APL's Tracking Service Offers Realtime Atmospheric Monitoring

Taking live monitoring of reefer cargoes beyond temperature and humidity tracking, APL is introducing real-time oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring capabilities to its industry-pioneering satellite tracking system, SMARTemp®. Designed to offer more well-rounded visibility for precise cargo management and protection throughout a voyage, these added features further distinct APL’s groundbreaking SMARTemp® technology which was launched in 2010.

Ng Kar Loke, APL Head of Special Cargo said, “As a leading and trusted reefer expert whom shippers have counted on in bringing their exports across the globe, APL deploys only the best reefer solutions that protect cargo integrity during every APL voyage. APL will continually innovate through our range of SMART reefer technologies to deliver customer value. The enhancements of APL SMARTemp® demonstrate our belief in going the extra mile of empowering our customers with real-time cargo data that they can rely on for optimal supply chain management.”

Live monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels comes in most useful for cargoes filled with delicate items or produce that are moved using APL’s SMARTCare+ technology. A popular application for several premium perishable food shipments, this atmospheric control solution manipulates oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within the reefer containers to preserve the qualities and prolong the post-harvest life of these high-value cargoes. The added SMARTemp® features thus offer more visibility to shippers, especially those with cargoes that must endure longer voyages and arrive in pristine conditions to be marketed in the respective overseas markets.

Powered by a microprocessor controller affixed to an APL reefer container, SMARTemp® records precise readings on temperature, humidity as well as oxygen and carbon dioxide levels of a reefer cargo shipment in real-time. Transmitted via satellite to APL’s central server, customers can retrieve these data on APL’s e-commerce portal, HomePort® at http://www.apl.com, enabling shippers to get the full picture of their cargo’s health that APL supervises and delivers.

For sensitive products, even minute fluctuations of the atmospheric composition within the reefer container can be detrimental to cargo integrity. SMARTemp® tracks every change in conditions that may have an impact on the set configurations of a reefer. If these settings exceed a pre-defined threshold in transit, an alert will be activated for immediate intervention by APL’s technical experts to safeguard the cargo.

Shippers with no tolerance for supply chain downtime will find this pro-active feature of SMARTemp® an added assurance in preventing possible loss or damage to any container and shipment. Meanwhile, the live data collected in SMARTemp’ s electronic log will be practical in eliminating costly and time-consuming processes when post voyage validation is required for high-value cargoes. 

Besides complementing APL’s SMARTCare+ solution, the enhanced SMARTemp® also works hand-in-hand with APL’s cold treatment technology, SMARTcool, as well as SMARTair, a dehumidification solution that keeps reefer containers’ humidity in an optimum range.