Dive Brief:
- Hapag-Lloyd is introducing container tracking technology to its container fleet to provide shippers with the location, temperature and other information related to their cargo, according to a company press release.
- As a first step, the carrier plans to add Internet of Things (IoT) technology to its entire reefer fleet, which consists of 100,000 containers.
- These features, called Hapag-Lloyd Live, will also be available in dry containers at the request of shippers.
Dive Insight:
The millions of containers hauling goods across the ocean are becoming increasingly high tech, giving shippers a better view of a trip that used to be mostly a mystery. Multiple shipping companies have made announcements within the past year around implementing solutions similar to Hapag-Lloyd Live.
Last month, CMA CGM announced plans to add 50,000 trackers to its containers. MSC also announced it was connecting 50,000 containers last October. And Maersk has a virtual assistant that helps shippers track their cargo.
These IoT sensors not only allow shippers to pinpoint issues, but also let them know where their cargo is in near real-time, allowing for better planning. "GPS tagging of shipping containers and other demand-side goods can help manage the flow of those goods through transit nodes," Deloitte wrote in a report on IoT shipping technology.
Hapag-Lloyd Live's technology is provided by the Danish company Globe Tracker, which also began working with Dole earlier this year on tracking its reefer cargo. The two companies said the technology could help improve the quality of the shipments.
Tracking technology "opens the doors to the world of big data in terms of perishables’ transportation and with it the data prediction and automation, always focused on the highest quality, freshness and safety of our Dole products," Ana Anchia, an equipment manager for Dole, said in a press release.
