Loginno Logistic Innovation is bucking the trend when it comes to the issue of smart shipping containers. Brian Dixons finds out how
The concept of a smart shipping containers is not exactly new. However, Israel-based Loginno’s approach to the subject is somewhat different in that its patented Internet of Things (IoT) devices are designed to be affixed permanently to a unit, replacing a standard container venting component with a similarly-sized and shaped hardware box that promises the user an array of sensory data and supply chains insights.
This very much bucks the trend as to date such systems have tended to be removable in nature, being owned by the shipper rather than the actual shipping line or container fleet operator. While such a set-up makes sense from a historical point of view – it was generally deemed the responsibility of the shipper to track and monitor their goods – Loginno co-founder Shachar Tal is quick to point out its shortcomings, describing it as a “very cumbersome” and “very costly” solution as it requires the device to be attached at point A and then removed at point B.
Loginno’s solution, however, allows for “the quickest, easiest and most thorough conversion” of a standard container to a IoT-enabled unit through a process that requires no special training or skills on the part of the customer. Instead, units can be quickly converted at a typical container depot or place of manufacturer. “We have the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution to convert entire container fleets to smart fleets,” Tal says. “You just put it on the container and you forget about it. That’s basically it.”
What’s more, the technology used by Loginno, he asserts, offers users much more in the way of useful information than might be expected from traditional removable alternatives. At the same time, Loginno, he says, commands a “unique ability” to process this data in a way that offers a whole host of insights to both the shipper and container owner/operator alike.
For example, the Loginno solution cannot only determine the weight of a container to meet the requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), but also the mode by which a unit is being transported. Furthermore, while most systems deployed around the world can monitor a container’s doors for intrusions, Loginno’s technology monitors all six sides of a container.
But given the traditional onus being on the shipper to keep track of their goods, why might a shipping line or similar entity want to permanently convert their fleet to IoT-enabled units? Well, firstly there is the matter of better fleet management, avoiding losses and damage and thus reducing operational costs. Then there is the potential to increase revenue from mining the data accrued over time. Moreover, in an era of increasing digitalisation and asset tracking, it also furnishes a company with the ability to not only enhance its customer service levels, but also differentiate itself from the competition.
One company poised to reap such benefits is Brazil’s Log-In Logistica Intermodal, which last year selected Loginno to convert its full fleet of shipping containers. In so doing, Tal notes, it will become “the first shipping company in the world able to offer smart services to its entire roster of customers”. What’s more, with Loginno continuing to refine its offering while being able to undertake full fleet conversions without requiring any upfront costs, the smart money suggest more shipping lines will likely follow suit soon.
