Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S Wednesday said it is using AT&T Internet of Things technology to connect its refrigerated containers. The agreement between Maersk and AT&T is one of the largest Industrial IoT deployments of its kind, the firm added. Maersk is working with AT&T to track and monitor the condition of refrigerated containers with perishable goods.  Earlier, onsite supply chain managers would spend time manually checking the condition of each container. Maersk now has near-real time visibility into the conditions of each refrigerated container at almost any part of its journey during the supply chain.  Their shipping supervisors can monitor mechanical performance to help ensure the equipment is in proper working condition. Maersk has connected over 290,000 of its refrigerated containers to the AT&T network. Each unit uses a remote container device or RCD that has a 3G High Temperature SIM card, a GPS unit, a ZigBee radio and antenna, and multiple interfaces for connecting into the refrigerated container's controller. The RCD can operate with two-way connectivity from just about anywhere in the world. The U.S. telecom giant said in a separate statement that companies that transport containers by truck, railroad or trailers can use the AT&T network to help them have a complete view of their inventory from departure to arrival.
AT&T said each container has a monitoring device that collects data with sensors and sends it to a web portal. Managers can view the location of containers for cargo owners. Back-office workers can easily find containers, and drivers have the tools to be more productive as they have more information about their next load to pick up.  Shipping companies can quickly locate and send containers or trailers that are closest to the clients who need them, AT&T added. They will also be able to identify customers that are keeping containers for longer time periods. They can improve the usage of containers and reduce their overall transportation spend.