Tracking air cargo location and conditions: the complete 2021 options overview

As IoT’s world expands to find its numerous uses in various industries, air cargo has been its trophy acquisition. Wherever movement via freight is involved, regardless of it being via air, ocean, and over-the-road, IoT devices dominate the global and domestic transportation modes. Air transport is preferred for perishable and high-value items, and freight movement by sea primarily sees bulky cargo items with relatively less value and long shelf life.

Broadly., two factors have strongly influenced the growth of the air freight market. The first and most important one being the splurge of global e-commerce. This revolution, so to speak, has directly connected consumers with retailers across different geographies. These geographies have been domestic regions within the country and internationally as well. The astronomical growth in e-commerce has fueled the demand for delivery services in the process. The second most important factor is the cost of airline fuel. Historically higher air-fuel prices have been accompanied by lower demand in air cargo. And recently, the increasing growth in freight volume seen from around 2016 seems to correspond with a fall in the cost of airline fuel.

The Challenge – Air freight tends to pass through multiple hands. This places responsibility for damage in a difficult situation. Therefore, the secure, trusted collection and transmission of cargo damage data is very important to paint a comprehensive picture of freight whereabouts. They include events of what happened, where it happened and when it happened. Data thus collected needs to be completed tamper-proof and consistent. This accurate, error-free information is relevant during the insurance claims process. It is also very helpful in making informed decisions at the business management level.

Although ocean and road freight dominate the cargo movement modes, at times, it makes sense to move goods via air cargo due to perishability or time constraints. Sometimes the high-value of cargo can also make sense to move it via air. Ocean shipping usually accounts for the bulk i.e. up to 90% of global traffic (International Chamber of Shipping). Also, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics states that truck and rail are among the top modes based on weight. Demand for fresh goods and safe medical supplies has boosted air cargo preferences. As the goods move through different modes of transport, it is important to keep a tab on the goods’ location status.

Air cargo tracking and management have several components that need monitoring and tracking. It starts with booking, then to the ready state for carriage, to actual shipping later on. Company assets like pallets can be tracked using IoT smart devices. It was acceptable to track the shipment status by use of flight locator information systems in the recent past. However, with the advent of the latest IoT-enabled beacons, the supply chain technology enables location at a granular level. This data directly enables shippers and carriers to maintain a command chain and comply with FSMA and regulatory guidelines.

On-demand economy – The on-demand economy requires that the consumer goods be always on the move. The goods could be in the raw material state, work in progress or in finished goods state. Enhanced visibility provides all stakeholders with peace of mind. The data thus obtained from IoT sensors help reduce waste at different levels of the movement process. It also enables a stringent document control mechanism. It ultimately culminates in the minimization of the risk of loss. As all parties involve sin, the process is kept up to date by digital communications and status updates. There is less wastage of time in excessive communications among the stakeholders. This plays to the effect that it also tends to reduce excess communication by allowing vested parties to track cargo status in real-time. The beacons like Eelinktech’s DB01 beacon can track and update temperature, humidity, location, and even physical shocks.

A supply chain involving IoT devices typically has more ‘things’ interacting with ‘things’ than just human interactions. The DB01 beacon interacts with its outer packaging. In turn, the outer packaging interacts with material handling equipment, transport vehicles, storage facilities, etc. Hence, there are several interactions from the moment the product comes into existence to its final consumption destination. There is a need to record and trace these interactions. And monitor them for any abnormal circumstances that may occur. This is where IoT forms the critical element of a connected chain and supply chain management device. IoT involves use of sensors, recorders, transmitters, etc. These are fitted to handling equipment like pallets, containers, forklift trucks, and transport vehicles.

IoT tech is surely technology catching up with changing times. A relatively new type of IoT device that records and transmits data while in flight is also available. Now, individual cargo can be tracked while it is in transit. Such smart sensors are approved for use in the fleet. Your company can now ship its goods by air mode of transit with full confidence. A smart IoT enabled sensor will give shippers and carriers the much-needed turn-key critical information to make informed decisions whenever any deviation occurs. In turn this also proves helpful in better planning for chosen routes and mode options that suit their shipment.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/564658/worldwide-revenue-of-air-cargo-traffic/

We discuss brief list of benefits that businesses stand to gain from IoT system deployment in air cargo monitoring.

Location Tracking – This is the most basic and most effective benefit any business can get. The deployment of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in fleet operations is not a relatively new process. The GPS devices fitted on the vehicles help drivers to reach their destination without getting lost. They also allow fleet operators to track the position of trucks at all times. The same GPS tech can be integrated into IoT devices that can track individual cargo or even pallets and send out real-time status updates to all stakeholders.

Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd is a prominent name in GPS tracking and IoT manufacturing. Their most advanced DB01 BLE Temperature & Humidity Sensor Beacon models have a long battery life that lasts up to 3-years. GPS beacons can be directly attached to products of relatively large size. They can be embedded onto the pallets of smaller items. This becomes especially essential for expensive items that are more threatened by the chance of theft during their transportation.

Condition Monitoring – Full track of historical movements is maintained by intelligent IoT devices. Tracking of items with the added capability to know the variables like temperature and humidity went out of bounds for specified ranges. If there is a dispute with any stakeholder, the variances records can easily be pulled out of the system. As we understand, it is important to take extra care while shipping environment-sensitive products such as food items, medicines, chemicals, etc.

A multitude of support capabilities of system and equipment – Devices and equipment provide support like tracking of location, temperature, humidity, motion detection, and ambient light intensity. Alerts can be sent out from the IoT devices about irregular circumstances such as an increase in the container’s internal temperature through a real-time alert and notification system.

Geofencing – Geofencing enables the receipt of notifications based on location changes within the specific geographic boundaries based on customized settings. Geofencing uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network combined with radiofrequency technologies like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Users can create virtual boundaries based on specific locations on the map. Once the virtual fence has been set up, the users get alarm notifications if they move out of the defined boundary. The geofencing program closely monitors the movements and updates the same on the dashboard regularly.

Cargo Theft prevention – As soon as the vehicle leaves the company premises, its security and security of the cargo, becomes a big concern. After all, the cargo is still a company asset till it is sold. Companies can track the movement of their cargo in real-time. As soon as an undesirable incident is witnessed by the GPS geofencing system, it sends out an alert to all the stakeholders. These alerts are usually based on freight location straying from the set route or movement out of the set boundary. A change in the route can set-off alarms.

Reduction in supervision costs – Cargo monitoring solutions help reduce supervision costs. As the monitoring and tracking of cargo are done digitally, the IoT smart devices reduce the need to hire supervisory costs. The system generates real-time alert notifications that simply bypass the hierarchy and go straight to the stakeholders. Another advantage is the use of analytical and cognitive capabilities that help a company eliminate inefficiencies in the system. Hence, they help in proactive decision maeliminateking and further streamlining the operations.