The logistics and supply chain industry has seen a massive shift in moving goods both locally and internationally. With more and more innovation in technology, many businesses and large organizations have become more aware of optimizing their daily operations and using innovative strategies to handle them efficiently.
With the introduction of shipping container tracking, companies are now becoming more sufficient in their operations and relying less on the information received by freight forwarders. Keep reading to know exactly what container tracking is and how useful it is for global trade.
What is container tracking?
Container tracking is an electronic way of tracking the location of goods while they are in transit. Using container tracking, a shipper can see the exact location (and other information) of goods that have been loaded onto a container at a port or distribution center. In this way, the shipper can determine if the goods are being handled properly during transit and also find out when the goods will be delivered to their destination.
Container tracking works by using a radio frequency identification (RFID) to track cargo in transit, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective shipping.
Why are businesses using container tracking technology?
Tracking shipments manually can be quite tiring and uncertain especially when your company handles regular shipments. Trucking companies need to keep track of their shipments so they can plan their routes, schedule drivers, and ensure timely delivery of goods to customers. Expedited shipping services such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL also use container tracking to monitor the progress of their shipments. Using container tracking helps businesses run more efficiently and gives customers peace of mind.
Shipping containers are the backbone of international trade. Containers are used to ship just about every kind of good around the world, from electronics to perishable foods. Because of this, companies that ship worldwide use container tracking technology to keep tabs on their cargo.
How to track containers using GPS or satellite?
Tracking ocean freight shipments are made easier and more secure by the use of GPS or satellite. Both of these systems have their pros and cons, but GPS is becoming more and more popular. This is due to the fact that it is much faster than the previous system, which sent out a signal from the vessel once every half hour.
Initially, tracking ocean freight was done by the use of an AIS (Automatic Identification System). This system sends out a radio signal to identify the container and its location in real-time. This is still used today, but not as frequently as before.
GPS or Global Positioning System was then introduced, and instead of sending out a radio signal every half hour, it sends out a signal every second. This makes it much easier for shippers to track their shipments because they can now get much more accurate information about where their container is at any given time.
The main advantage to this form of tracking is that there are no longer errors that occur from other vessels blocking the signal from being sent out from the vessel, which means that there are no issues with receiving inaccurate information. It also allows for tracking to be done in remote areas where there is no access to cell towers or land-based internet providers so that shipments can be tracked easily knowing exactly when they’ll reach their destinations.
