The movement of each container is part of a transaction that can involve dozens of different parties including buyers, sellers, inland freighters and shipping lines. Exporters and importers would agree that a few of the major challenges when it comes to getting the container from its point of origin to its destination is not only the action of secure loading of the container itself by the shipper but also the in-transit security of the intermodal container.

Security of intermodal containers is a shared responsibility by the shipper and the carrier. Nevertheless, from the moment that the container is sealed by the shipper is when security challenges begin. Responsibility for the container after it is collected from the shipper is now in the carrier’s hands until it reaches its destination. Without ongoing monitoring, the security of the container in-transit has limited value and there is plenty of room for error once it leaves point A till it reaches point B, sometimes thousands of miles and many weeks away.

Visibility and transparency into the quality of supply chain is paramount to the industry’s success. From raw materials to final products, every stage needs to be mapped throughout the supply chain and its distribution network. Companies that hold to the highest levels of integrity within the supply chain, transparency, visibility, and traceability, will empower themselves to lessen the severity of the risks of supply chain sustainability. In an era of global supply chain, when building a computer for example, the multinational company must have the ability to monitor where all its components are and in which condition even when in transit at sea or on ground transport. The ability to trace products throughout the supply chain has a profound impact on being able to recover from supply chain disruption and refine operations for exporters. The capacity to monitor security (breaches of container), exact location, humidity and temperature of intermodal containers and its contents is essential to both importers and exporters.

The more intelligence signals the company is able to collect, the more it will be able to take more effective decisions and produce a more efficient process in its supply chain. Likewise, the need to monitor products on transit and bringing a more transparent approach gives consumers the confidence they need to believe that the company is striving for peak performance in delivering products on time and in perfect condition and this will lead the company to gain competitive advantages in the marketplace.