Hapag-Lloyd turns to Avantida to fill its empties


26


Hapag-Lloyd has become the first ocean carrier in the UK to offer Antwerp-headquartered Avantida’s reUse container management services. The application allows for the re-use of import containers for export shipments by the same shipping company. Ocean shipping electronic


marketplace, INTTRA, acquired Avantida early this year. It describes it as “the European market leader in empty container management for ocean carriers”, Avantida’s chief executive, Luc


De Clerck, comments: “Hapag- Lloyd in the UK has joined 13 European ocean lines that have already adopted the Avantida


platform, which streamlines all requests with regard to container re-use and drop-off or pick-up changes. “Expanding into the UK is a


natural next step for Avantida as we continue to build upon our success in mainland Europe, where we just registered our 450,000 approved re-use on the platform.” Hapag-Lloyd sees significant


benefits in the Avantida platform in container re-use. In a message to its trucking partners, it pointed out that using the Avantida portal will mean facilitate better control and the management of equipment stock. “Avantida allows us to manage


Orbcomm to make Silk Road run smoothly


Orbcomm is to supply its end-


to-end telematics solution and Cloud platform for remote container monitoring and control to container firm Unit45, which designs and builds 45 foot containers for European intermodal transport. Rotterdam-headquartered


Orbcomm specialises in machine- to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. The telematics system,


including hardware, connectivity, device management and CargoWatch web reporting platform, will be deployed within Unit45’s diesel-electric containers used for long-haul, temperature- controlled rail cargo transport – including food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, printers and computers – along the New Silk Road linking China and Europe. The Orbcomm devices are dual-


mode, automatically switching to satellite when there is no cellular coverage, to ensure uninterrupted, reliable service and full visibility of Unit45’s containers from origin to destination, a necessary attribute given the challenges of the lengthy Silk Road. The CargoWatch capability


allows Unit45 to receive critical data sent from its containers, including temperature, diesel volume and machine performance, as well as any specific alerts. The platform also offers remote control


over container temperature and starting and stopping the reefer. In addition, Orbcomm’s solution reports when preventive maintenance or repair is needed, which allows for advance arrangements to be made for a qualified technician or spare parts to be made available as quickly as possible. Unit45’s own logistics customers


and shipper end-users can see the data sent from the containers either on their own systems or on Orbcomm’s web platform or mobile phone app. “Unit45 is an innovator and


market leader in the European transport industry, and we are pleased to support their efforts to pioneer smart containers for the New Silk Road with Orbcomm’s powerful IoT technology,” comments Orbcomm chief executive, Marc Eisenberg. “By leveraging Orbcomm’s intermodal solution, Unit45 can ensure full visibility, conditioned transport and accurate recording of critical location and operational data for their containers and cargo from door to door, which will provide a strong and lasting return on investment.” Unit45’s managing director, Jan


Koolen, adds : “It is essential for us to see where our container units are, monitor what is happening with them and remotely control the units, and we need to have all


our container re-use requests in an improved and efficient way, and provides our hauliers with a platform that simplifies the request process, and speeds up response times,” observes Hapag- Lloyd UK operations director, Andrew Allen.


Roll-out


Niklas Ohling is Hapag-Lloyd’s senior director for container steering, and is responsible for the procurement, administration and worldwide logistics of the line’s 2.3 million TEU container fleet. He tells FBJ that the UK is not the first geographical location in which Hapag-Lloyd is using Avantida. “We have started several trials


of this information directly on our computer screens. “Orbcomm’s advanced solution


does all of this and more to help our shipping customers enhance the efficiency, stability and security of their transport operations, and we see Orbcomm as an integral part of Unit45’s value proposition for the long term.” Unit45 expects


to complete


the deployment of the Orbcomm system during the fourth quarter of this year.


High value cargo


Sue Rutherford, vice president marketing at Orbcomm, spoke to FBJ about the value of the company’s solution to Unit45, especially given the various challenges posed by container shipping along the Silk Road. “Transporting high-value cargo


across Central Asia by train creates two problems,” she says. “First, the containers have to travel across some of the most inhospitable terrain on the planet and deal with extreme changes of temperature. To make the service viable, new 45ſt and 53ſt temperature- controlled reefer containers have been developed with a large, integrated diesel generator set that can power the reefer unit for the 14 to 18 days needed for the journey. “This opens up the route to


a wider range of temperature- controlled goods including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and food. But malfunctions can still happen and the containers need to be monitored to ensure that the correct temperature is being maintained. “Second,” Rutherford continues,


Issue 8 2017 - Freight Business Journal


and use Avantida today in many other countries, particularly across the European Union. Our aim is to expand street-turn like procedures and we are exploring further roll-out opportunities.” ‘Street-turn’ procedures involve employment


the import of customers, trucks


delivering loaded containers to


the


subsequent allocation of empty containers to export customers and the final dispatch of loaded containers. Looking back, he recalls that –


although Hapag-Lloyd first started using Avantida in the UK in the third quarter of this year – “We can be considered as an ‘early- adopter’ since our co-operation with Avantida started back at the beginning of 2014 and the first trials in the Benelux countries.” He continues: “It is fair to say that Avantida’s idea is not


