ZIM rolls out container tracking devices

The world container fleet is increasingly becoming smart. Israeli carrier ZIM is the latest to announce a significant investment in tracking devices across its dry van container fleet. 

ZIM invested in tacking specialist Hoopo Systems two years ago and yesterday announced it has tapped Hoopo to place its solar-powered devices on much of its box fleet giving clients comprehensive tracking information including geofence alerts and open/close door notifications. 

Ittay Hayut, CEO of Hoopo, said: “At Hoopo, we understand that dry container visibility is not only a fundamental operational and logistics need but also a critical market requirement. Our unwavering mission has been to engineer a tracking solution for the maritime industry that delivers the most reliable data and boasts an extended lifespan to equal a container lifetime.” 

A report from UK consultancy Drewry last July predicted that the global telematics-enabled container equipment fleet will grow six-fold over the coming five years and account for 30% of global box inventories by 2027

“As technological innovation lowers the cost of devices and enhances their value to both transport operators and BCOs, uptake is expected to hasten,” Drewry noted.

Several carriers, including Hapag-Lloyd and Japan’s ONE, have publicly committed to equipping their entire dry box fleet with smart devices, the former as soon as this year.