To ensure the flow of information about the real-time location and delivery status of cargo within a specific transportation route, the sender and recipient have the option to find out either by contacting the transport manager, who is responsible for the cargo delivery or by following the cargo’s GPS data by connecting to the cargo tracking system.
Available cargo tracking technologies
1. GPS Tracking – Nowadays, most cargo vehicles are equipped with GPS tracking systems, which provide efficient real-time location information of the cargo vehicle. GPS tracking saves time by optimizing the transportation route and monitors the driver’s work quality and the cargo or consignment’s delivery status.
In case of unforeseen circumstances (e.g., traffic congestion or a closed road section), the GPS data tracking system allows real-time transportation monitoring, adjusting the route if necessary to avoid delivery delays.
2. Single-use or reusable cargo tracking devices – Tracking devices are attached to the cargo, enabling it to be tracked or to confirm its location at any time in transit. Single-use or reusable cargo tracking devices have a built-in battery.
Single-use devices are valid for up to three months and are ideally suited for long transportation routes. Reusable devices, whose batteries can be recharged several times, are more suitable for shorter routes. Moreover, based on the offered control parameters, reusable tracking devices are richer in functions (for example, data updates every hour).
Cargo tracking solutions by type of transport
Land Transport – For cargo transportation by land, the most popular solution for cargo tracking is equipping cargo trucks with GPS systems. Additionally, cargo tracking devices attached to the cargo during transport are often used to check the cargo’s location and follow the delivery route.
Sea freight – On board a ship, each cargo is assigned a cargo number. Based on this number, shipping lines can track where the cargo is at any given time. For long transports, such as from China to Europe, a cargo tracking device is often attached to the sea cargo, which informs about the cargo’s real-time location.
Air freight – To track air cargo, the airline assigns an air transport number to the consignment or cargo, which can be checked through the website’s shipment tracking section for status, to obtain detailed information about the air cargo’s route, tracking reports, status updates, and the expected arrival time of the shipment.
Cargo tracking process
Depending on the type of cargo transport and the associated possibilities to provide tracking, the cargo tracking process can obtain information not only about the specific cargo’s location but also about changes in the route (if it has occurred for some reason) and the cargo’s planned delivery time at the route’s endpoint. Various real-time data monitoring devices and Transport Management Systems (TMS) provide real-time delivery process monitoring, ensuring temperature control monitoring for transporting frozen or chilled products (e.g., food, medicine, etc.).
Yes, using special programs, each cargo can be tracked in real-time. This option is provided with GPS tracking and by following the cargo’s location using a cargo tracking device attached to the specific cargo.
The main advantages of cargo tracking are efficient and transparent real-time cargo deliveries, avoiding the risks of lost or delayed cargo deliveries and monitoring the cargo’s temperature, if necessary. However, depending on the tracking method, there may sometimes be identified data deviations related to digitalization or the capacities of tracking devices (battery discharge, disrupted data transmission).
Depending on the capabilities of the used cargo tracking system, the data obtained from that particular tracking system can be transmitted to the cargo carrier, forwarder, or cargo owner if they have added a cargo tracking device to their cargo.
