Creating an Alert

Alerts provide real-time notification of driver and vehicle activity. You can set up alerts to be sent to one or more email addresses or SMS numbers. You can create an unlimited number of alerts for each alert type.

There may be references to Hierarchy, Driver, and Attribute features below. Please note, Hierarchy, Driver, and Attribute features are available to Enterprise customers only. If you would like additional information, please contact your Account Manager.

How to create a new alert:

  1. From the Alerts page, click New Alert.
  2. Use the scroll bar or the search field to find the alert you would like to create, then hover your mouse over the alert and click Select.
  3. Enter your alert title.

    A Best Practice is to have your title be specific and concise to the data you are looking to obtain so that you can easily identify and find your title later on. This title will also appear on notifications.

  4. Click Select Data Source to select the vehicle, vehicle group, or hierarchy that you would like as your source of data.

    The Hierarchy feature is available to Enterprise customers only. If you would like to learn more, please contact your Account Manager.

  5. From the Data Source window, click on the type of data source (vehicle, vehicle group, or hierarchy), and your options for your data source will appear. When you have found your data source, click Select.

    The vehicle name, vehicle group, or hierarchy will be visible in the alert notification after the alert title.

  6. Click the checkbox next to your desired method of notification. If selecting Text or Email, enter email address(es) or SMS number(s) of recipients. Separate multiple addresses and numbers by commas.

    If an option is greyed out and the box cannot be checked, then the method of notification is not available to you for the alert.

  7. Click the Yes, No, or Apply Date button to activate or deactivate the alert.

    If you click Apply Date, enter the applicable time window for the alert to be active using the calendar field.

  8. Select your paramters from the following options:

    Depending on the alert type you create, additional configurable parameters vary.

    • Input: The input type (e.g., door, PTO, etc.) as defined by your account at the time of device installation and the input state on which to alert (e.g., open/closed, on/off, etc.).
    • Input Status (Assets Input): The state on which to alert (Open or Closed).
    • Is Moving (Assets Input):Indicate whether alert should trigger only when asset is moving or not.
    • Idle Limit: Minutes a vehicle must idle before an alert is triggered.
    • Active Weekdays: Check the boxes next to the days the alert is in effect. Use the drop-downs below weekday selection to set begin and end hours. An option to set different start and end times for some days, such as weekends, is available. The times applied to the alert conditions uses the timezone on the account profile. If you are setting up an alert for vehicles that generally reside in a different timezone than you, consider adjusting the start and end time values according to the vehicles against which this alert is applied.
    • Landmark:The landmark in which (or outside of which) the alert is in effect. Options include Ignore (the alert will trigger whether inside or outside a landmark), Inside (the alert will only trigger if conditions exist inside the selected landmark or landmark group), or Outside (the alert will only trigger if conditions exist outside the selected landmark). If your account is configured for attributes, you can provide extra information whenever an applicable landmark alert is triggered–like a gate code or a note about a safety concern at the property (e.g., guard dog).
    • One Time: Alert one time then deactivate.
    • Running: Threshold in minutes since the last reported location.
    • Parked: Threshold in days since the last reported location.
    • Violation Limit (speed): Threshold in MPH over the posted limit (greater than or equal to). Posted speed violations are calculated using the Inst speed value.
    • Violation Limit (accel/decel): Threshold in Gs. The DOT defines harsh (not dangerous) braking as .45 g incidents (your average NYC cab driver). Harsh acceleration is typically set at a lower g-force threshold (.35 g incidents).
    • Violation Limit (HOS): Threshold in minutes until Hours of Service limit is reached.
    • Alert Threshold by Interval Type: Threshold in miles, hours, or days before service is overdue.
    • Speed Limit: Threshold in MPH in speed (not related to posted limit). Available options include Inst speed or Average.
    • Stop Time: Threshold in minutes since the vehicle has been stopped.
    • Stop Type: Type of stop for which the alert is in effect. Options include Any (idle and ignition off), Idle (only), or Ignition Off (only).
    • Switch Type: Type of power event. Available options include Battery Voltage, External Power Lost, Panic Switch, Power Cycle, and Temperature. Power Lost indicates when a device may have been unplugged/unwired (relies on backup battery). Power Cycle indicates when all power is lost and regained. If the device has a backup battery, the alert will trigger only if all power (including backup battery) had been lost prior to regaining power.
    • Diagnostic Type: Type of diagnostic (Temperature Sensor, Coolant Temperature, Engine Speed).
    • Threshold (Diagnostic Type): Threshold for Diagnostic Type (see above).
    • Active: Indicate whether the alert is active. Options include Yes, No, or Apply Date.
    • Repeat Delay: The minimum number of minutes between notifications for this alert. This option allows you to limit the frequency with which you receive alerts—especially for alerts that apply to a large group of vehicles. For example, if the Repeat Delay is set to 5 minutes, you will receive notifications no more than every 5 minutes. Any alerts that have accumulated during that time will be sent to you at once.
    • Per Vehicle Delay:The minimum number of minutes between alerts for the same vehicle. This option allows you to limit the frequency with which you receive alerts per vehicle. For example, if you have one vehicle in a group that is constantly going in and out of a landmark, you may only want to receive a notification every 20 minutes whenever alert conditions are met for that vehicle instead of each time the vehicle triggers the alert.
    • Ignition Status:Indicate whether alert triggers only under certain ignition status. Available options include On (alert only triggers when ignition status is read as ON), Off (alert only triggers when ignition status is read as OFF), or Both (alert triggers regardless of ignition status).
    • Notification: Check the box if you would like to receive notification of the alert only once (if triggered) during off-hours time windows.
    • Time Limit: Threshold in minutes after the vehicle starts without driver logging in.
    • Lamp On (DTC): Use checkbox to indicate if the alert should only trigger if the Check Engine light is on.
    • HOS Account: Select your HOS account (if applicable) under which drivers are submitting DVIRs for this alert.
    • DVIR Status: Alert triggers only when DVIRs deem the vehicle Not Safe or are not completed.
    • Idle Limit: Threshold in minutes a vehicle must be idling before the alert is triggered.
    • True Idle: Check the box to exclude PTO time from idle time for the alert threshold.
    • Landmark/Group: Choose the landmark or landmark group that will trigger the alert.
    • Alert When (Landmark): Choose the alert to trigger when a vehicle enters, leaves, or either enters or leaves the selected landmark or landmark group.
    • Sustained Speeding Only (Posted Speed): Indicate if the alert should only trigger when the vehicle’s speeding is sustained and choose the time the speed must be sustained over to trigger the alert.
  9. Adjust additional alert settings as needed, and click Create Alert.
  10. The new alert will be listed in the Manage Alerts grid, which includes the details of the alert.

    The next time any vehicle(s) in the Delivery group trigger this alert according to the odd hours set (using the account’s timezone), the specified recipient will receive the following notifications (email and SMS):

    If a message was sent to the driver, the the time the alert violation occurred will be converted to the driver’s timezone (if set in driver’s profile).00-0139

    Allow ‘alerts@[provider].com’ to ensure you receive email alerts. Reply ‘STOP’ to stop receiving future SMS messages.

    More reference materials: