The day-to-day logistics of freight management can be a challenge, no matter what you’re shipping. But when you’re working with high-value cargo, like electronics or pharmaceuticals, you might encounter logistical hurdles. Improper packaging or handling can damage your freight, and dramatic shifts in temperature or theft can result in big losses. Knowing where your freight is at all times can mean a big boost to your bottom line, which is why more organizations are investing in freight tech with asset tracking capabilities.
At the core of this IoT-powered revolution in freight management systems are sensor trackers that can provide pallet-level intelligence™ on the state of your shipment, whenever and wherever it is on its journey. These devices stay with your freight—not with the driver—and they’re equipped to deliver you insights no one else can offer.
Let’s take a look at how asset tracking can help you protect your high-value freight.
Choose active GPS Tracking
Sensor trackers offer a variety of integrations, and the best part of all of them is that you can see what’s happening in near real time. No more check calls to see where your driver is and when they’ll arrive. No more uncertainty around whether your cargo has been damaged along the way. You don’t just get to check the status of your freight on your desktop or mobile device at any time. You also get instant notifications if something goes wrong. And in many cases, this empowers you to stop losses before they happen. Additionally, with active GPS tracking, you have a much greater chance of recovering stolen freight or even entire trailer.
Monitoring Temperature
High-value cargo such as pharmaceuticals can often be sensitive to temperature changes. But when temperature fluctuations damage your shipment, you usually find out after the fact.
With active GPS tracking, however, you’ll know about temperature changes promptly—so you can take action. Being able to call your driver right when temperatures get too high or too low empowers them to try to correct the problem right away. This ultimately leads to fewer losses. It’s a game-changer.
Logging G-Force Impact
Losses happen. Every shipper knows that freight has the potential to get damaged along the way, whether it’s because your driver hit the brakes too hard or because the pallet was mishandled in a distribution center. But sensor trackers offer two key advantages.
First, you can know right away when a G-force impact has occurred—and in some cases, this may be soon enough to mitigate the damage. You’ll receive automatic notifications and can then contact your driver or customer service rep to check in on the status of your freight.
Second, when damage does occur, having a sensor tracker makes filing the claim a lot easier. Gone are the days when it was next-to-impossible to know when or how the damage occurred. Now you’ll know exactly when and where, and that’s a huge help in filing a successful claim.
Identifying Key Waypoints
Every sensor tracker is equipped with the ability to provide geofencing communication allowing you to identify key waypoints for your freight. That way, you’ll be automatically notified when it reaches those points.
From a customer service perspective, this is great news. You can automate precise tracking information for your clients. But it’s also good news in terms of security. If your freight doesn’t reach target waypoints when it should, you can take action earlier to determine whether it’s been delayed, lost, or stolen, with Delivery Chain’s “deadline alerts.” You’ll also be able to identify a narrower geographic and time window within which the loss occurred, between a specific set of waypoints. All this is not to mention that, in some cases of theft, the sensor tracker may remain with the pallet, allowing you to track the freight’s location even when it’s been stolen!
The Freight Tech You Can’t Live Without
Today’s most successful companies are harnessing the power of the Internet of Things to boost their security and minimize losses. To stay competitive, you’ll need to do the same. Reach out today to learn how Delivery Chain’s military-grade security can make all the difference.