Smart Shipping Technologies Improve Freight Logistics in Minnesota

These days, the term “smart technology” is used just about everywhere. From wearable products that help people track their exercise habits, to technologies used in home automation, various gadgets and innovations are being coined as “smart.” But what makes them smart and to what extent are they used in the world around us?

The answer usually revolves around a few key factors. First, “smart technology” has to provide us with data that can be used to improve a situation. Second, it has to be highly intuitive, to better serve the needs of its application. And finally, it has to integrate with other resources to be versatile and seamless.

Take the above principles and apply them to some of the innovations currently being developed in the shipping industry and a bright future of intuitive freight logistics in Minnesota quickly takes shape! In fact, many of the emerging smart technologies in use today have already begun to change the way we transport goods from one place to another! Take a look at some of the amazing products and smart technologies being used today:

• RFID chipping: Radio frequency identification (RFID) isn’t a new technology, but the way it’s being used throughout the shipping industry today classifies it as a smart technology without a doubt. Thanks to RFID chipping, freight distribution has become incredibly fast and very calculated, since identification of cargo can be done nearly instantaneously! Moreover, RFID chips can be read and registered at all phases of shipping, creating accountability throughout.
• GPS freight tracking: Another technology that has been around for a while, but which is being put to new use is GPS tracking. Now, GPS freight tracking is about more than where a shipment is—it’s integrating with software that automatically calculates all peripheral variables! Estimating arrival times, rerouting for quicker delivery and even calculating fuel use can be attributed to GPS monitoring, which is a cornerstone of smart shipping technologies.
• Smart-sensor climate control: Climate control in certain shipping niches is essential to ensure the safe transport of volatile goods. In many cases, even a couple of degrees variance can cause an entire shipment to be lost, which makes minute by minute, real-time climate control essential. More than just real-time control of the climate, however, smart-sensor technology is making it easy to instantaneously recognize problems and correct them.
• Data banks: Much like the black box on an airplane, data banks are used to give shipping and freight companies a deeper understanding of what cargo goes through en route from Point A to Point B. Being able to measure temperature, vibration, humidity level, location, access and a myriad of other data throughout the journey of a shipment and interpreting that data upon arrival means being able to explain what went wrong with a certain delivery or, better yet, how to replicate ideal shipping conditions.

Smart technology is becoming more and more engrained in industries big and small. When it comes to shipping and freight logistics in Minnesota, the above innovations are just the start of a wave of technologies that are sure to continue to revolutionize transport.