From the container to the cloud
Cargo visibility is a stack: a tag or device on the box, a network to carry its signal, and software to make sense of it. Each layer has trade-offs in cost, coverage and battery life, and the right mix depends on the route and the value of the goods.
Tracking devices and tags
Options range from GPS trackers with cellular (4G, NB-IoT, LTE-M), to RFID at terminal gates, to short-range BLE tags read by a gateway, to satellite trackers for the open ocean. Smart containers and electronic seals (eSeals) add tamper and door-status detection.
Condition monitoring
Sensors for temperature, humidity, shock and door events are critical for reefer (cold-chain) cargo and dangerous goods, and for early detection of problems in the stack. This turns tracking from 'where is it' into 'is it still good'.
Carrier-level data and standards
Beyond the box, AIS gives vessel position and carriers expose status via APIs. The DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) publishes open, free standards — Track & Trace, Booking, electronic Bill of Lading — that replace slow EDI with real-time APIs across carriers.