“Wherever there is high-value


cargo, there are criminals. Containers need to be monitored constantly to check for theſt and tampering – not easy when they are travelling across the steppes of Central Asia. “This is where the Internet of


Things (IoT) and machine-to- machine telematics devices come into play. Orbcomm is already supplying tracking devices and sensors that allow operators to monitor the location, security and condition of their shipments 24/7 and look for temperature changes, door opening and other intrusions.” Recently, an attempt to open the


doors of a container in Kazakhstan triggered an alarm, allowing a helicopter to be scrambled to assess the situation. In addition to providing security, thedevices can also allow the container temperature


to be adjusted


remotely. Are all the problems solved


then? “Not quite,” says Rutherford. “The remoteness of this route throws up one more challenge – data transmission. Many of the regions on the Silk Road Economic Belt do not have strong (or any) GSM network coverage. To deal with this, Orbcomm has developed dual-mode satellite-GSM devices that will automatically switch from default GSM to satellite transmission whenever GSM drops out, ensuring that the cargo can be traced along the whole route, without any black holes. All of this technological excellence will help to ensure that the New Silk Road, like its illustrious predecessor, will drive economic


new: we have been using other street-turn portals/ideas in the past. However, Avantida


improved the interoperability and process efficiency between all


stakeholders involved


///IT has to


a new level. By promoting street-turns in general, we can increase the productivity of our equipment and contribute to a better CO2 footprint by avoiding unnecessary empty.” Hapag-Lloyd has many IT


projects on the go that will make the life of the shipping line’s


customers easier or


more profitable but in relation to container re-use: “We are concentrating on the solutions as described, with some enhancements on the interoperability to come,” Ohling confirms. “Under the scope of the street-turn project, we will evaluate if an interface to the


growth and boost trade across the globe.” According to Rutherford,


when it comes to the Orbcomm telematics solution: “The future of refrigerated container tracking is here. Over the next five years, billions of everyday objects, including containers, will transition from ‘dark, dumb and disconnected’ to ‘visible, smart and connected’ thanks to M2M and IoT technology. The ability to track, monitor and control intermodal equipment and shipments in real- time across land and sea is already helping early transport industry adopters to improve operating efficiencies, drive down costs, increase security and safety, and comply with growing regulatory requirements.” She explains: “M2M and IoT


telemetry devices, which are fixed to containers and other intermodal transport assets on a permanent or temporary basis, are now available in all shapes and sizes. That includes solar- powered options and also dual- network versions that can switch between cellular and satellite to ensure uninterrupted tracking in remote areas where wireless communication doesn’t reach. “GPS tracking comes pretty


much as standard, allowing containers and other assets to be located on the move and while stationary at ports and depots, using geofencing. Increasingly, M2M devices are closely associated with an array of specialised sensors that can remotely monitor a very wide range of conditions such as temperature, humidity,


Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA) portal – which is used in the US – can be implemented as well.” According to an INTTRA


statement of March: “Enhanced co-ordination of land and ocean container movements generates efficiencies and reduces costs, and INTTRA’s entry into landside container logistics will provide additional value for existing and new customers. “Acquiring Avantida advances


our strategy of extending our reach into the intermodal value chain, enabling INTTRA to better serve our customers. With cutting- edge, cloud-based technology and a unique business model, Avantida enhances efficiency and delivers substantial value to carriers, shippers, and other landside transport companies,” added INTTRA CEO John Fay.


atmosphere, light, shock, motion, door opening, fuel levels and tyre pressures. “Today’s M2M and IoT telemetry


options range from basic tracking to highly sophisticated devices, oſten incorporating sensors and/or interfacing directly with original equipment manufacturer PLC [programmable logic controller] controls, for example on refrigerated containers or container handling equipment.” Furthermore, there is something


else to consider, Rutherford suggests, in terms of intermodal potential. “How do ocean carriers and other asset owners future- proof their


smart container


investment and navigate the potential pitfalls of incompatible systems and connectivity ‘black holes’ in a shiſting landscape of mergers and acquisitions, alliances and vessel-sharing agreements? “We


believe that an


important part of the answer lies in the interoperability and standardisation of technology itself. Specifically, a new breed of device Cloud middleware is emerging that allows users to ‘speak a common language’ to all their connected M2M and IoT devices and networks. At the same time, new application-oriented middleware will enable data from any device to be channeled into any enterprise soſtware. This will create the technical building blocks for the next stage of ‘many-to-many’ IoT adoption, supporting users to shiſt the focus from the device to the whole digital ecosystem. The future will be much more agnostic than the present.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28