What are the benefits of remote reefer monitoring?

Reefer operations that initiate a system of automated monitoring over the containers in their care are better able to boost their overall operational efficiency and safety, manage the collection of reefer data for improved performance, and offer their clients more value. These benefits ultimately lead to economic success and continued growth for the terminal.

Yet no two terminals are the same. Some use racks – with steps and platforms, reefer operators have easy access to several stories of containers for data recording and maintenance. Other terminals stack reefers into cubes, making inspections of containers higher than ground level difficult. And still, others line up their refrigerated containers on chassis in a yard, just high enough to make data collection difficult.

Combinations of these arrangements are common. And as throughput increases, manually collecting and recording the information from each reefer becomes more challenging.

Efficiency
Refrigerated container terminals implementing a remote reefer monitoring system gain significant control over their entire operation. From a centralized location, either on or off-site, operations management can view their entire reefer yard at a glance to evaluate refrigerated container conditions and respond to warnings and alerts without waiting until the next manual inspection occurs.

By digitally integrating reefer data into existing Terminal Operating System (TOS) software, a clear picture of terminal performance across the entire operation emerges, enabling informed decision-making to enhance profitability.

Safety
Container terminals are dangerous environments that require strict attention to safety protocols. And as reefer throughput increases and terminals grow to meet the demand, pedestrian reefer inspectors and fast-moving port machinery are placed in proximity, increasing the risk to human safety.

However, through the automated collection of controlled atmospheric (CA) data from within each container, human physical inspections are reduced, lowering the amount of pedestrian traffic at the terminal and naturally improving overall human safety.

Claims Reduction
Nearly a third of all refrigerated container insurance claim losses are due to the miscommunication of operational instructions, temperature setting errors, and reefer equipment mechanical failures. The proactive reefer yard manager will minimize these financial losses and increase responsiveness by maintaining two-way remote control and monitoring through an automated system.

Automated reefer data collection transmits notifications and alerts to changes in reefer conditions as they occur, avoiding lengthy delays between manual inspections, protecting cargo integrity, and shielding the terminal against potential claims.

Value
Each container may have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of perishable cargo. Maintaining the cold chain and protecting the cargo within each container is critical to the success of any terminal operation. The data collected and the reduced reaction time to address alerts all help the reefer operator to provide a historical record of cargo condition and deliver a value-added benefit for terminal customers by building trust.

Energy
Energy efficiency is critical to today’s terminal operator, and refrigerated containers need a constant power supply 24/7/365. An automated reefer monitoring system provides operational feedback regarding electrical consumption across the yard, a single bay, or an individual reefer. And with human error being a leading cause of perishable cargo loss, paying attention to the power is a fundamental responsibility of the reefer operator. Remote reefer monitoring provides plug/unplug alerts as they occur through visual cues on monitoring software UI’s.

So, no matter how your reefer terminal operates – grounded containers or racked and stacked four rows high – automated reefer monitoring provides a way to collect data more efficiently and increase operational performance. That’s a combination that will help any size reefer operation grow.

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