Dairy distribution uses technology for the same purposes as other industries: to do the job better and faster. Today's new asset tracking technologies also can help cut claims and maintenance costs, and improve reliability, said speakers at the 2001 Dairy Distribution and Fleet Management Conference held in Orlando, Florida.
Tracking technologies, including satellite, radio frequency, and cellular systems, are becoming more popular with refrigerated fleets, said Mark Fragnito, electronics product manager for Carrier Transicold. The session focused on new technology supplied by unit manufacturers.
“Our equipment is remote-monitoring ready,” Fragnito said. “Reefers today come with enough built-in capability for effective remote monitoring system right from the factory. No more equipment has to be added to the reefer, just the remote monitoring system.”
Fragnito noted that some intermodal carriers already use a geo-synchronous satellite system that interfaces with Carrier Transicold units. In addition to tracking, the system interacts with the unit to alter control settings in transit. Anyone with access to the Internet can monitor equipment remotely, change settings, and even start a pretrip routine within about a minute. “The wireless system can do almost any operation that can be done at the unit keypad,” he said.
However, satellite tracking is costly and is used mainly by long-haul carriers. “Cellular systems, I think, is where the distribution industry is going to go,” Fragnito said. “But the type of data we're transmitting is really too much for analog systems, and those are the ones that have the really good coverage now. Digital cellular systems are what we'll see in the future. They may be built into the microprocessor, eventually.”
Today's improved refrigeration units have fewer parts in more compact designs, he said. They have advanced computing power and are easier to use. Diagnostic displays are in plain English (Spanish is one of seven options for Carrier Transicold units sold in Europe), instead of numeric codes. Thus, drivers are apt to make fewer mistakes. The processors provide more data, allowing fleet managers to make changes for more efficient equipment use, and service technicians to recall past unit performance.
New PC card technology allows easier controller software upgrades. “Hardware is permanent, no upgrades,” Fragnito said. “An upgrade meant changing the microprocessor chip, but not any more. Now we change the software with a PC card. That gives the controller extra life.
“PC cards also allow for customizing equipment. The card can be programmed to ensure all units operate the same. The important thing is that the computer stays in the office. Only the card goes out to the units, so it's very fast and easy.”
Wireless System Advances
Wireless technology has been around for a long time, since the late 1800s, noted Brian Meagher, global electronics product manager for Thermo King. In 1896, Marconi patented a wireless device.
“From today's perspective, satellite technology isn't that new,” Meagher said. “Regional devices such as cellular telephones were first introduced in 1979 in Chicago and Japan. Today we're looking at a growth area called hyper-LAN. These are wide local area networks using radio frequency.”
To decide on appropriate and cost-effective technology, dairy fleets must understand their needs. “A thousand suppliers will offer the latest and greatest technology, but it may not solve information and data needs,” he said. “Understand fleet needs and apply the available technology that best suits the application.”
Besides GEO and low-earth-orbiting satellite tracking, other asset management technologies include cellular triangulation and RF, Meagher said. Qualcomm's TrailerTRACS provides real-time tractor-trailer identification, trailer location, and cargo and door status data from an onboard communication device.
“Increased data rates are going to improve in the future, allowing more effective management,” he said. “Currently, cellular systems in North America provide spotty nationwide coverage. But for regional or metropolitan distribution, some of it will work.”
RF Yard-Monitoring System
Thermo King recently launched a new monitoring product in the US market called R:Com. “We've had it available in Europe for one year, and it has been quite successful,” Meagher said. “It's an RF automatic downloading device that retrieves data from the refrigeration unit, stores it, and automatically downloads it, providing a constant stream of information and record-keeping for the entire fleet. It also has fleet management and yard management capabilities.”
The R:Com System consists of a vehicle-mounted module that plugs directly into a datalogger or a Smart Reefer, and a base station connected to an office PC. The per-unit cost is about $500, and the base station costs about $1,500 to $2,000, he said.
“R:Com is designed to track assets directly from a laptop,” Meagher said. “The base station has an RF transceiver that scans the yard. RF does have range limitations, roughly a 250-yard range, but that can be extended by adding repeaters for another 250 yards each.”
R:Com immediately identifies trucks upon return, downloads operational data, and files it. “Periodically, the base station requests that all R:Com modules in the yard to respond,” he said. “The mobiles answer and report operating status and alarms in memory.”
Windows-based software allows fleet managers to identify equipment, the time it logged in, the most recent download time, and vehicle status, whether it's logged in-yard or out-of-yard. “Units send alerts on out-of-range temperature,” Meagher said. If the set point is 38° F, the system transmits an alarm when temperature strays past a preset limit. The alarm can be a screen pop-up, an audible signal, or an e-mail. It also sends messages to pagers or cell phones. All this is programmable.”
With the full-system setup, R:Com will continuously monitor the yard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he added. It will provide unit operation information, engine hours, alarms, and alerts recorded away from the yard. Managers can use the data from R:Com for utilization and scheduling plans.
“The system alerts maintenance personnel to unit malfunctions,” he said. “We don't have remote control yet, but that is coming. We expect to have a two-way capability within the next nine to 12 months.”
