Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/378850
68 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2014 TECHNOLOGY: INTERMODAL TECHNOLOGY rented equipment have tracking systems installed, says Adam Kurtz, director of intermodal operations for the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based company. Temperature-controlled containers rep- resent the other half of NFI's fleet – and its fastest-growing segment. The company has 170 stackable refrigerated containers that it monitors constantly using Thermo King's Web-based TracKing telematics system. TracKing is one of several telematics systems designed to provide remote con- trol of reefer units. These systems, adapted for intermodal, give NFI and other fleets the ability to change temperature settings and other controls for individual load requirements. Telematics systems also are being used for dry containers and chassis. Compared to the systems used for tracking trailers, intermodal offerings are designed with smaller, more compact hardware with customized power management capabili- ties to extend battery life. Most of these devices will turn off com- munications automatically to conserve power when the container crosses the perimeter of a rail yard and will remain off while the container is in the custody of railroad companies that provide location status. Asset Intelligence, a subsidiary of I.D. Systems, started in the trailer tracking business and designed its VeriWise asset tracking system for intermodal opera- tions. Fleets that install the system on their own containers and chassis are looking to increase the number of ship- ments they can transport in their drayage operations, says Todd Felker, executive vice president of marketing and product development. Besides tracking the time and location of assets, fleets can use optional cargo, door and light sensors for more detailed load status information. Sensors also can be added to the chassis to detect container mount and dismount status to improve planning and customer billing processes, Felker says. As the volume of intermodal shipments continues to increase, transportation companies are working to provide ship- pers the same service levels and infor- mation as their trucking offerings, says Henry Popplewell, senior vice president and general manager of SkyBitz, a provid- er of tracking systems for both trailers and intermodal equipment. Transportation companies that use telematics systems for their intermodal operations are following the same model used by Southwest Airlines to increase airline capacity, says Craig Montgomery, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Orbcomm. Southwest creates more airline capacity by quickly turning its planes around at the gates, and Montgomery says the same strategy applies by using telematics to add intermodal capacity by improving operational efficiency to quickly identify the status of a container and chassis, such as location, loaded/unloaded and door open/closed. The Hub Group (CCJ Top 250, No. 42), one of the largest intermodal third-party logistics providers, is deploying Orb- comm's GT 2300 container tracking and monitoring platform to manage the in- formation flow across drayage and other touch points to provide its customers with greater visibility. The Hub Group will use Orbcomm's cargo and door sensor. RENTING EQUIPMENT With the exception of a few indus- try giants, few fleets own intermodal containers and chassis; the majority rent the equipment for a daily rate. Tracking systems can help automate intermodal rental transactions and create additional capacity. COFC Logistics is an independent supplier of intermodal equipment and services for small-to-midsize fleets, inter- Asset Intelligence, a subsidiary of I.D. Systems, has expanded its line of VeriWise tracking products across the inter- modal container and chassis market. Asset Intelligence offers an interior flush-mounted cargo and light sensor for intermodal containers, as well as a tracking sys- tem that mounts in the container's corrugated panels.