Hapag to equip all containers with real-time tracking devices

German carrier Hapag-Lloyd will equip its entire container fleet with real-time tracking devices.

"After successfully introducing real-time monitoring for its reefer container fleet in 2019 with the Internet-of-Things (IoT) product Hapag-Lloyd LIVE, the company will start to install newly developed devices to all standard containers of its three million TEU fleet. Hapag-Lloyd continues to further digitalise container shipping, and Hapag-Lloyd LIVE will become available for customers of its standard containers during 2023," according to an official statement.

The devices will be able to transmit data on a real-time basis from each container, and thus make the supply chain more transparent and efficient. They can supply location data based on GPS, measure temperature and monitor any sudden shocks to the container. In future, additional sensors could be added through Bluetooth. To ensure safety for crews, cargo, and vessels, the devices are designed and certified to the ATEX Zone 2 explosion proof standard, the statement added.

"We will be able to provide all our customers with real-time track and trace data, giving them full visibility of any container movement worldwide," says Maximilian Rothkopf, COO, Hapag-Lloyd. "We will be able to detect delays earlier, inform impacted customers automatically and initiate counter actions at an early stage. We firmly believe that our real-time tracking approach will not only be beneficial for our customers but be a game changer for the entire container shipping industry."

Olaf Habert, Director, Container Applications, Hapag-Lloyd, added: "It is our vision to build the world's smartest container fleet and to provide valuable information to our customers at the frequency they need. Working with the most advanced companies for global-scale IoT applications will help us to equip our container fleet as fast as possible. This is what our customers now require and increasingly expect so they can manage their complex supply chains better."

The container fleet will be equipped with devices both from Nexxiot AG starting this summer as well as with devices from ORBCOMM, a global leader in IoT solutions, starting later this year.