Imagine being able to own the space between sent and received. To get a real-time report on where your cargo is at all times, to know what the temperature is or to see if your shipment has veered from its intended course.
At the AirCargo 2015 show in New Orleans, March 1-3, a representative with AT&T demonstrated how a little gadget called Cargo View can be a tool for tracking your cargo. Tracking cargo has evolved from manual charting, to the use of bar codes and now data trackers.
By packing the device in the container with the freight, shippers will be constantly informed of the location, temperature and condition of each load using cloud-based software. The representative said the company’s entry into the logistics business was monitoring refrigerated units on ships.
To be FAA-compliant, the Cargo View device has a “flight safe” feature that automatically enables airplane mode, so its signal will not interfere with pilots’ communication. At the end of the flight, however, it transmits all of the data that was accumulated during the flight. Data is continuously stored in the AT&T database and transmitted to the forwarder by email.
The representative said cargo theft produces an annual loss of US$35 billion. “It’s a multi-billion dollar criminal industry,” he said. In addition to theft, crooks will sometimes try to slip illegal contraband into a container. If, for example, a truck stops somewhere off of the pre-determined route, that data will be picked up immediately.
Temperature, shock and delays are all picked up by the device, which is not tied to any particular airline or trucking firm. The device was brought to the market in 2014 and is approved by 33 airlines, with 50 more looking at it.