Schmitz Cargobull TrailerConnect® – the digital platform for data integration, live tracking & trailer services
• 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.
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
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.
About Schmitz Cargobull
Schmitz Cargobull is the leading manufacturer of semi-trailers for temperature-controlled freight, general cargo and bulk goods in Europe and a pioneer in digital solutions for trailer services and improved connectivity. The company also manufactures transport refrigeration machines for refrigerated semi-trailers for temperature-controlled freight transport. With a comprehensive range of services from financing, spare parts supply, service contracts and telematics solutions to used vehicle trading, Schmitz Cargobull supports its customers in optimising their total cost of ownership (TCO) and digital transformation. Schmitz Cargobull was founded in 1892 in Münsterland, Germany. The family-run company produces around 60,000 vehicles per year with over 6,000 employees and generated a turnover of around 2.4 billion euros in the 2023/24 financial year. The international production network currently comprises ten plants in Germany, Lithuania, Spain, England, Turkey, Slovakia and Australia.
The Schmitz Cargobull press team:
| 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 |
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Image 1: Digital Services TrailerConnect®
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Image 2: TrailerConnect® Portal
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Image 3: Fleet Manager
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Press Release: Schmitz Cargobull TrailerConnect® – the digital platform for data integration, live tracking & trailer services
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Presentation: Delivering Performance with Digital Services
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