CMA CGM Installs Container Monitoring System

CMA CGM has outfitted the M/V Bougainville, its flagship vessel, with next-generation technology which makes it the world’s first container ship with built-in container connectivity. The 18,000-TEU vessel is equipped with TRAXENS technology, part of the digital transformation occuring in the industry to transform standard box ships into smart, connected vessels.

TRAXENS is a Marseille, France-based logistics company offering container monitoring services and was founded in early 2014.

TRAXENS CEO Michel Fallah said in a statement: “The container is an intermodal transport unit handled by numerous operators who don't have any contact with each other. The idea is to send out information extremely securely along the whole transport chain regarding the condition of the cargo.”

 The TRAXENS’ equipped smart containers on board the CMA CGM Bougainville will be able to communicate among themselves and to the ship’s communication infrastructure by using built-in relay antennas, allowing even the most deeply hidden container to be connected.

The system collects data such as location, temperature, humidity level, vibrations, impacts, attempted burglary and customs clearance status in real-time. The customs clearance updates could be particularly vital in deterring false declarations and counterfeits.

The system also provides value in the refrigerated transport of perishable goods. It can remotely control and adjust the temperature of refrigerated containers and will allow resource optimization for routine inspections.

The Bougainville operates on the Ocean3 Alliance's FAL loop stopping at Southampton, Dunkirk, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Khor Fakkan, Yantian, Xingang, Dalian, Busan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Port Kelang and Algeciras before returning to Southampton.

CMA CGM is the world’s third-largest container shipping company.

The company operates 445 vessels which call at more than 400 ports in the world, on five continents. In 2014, over 12 million TEUs were carried by CMA CGM box ships.