1. Single Window and IoT – example of Smart Containers”.
Philippe Salles
UNECE International Conference on Future directions for Single Window

2. The Coming of Age of Smart Containers
What are smart containers and how do they work?
IoT in support of Single Window
NEW project: Smart Containers as fast Enabler
This is the coming of age of smart containers and I would like to describe what exactly they are, why are they happening now, why they did not happen before, what they are used for.

3. The Missing Link in the Digitalization of the Supply Chain
Digitalized Supply Chain
Digitalized Supply Chain
There is another reason pushing Smart Containers. People working supply chain know that in recent years digital transformation has taken over everywhere apart from one area: the multimodal shipping container.
So in the centre of your supply chain, which is highly digitalised and automated, there is a data black hole
Awareness of the value of digital in Logistics/Supply Chain/Transport

4. Smart Containers Automatically generate data
Position
Door Open/Close status
Temperature
Movement
Impact
+ extensions
Communicate near real-time
From (nearly) anywhere
Economically thanks to IoT technology
Permanently attached
Built-in or back-fitted
Containers have been used for the last 60 years. However their function has not changed much in that time. They are just metal boxes used to carry cargo. Unlike the rest of the world they have not joined the digital revolution, not until now.
The smart container is a normal container with added electronics which have two main functions. Firstly to capture or generate data: Such as its position, whether the doors are open or closed, the temperature, movements, shocks, or any other physical parameter in the container’s environment.
The second function is to communicate that information to the cloud where it can be used by everyone in a container ecosystem.
Tracking devices have existed in small quantities for some time but more often than not they are temporary devices which are attached at the start of a trip and removed at the end. This means that someone has to go through the hassle of sending them back. When we talk about Smart’s Containers we’re talking about a device which is permanently attached to the container. This can be done at the time of manufacture, or added on to existing containers.

5. Dry and Reefer
The TRAXENS-BOX can be attached to a dry container or it could be attached to a Reefer. So one device for any sort or container even tank or flat bed or whatever.

6. Alerts & Notifications
Significant events
Arrival at warehouse
>1 hour stop on truck
Door open
>8°C
Running late
Etc.
Delivered to the right person at the right time
Web interface
SMS
Even more importance is translating information into action. So the system can track significant events and you can decide what the significant events are. For instance you may be interested to know when a container is approaching its final destination. Answer the system can send and SMS to the warehouse staff to allow them to prepare for its arrival.
In another case you might want to know if a truck stops for a long time, something longer than a traffic light. If a truck were to stop for more than 2 hours in an unexpected location that could be an indication of fraud.
Your smart containers can track physical parameters and warn you if they are outside reasonable values.
All this information needs to be communicated to the right people at the right time. They can access it via the web interface (pull) or through or for more urgent information via SMS (push).

7. Connectivity at the heart of Smart Containers
One Smart Device for Wagon, Dry, Reefer, Gensets & Trailers.
Connected with a Comprehensive range of sensors (embedded & wireless)
Neighboring
TRAXed containers
TRAXENS-NET Gateway to Internet. Powered by the mains 100 – 240 VAC
2G, 3G
Localisation GPS - GNSS
+1000m
TRAXENS-NET®, Mesh Radio Network for logistics applications.
It combines long distance range & ultra low consumption.
Mutualize Energy and Communication between neighboring devices
+30m
+200m
TRAXENS-NET Paired sensors
Door status (Reefers)
Brake status
Cargo moisture, temperature, etc.
Pallets ID, Etc.
The basic device is called TRAXENS-BOX. It is a ruggedized device with sensors for temperature, door open, shock, movement, and vibration, and with GPS and cellular data communication. It can also have additional communication technologies like satellite or IoT (Internet of Things) networks.
The secret ingredient of our solution is a dedicated mesh radio network called TRAXENS-NET.
Reefer Interface,
wired to the Reefer
Control Processor & to existing RMM
Motion, Shock & Vibration analysis
Embedded
Sensors
Temperature
Door Status (Light Sensor)

8. IoT Cluster for Power Sharing
GSM
One of the biggest cost factors of smart containers is power consumption because it is linked to battery life. You cannot recharge a Smart Container like you recharge you phone. The battery life must at least 3 years. TRAXENS-NET uses the fact that containers spend most of their time with other containers. So Smart Containers spontaneously create clusters. all information from a cluster is gathered by one container with the best GSM signal strength and the best battery level between themselves and share the GSM connection of elected head of the cluster. So if you have 100 containers that are gathered together only one container needs to use its GSM connection and basically you save 99% of power consumption compared with a situation where each container uses its own GSM connection. The TRAXENS-NET radio network uses a tiny fraction of the energy of a GSM connection.

9. IoT Gateways
This can be taken to another level. If you are in a place where a lot of containers spend a lot of their time you can actually put a powered gateway which acts just like a normal TRAXENS-BOX with limitless battery life. It is automatically elected head of the cluster and therefore no container needs to use its battery life to power GSM.

10. IoT for an Extended Reach
This is particularly useful on ships which often spend their time out of GSM coverage. In this case the TRAXENS-NET make connections between containers and then connect to the satellite connection from the ship to the cloud allowing any data from any container to be seen even if it is in the deepest part of the biggest ship.

11. IoT for Sensor Extension
Cargo Temperature
Humidity
Pressure
Gas detection
Human presence detection
Specialized Sensors
A TRAXENS-BOX cannot containing all the sensors that you could ever need. It would be too expensive and what’s more the sensors often need to be inside the cargo to be able to detect appropriate parameters. So TRAXENS-NET allows you to add on spontaneously, trip by trip, extra sensors which could measure the temperature of electronics goods, vibration for delicate machine tools, the level of liquid in a tank container, or the level of humidity among bags of coffee beans.

12. Smart Containers for Single Window
Smart containers offer an end-to-end visibility of transport execution
Cross-border agencies face increased pressure to make decisions in short period of time, continually growing volumes of traffic and with increasingly limited resources.
Cross-border agencies could gain advantage from, and harness the power of real-time smart container data, to assist border clearance processes Fast Lane implementations etc.
Cross-border agencies include:
Plant and veterinary agencies,
Hazardous, pharmaceutical and illegal goods control,
Customs and regulatory authorities

13. UN/CEFACT Smart Containers Project
The Smart Container project has been launched by the UN CEFACT Transport & Logistics Domain during the 30th Forum. A call for participation is open.
The aim of this project : Define the information that can support the decision making process of the cross-border agencies
The project deliverables are:
Business Requirements Specifications (BRS) as defined during the business requirements gathering
Requirements Message Specification (RSM)
EDIFACT messages (to be defined or updated)
XML schema of the required messages

14. Philippe Salles, Senior Consultant, TRAXENS
Thank You
Philippe Salles, Senior Consultant, TRAXENS