Maersk Container Industry (MCI) has announced plans to launch a new reefer digitalisation service in 2019.
According to the Port of Hamburg, the Sekstant Global Guidance service will provide reporting data to container operators no matter where the reefers are located in the world.
MCI global head of sales and marketing, Anders Holm, noted that Sekstant would enable new levels of automation and data collection and change the way operators managed their reefer transport chain as it provided accurate data at any point along the transportation chain.
“Whether on high seas on board a container vessel or inland carried on a truck, the data can be visualised on the shipper’s desktop and seamlessly integrated into their IT systems,” he said. “This is a great leap forward in transparency and optimising utilisation.”
The Port of Hamburg pointed out that the key to the service’s effectiveness was that it always stayed online by using a centralised cloud architecture. The system is enabled by a state-of-the-art smart device that includes wide-band 4G LTE modem connectivity with global coverage.
Everything is incorporated into this single device, sharing one power supply with the reefer controller.
“All data transmissions are secured and encrypted,” added Holm. “At the same time, the machine data MCI receives can now be processed and transmitted to Star Cool reefer users to give them previously unseen levels of transparency and guidance.”
The system will be available from US$99 cents per container for the basic package which includes standard functions like GPS location, temperature readings and alarms. Holm noted that while remote-controlled atmosphere readings, sensor alarms and temperature control would protect product quality, geofencing, equipment condition status and reefer lifetime reports could be used to optimise fleet management operations.
Depending on the range of services requested, shippers can expand this to include G-shock recording, ITI diagnostic stamps and potentially automated government approvals.
“Additional functions will be developed in close cooperation with our customers, which will enable us to provide data-driven packages to support specific customer requirements,” Holm said.
