By being the first container shipping line to introduce a fleet-wide dry container tracking product, Hapag-Lloyd is demonstrating its commitment to deploying pioneering IoT (Internet of Things) technology in logistics on a large scale.
According to the company, more than two thirds of the dry container fleets have already been equipped with tracking devices. Hapag-Lloyd says installations continue globally and it is hoped the process can be completed during the summer.
“The ‘Live Position’ product will contribute to our service quality and increase the ease of doing business with us,” said Hapag-Lloyd COO Dr. Maximilian Rothkopf. “It does close the blind spots of global logistics, enabling real-time decision-making and risk mitigation for our customers, while allowing a more efficient steering of our fleet of boxes.”
Henrik Schilling, Head of Global Commercial Development, added:
“The participants of our successful pilot phase have already acknowledged that we are going the extra mile to eliminate one of their greatest concerns. Now we would like to take all our customers on this journey to further develop this product. We are currently working on feeding the tracking data into the customers’ operational systems via API. Another milestone for advancing the product will be the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Prediction.”
Hapag-Lloyd says key features of the initial basic product “Live Position” include a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use search functionality by container, booking number, or in batches. The tool provides customers with a quick overview of their shipment’s current location, allowing them to make any necessary adjustments in real time.
Reacting to the announcement on LinkedIn, shipping expert Lars Jensen commented on the value the new product would bring:
“The carrier might improve their own ability to move equipment around more efficiently through for example better inland triangulation. Of course the carrier already knows which containers are on which ships, but the key is getting inland visibility as well. The shipper gets better visibility end-to-end and not just on the ships, allowing quicker response times to make changes when needed. Then there are use cases we have not yet thought of. Getting such live data is likely to prompt good ideas over time creating novel ways to create value we have not yet realized. In addition to this there might be security related benefits from knowing where and when a container has made stops enroute which could be of interest to authorities.”