Schmitz Cargobull TrailerConnect® – the digital platform for data integration, live tracking & trailer services

Schmitz Cargobull TrailerConnect® – the digital platform for data integration, live tracking & trailer services

Digitalisation is not only making the transport sector more efficient, but more flexible and customer-focused, too.


• Forward-looking maintenance for transport cooling units with predictive maintenance
• Real-time information about the trailer load with load carrier tracking
• Transparency in the supply chain with full data control thanks to the TrailerConnect® Data Management Centre (DMC)  
• A professional way to monitor and manage routes with TrailerConnect® TourTrack

June 2024 – Digitalisation is not only making the transport sector more efficient, but more flexible and customer-focused, too. A wide array of data and information concerning the vehicle and its load is sent on a continuous basis and has to be analysed and managed accordingly. The TrailerConnect® portal is a central data hub that consolidates all relevant vehicle and load data and makes it available for use. This includes data about the vehicle’s location, temperature, tyre pressure, EBS information and door status. This data is sent to the TrailerConnect® portal and apps like the beUptoDate app for dispatchers and the beSmart app for drivers. It is used to monitor the condition of the freight and trailer, optimise routes and schedules and improve the efficiency of logistics.  With TrailerConnect® FleetTrack, the user receives information about the trailer’s location and availability in real-time, independently of the telematics hardware used. It also lists comprehensive notification and alarm configuration options, user-defined reports, and a history of all events, locations and temperatures. 

Forward-looking maintenance for transport cooling units with predictive maintenance

In particular, logistics providers who transport temperature-controlled freight will benefit from predictive maintenance. Schmitz Cargobull has been working on proactive monitoring for several years in a bid to detect problems and abnormalities in the cooling unit at an early stage and quickly rectify them before the cargo or cooling chain is compromised. Predictive maintenance is now an enhanced version of proactive monitoring, making the most of advances in data analysis and machine learning to raise cooling unit maintenance to a new level. 

For predictive maintenance, an algorithm is used to link historical repair and maintenance data with real-time operating data from the sensors in the cooling unit, while artificial intelligence is used to look for patterns and anomalies. Using certain fault patterns, potential failures can be predicted within the next seven days. The customer receives all information in the TrailerConnect® portal via the TrailerConnect® FleetWatch fleet monitoring dashboard, from where they are able to find their nearest service partner directly. An automatic fault analysis is created in the TrailerConnect® FleetWatch dashboard to monitor the operating status of S.CU cooling units in real-time and provide recommended action for fault rectification. By integrating predictive maintenance into their Full Service agreements for transport cooling units, Schmitz Cargobull customers can rest assured that they increase the operating efficiency and service life of their cooling units and achieve lower operating costs. Schmitz Cargobull is the first trailer manufacturer to offer predictive maintenance for its cooling units.  

Load carrier tracking
The system consists of a receiver that is installed in the semi-trailer and small Bluetooth tags attached to the load carriers or loading aids. The Bluetooth tags are used to wirelessly transmit information to a read device. If a shipping container or pallet is fitted with a Bluetooth tag, this can send real-time information about the load’s location, making the supply chain more transparent as a result. They also simplify inventory management and traceability, which reduces the risk of interruptions and delays in the supply chain and prevents loading aids from getting lost or stolen.

Here, the requirement is that the tags are identified by Bluetooth receivers that are installed in the semi-trailers. Bluetooth tags are attached to the load carrier or loading aids and send their location to the TrailerConnect® portal. With active load carrier tracking, it is always clear where the transported goods or even parts thereof are located within the supply chain. Integration into the TrailerConnect® portal also enables alarms to be triggered if load carriers or loading aids are left behind.  With the TrailerConnect® DMC, data from active load carrier tracking can be transferred to selected partners in a simple, secure and controlled manner, creating a transparent chain of information in the supply chain.
 

The TrailerConnect® portal is a central data hub that consolidates all relevant vehicle and load data and makes it available for use

Data Management Centre (DMC)
When it comes to transparency and connectivity, Schmitz Cargobull supports freight forwarders with its TrailerConnect® DMC. Using this solution, freight forwarders can provide their customers with order-relevant data selectively and securely. To enable the real-time data to be used even more efficiently, Schmitz Cargobull relies on strategic partnerships with more than 25 established providers, such as RIO, Trimble, CO3, etc. 

The benefits of the TrailerConnect® DMC for freight forwarders are clear. It is ready to be used in connected systems without any IT work and allows all data to be monitored and managed in a central location. Interfaces with common real-time visibility platforms and telematics systems are already in place and 
being expanded all the time. Users manage the data release process themselves, actively decide which data should be selectively shared and thus retain data sovereignty. This means full protection for the user’s business and logistics network. 
Sensitive business data regarding the haulier’s own network and the sub-contractors involved is protected. All trailer and transport data is protected in accordance with GDPR and can be accessed from one place for the entire fleet. Together with TrailerConnect® TourTrack, the dispatcher is able to access all information in real-time, keep a close eye on routes and respond quickly to changes in the workflow. 

TrailerConnect® TourTrack
TrailerConnect® TourTrack comes into play once all data along the supply chain is connected. With the TrailerConnect® TourTrack service, freight forwarders can keep an eye on their journeys and transport orders and monitor and manage their business with just a few clicks. Routes can be imported from transport management systems (TMS) into the TrailerConnect® portal quickly and easily or created manually so that they can then be managed in real time. Vehicle information can also be shared via a link (track & trace) or an interface to a third-party system. This ensures that only selected data is shared with shippers’ other platforms, such as real-time visibility platforms (RTVP) on a tour basis. This means that transport companies are able to retain control over their data and still offer their
customers maximum transparency. Dispatchers and shippers can easily receive important information within the supply chain, such as location- and temperature-related data and 
expected arrival times. Unplanned deviations become immediately visible, delays can be analysed and key temperature data can be automatically sent to the recipient.
 
 

À propos de Schmitz Cargobull

Schmitz Cargobull est le premier fabricant européen de semi-remorques pour le transport de marchandises à température contrôlée, de marchandises générales et de marchandises en vrac, et un pionnier des solutions numériques pour les services aux remorques et l'amélioration de la connectivité. L'entreprise fabrique également des machines de réfrigération de transport pour les semi-remorques réfrigérées destinées au transport de marchandises à température contrôlée. Avec une gamme complète de services allant du financement, de la fourniture de pièces détachées, des contrats de service et des solutions télématiques au commerce de véhicules d'occasion, Schmitz Cargobull accompagne ses clients dans l'optimisation de leur coût total de possession (TCO) et de leur transformation numérique. Schmitz Cargobull a été fondée en 1892 dans le Münsterland, en Allemagne. L'entreprise familiale produit environ 60 000 véhicules par an avec plus de 6 000 employés et a généré un chiffre d'affaires d'environ 2,6 milliards d'euros pour l'exercice 2022/23. Le réseau de production international comprend actuellement dix usines en Allemagne, en Lituanie, en Espagne, en Angleterre, en Turquie, en Slovaquie et en Australie.
 

 

L'équipe presse de Schmitz Cargobull :

 
Anna Stuhlmeier:  +49 2558 81-1340 I anna.stuhlmeier@cargobull.com 
Andrea Beckonert:  +49 2558 81-1321 I andrea.beckonert@cargobull.com
Silke Hesener:  +49 2558 81-1501 I silke.hesener@cargobull.com