manager Johan Rundberg said.

“For example, in a harbour or at a logistics centre, or in areas with a lot of people and traffic moving about like busy city centres and around schools.

“The aim of the service is to make the traffic environment safer and to reduce stress for the driver.”

For fleet managers, it gives them the ability to set custom speed limits (20km/h and up) for up to 300 active zones per truck, ranging from busy city centres to school zones, and of course, controlled environments like ports and depots.

Since the Safe Zones service is part of the Volvo Connect digital suite, it can be turned on in existing customer trucks – as long as they’re less than around five years old – so you don’t need to rush out to buy a new model.

The system pairs with Volvo’s Connect Positioning, which is a map-based service that offers real-time tracking, route analysis and now Geofencing, and it’s offered as a monthly subscription for $12 per month – or it can be integrated into an existing service agreement.

Fleet managers handle the entire process through an intuitive digital map, creating geofences in areas deemed to be high risk. While we didn’t get a chance to try out the map interface, we did get to drive a Safe Zones-equipped truck…

Our test rig for the new system was the Volvo FM 11, specifically the 460hp variant, hitched to a single trailer and loaded to a gross weight of 39.5 tonnes.

The 11-litre FM is a remarkably versatile truck because it can be rated for up to 60 tonnes and, while ours had a day cab, it can also be equipped with Volvo’s massive Globetrotter cabin.

This means you could, in theory, run around town with a single trailer but also down the highway in B-double configuration. It’s a jack-of-all-trades option for fleets, and now it’s even smarter.

The route from Volvo’s Australian manufacturing headquarters in Wacol to the Port of Brisbane provided a mix of highway and industrial driving, with pre-established geofences along the way.

For the sake of testing the new service, I didn’t ask where the geofenced zones were, instead waiting to see whether I'd notice it once the truck took control of the speed.

We left Volvo’s HQ to head to its depot just a few streets away, before heading out to the motorway. Just before we got to the depot though, the truck suddenly slowed.

The system basically restricts acceleration and, when necessary, applies the brakes to bring the speed down to the designated cap – in our case it was 30km/h. I thought I'd bumped it into cruise control but then realised I had indeed entered a safe zone.

Once back out on the main drag, the truck slowed to 60km/h through a roadwork zone and again, I had no idea the section of road was geofenced until the truck brought the speed down and held it for me. It’s a smooth, subtle system that feels intuitive rather than invasive.

While the motorway and Port were not geofenced, both provided examples of areas where the technology could be used to limit speed. For example, the Gateway Bridge, which drops from 100km/h down to 80km/h, could be geofenced and the Port, with multiple speed limit changes and cameras to drive the point home, could also be mapped.

However, the system can be used for so much more, as Volvo Trucks Australia product communications manager, Matt Wood, explained from the passenger seat.

An example of its varied applications could be to limit speed around a sharp corner that has previously resulted in speed-related incidents, and the system is also a two-way feedback tool feeding data back to fleet managers.

If you’re managing a fleet, the data you receive from the Connect Positioning service will inform your geofencing decisions – and vice versa. This means virtually unlimited use cases, and having tested it I'd say it’s a no brainer.

At its core, Safe Zones removes the reliance on drivers in high-consequence environments, ensuring that whether someone is distracted or simply unaware of a speed change (we’ve all been there), the truck will step in to save the day.

Ultimately, this reduces the mental load behind the wheel, undoubtedly improving safety. One of the main stresses for me whenever I'm in a truck, which admittedly isn’t every day, is on-road compliance. A second set of eyes to slow me down so I'm never a few kilometres over, or to limit speed in a particularly dangerous spot, is technology I'm all about.

With Volvo’s Safe Zones, that extra layer of support is now there as a driver. So, the system benefits both fleet managers and operators, without taking over. I’d call that a win-win.