GPS container cargo tracking customers cover the full range of stakeholders in the global logistics business, the 3 types of customer are:
1. Governments. These are increasingly concerned with eliminating dump-age from containers so as to ensure they collect the full taxation due on cargo. In particular, governments of countries who are handling containers in transit are keen to ensure they collect necessary custom and tax duties. Another driver is security. Governments are worried about the movement of illegal / dangerous materials / items inside inter modal containers. Lastly, governments are trending to ‘single window’ type operations whereby all data relevant to the movement of cargo is contained within a single platform, this includes for example, integrating manifest information with xray scans and location data.
2. Logistics Service Providers. These range from niche providers who specialize in the movement of certain types of goods, to large scale shippers of manufactured goods. LSPs are concerned with security of shipments as well as providing added value customer service.
3. Beneficial Cargo Owners. Increasingly the recipient or owner of the goods is turning to container tracking service providers to provide simple technology to monitor and locate their container loads. This could involve monitoring the container whilst in transit or whilst it is at a container port terminal.
Most of these customers want to get maximum benefits with minimal effort. Whilst the technology performs its task well, the key element of the system is the ‘human factor’. It is important that customer should be ready to ensure that the equipment is attached and activated correctly, and when the cargo arrives, that there is someone reliable who can ensure the hardware is returned to the start of the logistics chain so as to repeat the process.
Companies offer different kinds of equipment for container tracking. We ensure every customer get a device what fit their needs (which information they want to know). Governments – these customers mainly use the most integrated systems. These include RFID networks at port terminals combined with container mounted tracking devices and sensors. Logistics service providers and Beneficial Cargo Owners – these customers want a self contained, ‘easy on – easy off’ devices that can be fixed to the container. Some of these customers do not want to open the container door after they have been sealed, so we supply devices that are fitted to the outside of the container.
The main benefits are:
1. Security of container doors. The ability have immediate alerts of unauthorized door opening sent to the manager of the container movement operation. This information can also be stored on the device itself for analysis later if a realtime data channel isn’t available.
2. Tracking. Customer can use the realtime location information to generate a wealth of management information.
3. Container Monitoring. We supply devices that include a number of telemetry sensors that can detect light entering into the container – useful if the container is being sabotaged; temperature monitoring – useful for reefer type containers, and also an accelerometer to report if the container has been dropped.
There are a number of business models for customers:
1. BOT. For governments we can supply all the equipment on a build, operate, transfer basis whereby the purchase is financed in return for a concession agreement to operate the system. We can train in country staff in the system.
2. Outright Purchase. We offer this to all customer who wish to make a capital purchase on equipment. We then provide support and maintenance agreements to ensure the equipment can reach its maximum operational lifespan.
3. Lease Rental. We have developed a very unique service whereby a customer can rent the system on an as needed basis. We price this based on numbers of containers and length of transit. This offer is very attractive to beneficial cargo owners and logistics service providers.