Transporting freight always carries some degree of risk. The longer the distance from point A to point B, the more your cargo is at danger of theft, damage, or delay.

Recent statistics from the logistics space show just how vulnerable cargo is in transit, and how costly it can be for your business if something goes wrong: 

Transportation Risks:

Transporting freight always carries some degree of risk. The longer the distance from point A to point B, the more your cargo is at danger of theft, damage, or delay. Recent statistics from the logistics space show just how vulnerable cargo is in transit, and how costly it can be for your business if something goes wrong: 

• 71% - 87% of global cargo theft happens when cargo is in transit 
• $30 billion of cargo is stolen every year 

• Replacing a damaged product can cost up to 17x more than the original shipping cost 
• Shipping damage accounts for 20% of returns 

Whether you’re transporting life-saving pharmaceuticals, vital machinery components, priceless art pieces, cold-chain produce, or everyday necessities, someone somewhere is depending on your ability to deliver your goods safely and securely. What happens if your cargo arrives and you aren’t informed, something is damaged or stolen and you aren’t alerted for days or weeks, or your carrier gets rerouted and you have no idea where they are? If you’re still relying on milestone updates, your cargo is moving faster than your data. That’s a problem. Without proper visibility, you’re risking your customers’ confidence and putting your supply chain in danger.  

The Usual Response to Transportation Problems 

If you suspect there's been an issue with one of your shipments, it's typically a time-consuming process just to identify the problem. If you aren’t receiving real-time updates about your shipment, you’re probably all too familiar with the long and laborious steps required to sort the problem: 

• Log on to your transportation management system 
• Track all of your shipments to see if they are on time 
• Identify the problem shipments 
• Call your 3PL about the problem shipment 
• Wait for your 3PL to contact the proper carriers, warehouses, or other facilities and source the problem 
• Wait for those contacts to follow up with your 3PL 
• Wait for your 3PL to follow up with those contacts 
• Wait for your 3PL to provide you a status update 
• Identify the scope and details of the problem 
• Begin troubleshooting  

By the time you receive the information you need to begin problem-solving, which may take hours or even days, your freight may have already suffered irreparable damage, your customers may be frustrated, and your supply chain may be facing significant setbacks.  

The Cargo Signal Solution 

The IoT-powered sensors that Cargo Signal attaches to global freight track real-time data about shipments on the go, providing end-to-end visibility, security, and quality control. Our technology is supported by a Command Center staffed by logistics professionals who monitor your shipments around the clock, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

With Cargo Signal, you can replace the arduous troubleshooting process with two easy steps: 

• Review the alerts about the problem shipment identified.
• Trust our 24/7 Command Center to resolve the problem.

Trust Cargo Signal to Take Control of your Transportation Problems 

Rather than waiting for someone to physically search for your freight to give you an update, placing a sensor directly on your cargo can provide you with real-time information delivered directly to you on one easy-to-use platform. With Cargo Signal, you will know exactly where your freight is, when it will arrive, and what condition it will be arriving in. 

Customizable alerts provide you and your chosen stakeholders updates about your freight in 4 categories: Location & Delay, Security, Temperature, and Shock & Tilt. Location & Delay tells you where your cargo is, whether it’s on the correct and timeliest route, if it’s experiencing unauthorized dwell times, and how far it is from its destination. Our Security alerts inform you if your cargo is compromised or has been made vulnerable to theft, and our Temperature alerts will tell you if it’s fallen out of acceptable temperature and humidity range. Finally, our Shock & Tilt alerts ensure that your shipment is not physically impacted without you being informed.  

Cargo Signal Can Help You: 

• Spot potential problems with your freight’s location and condition in real time 
• Improve your customer service by providing your stakeholders with updates about freight still in transit 
• Monitor your cargo’s vitals in transit to avoid spoilage and ensure product quality and integrity 
• Cut costs by protecting your cargo, alerting you immediately when damage or theft occurs

If you want to improve your supply chain performance using sensor-based logistics, Cargo Signal is a great option. Contact a representative today and request a demo to get started. 

Download Cargo Signal's free Guide to IoT E-book here.