Whether you’re shipping high-value freight, managing time-sensitive cargo, or transporting goods through high-risk countries, DB SCHENKERsmartbox gives you the real-time visibility needed to keep that freight safe and secure.
Transporting high-value, time-sensitive cargo requires a layer of security to ensure that the freight, vehicle, and driver get from point A to point B as quickly and safely as possible. Whether the goal is theft prevention, shorter transit times, and/or safe passage in high-risk markets—or a combination of all three—shippers can leverage technology to help reduce risks and keep their supply chains running smoothly and securely.
Security and Transparency
As the most important aspects of the international supply chain, security and transparency are being made easier by modern technology that guarantees the monitoring of load carriers worldwide. Safety precautions for locks and devices that document the condition of load carriers and transmit them into monitoring systems, for example, help ensure that high-value and time-sensitive freight reaches its destination in a safe and secure manner.
The DB SCHENKERsmartbox service, for example, monitors global freight transports in a very convenient and innovative way. DB SCHENKERsmartbox premium uses GPS coordinates to monitor consignments on the Internet in real-time using parameters like temperature, humidity, G-force, movement, vibration, and inclination. The solution incorporates state-of-the-art sensors on and in the container, which—in addition to the geo-position—also measure activity within the container itself. Temperature, humidity, shocks, and burglary tests are communicated in real-time and the data can be checked and tracked online via a web terminal.
Designed for the pharma industry and for medical transports, DB SCHENKERsmartbox easypharma measures and stores temperature and humidity readings collected during transport, and allows shippers to closely monitor their freight for temperature, hygiene, and safety.
Know Where Your Freight is Every Minute
Agustin Lopez, VP, Ocean Business Development, Americas for Schenker, Inc., says DB SCHENKERsmartbox is a universal solution that’s particularly useful in emerging markets, where shippers must pay especially close attention to freight safety and security. Whether they select the basic option or one of the more complex solutions, companies know immediately when a container is tampered with, jolted violently, or when it experiences a temperature fluctuation.
“It can also tell you if someone put a hole in the container in order to extract its contents, or simply if someone opened the door when it should have been kept closed,” Lopez says. “These are all very relevant metrics for high-risk markets, where a lot of things can happen between the time a container leaves its point of origin and arrives at its destination.”
In absence of a solution like DB SCHENKERsmartbox, Lopez says it can take 24 hours (or more) to identify and react to safety and security concerns. “If your cargo is sitting on a road in high risk country where there are no cell phone towers,” says Lopez, “it may be compromised or even stolen by the time you realize that there’s a problem.”
Visibility from Door-to-Door
The DB SCHENKERsmartbox package trackers also allow you to track individual shipments from door-to-door, regardless of the means of transport. These devices are barely larger than a cigarette pack, covering everything from light to temperature to shocks.
Depending on the specific device, data on the condition of the container or the packs are retrieved online in real-time during transports or transmitted via a USB interface upon arrival. Individual reports and statistics on the transport route can then be evaluated, and both customers and service providers can leverage the data to plan and monitor the use of containers.
Already being used by shippers worldwide, this freight-monitoring solution allows companies to be proactive and in control of their destinies, instead of waiting hours or days to learn the status of their valuable cargo. Armed with the real-time data, shippers can make quick decisions that keep their supply chains secure without having to invest heavily in securitized containers.
“The DB SCHENKERsmartbox service is an extremely affordable and user-friendly way to track and monitor everything from temperature control to current location to theft,” says Lopez, “The benefits are literally priceless.”
Click here to learn more about DB SCHENKERsmartbox.
