All you need to know about container tracking – A complete guide

If you wish to run an agile & robust supply chain, then it is important to have end-to-end visibility. In traditional times, tracking the containers required visiting the company’s websites and tracking the container manually. But, the modern-day container shipment tracking system has been quite a game changer.

One of the reasons sea container tracking has gained immense popularity is because shipping goods is a complicated & long process. You would like to monitor the shipment to ensure that it reaches out to the destination timely & sound condition. In this way, you can take proper measures once you know exact location of the shipment.

So, it is advised to take assistance from container tracking software to ensure that your supply chain visibility is intact.

One organization that can provide you with a great container tracking guide is Vizion API. They are highly experienced and they have been part of this industry for a long span of time.

Further, in this blog, we would explain everything about container tracking. Let us have a look:-

What is the importance of container tracking?

Tracking plays a very important role in the supply chain as it helps to reduce costs & react faster to exceptions. So, here are some of the advantages associated with container tracking:-

• Return on Investment

For calculating the ROI of a container tracking system, consider the cost to be paid if a disruption in the supply chain happens. Other than this, understand what benefits you will get if automated real-time updates are available for your shipments.

So, with the overall visibility of the shipment, you can avoid any additional charges & make better decisions. In this way, your customers would get benefited as they will know when the cargo would reach to their destination.

• Preventing thefts & losses

It is seen that a liner is held responsible if the container gets lost or stolen during transit. So, in such a scenario, tracking devices can come quite handy. They provide much-needed information of what went wrong or has happened.

• Additional costs are avoided

Location of the container is updated regularly and hence you can avoid charges such as detention or demurrage charge. Furthermore, it can save you from additional operations cost as you would be equipped to take correct measures.

• Faster Delivery

For a logistics manager, time is money. So, the sooner you are aware of the exceptions, the better you can react to it.

Also, getting notified about your containers in real-time will help to adjust to changes quickly & limit delays.

Who are the Different logistics parties involved in supply chain management?

Shipping container tracking wouldn’t have been difficult if only a single transportation or party was involved. But the process is not that simple, as four different logistics parties are used who play different roles. Let us have a look about them in brief:-

• First party

It is perhaps the party that has manufactured the goods and needs to be shipped via shipping container. For, the first party shipping container is important because any disruptions can disturb their supply chain. Likewise, it can cause a lot of inconvenience for their customer which can lead to significant business loss.

• Second party

The second party is basically haulier or shipper. Shippers are quite concerned with container tracking as they are paid for the shipment to move. Hence, it is their responsibility to carry out the process successfully.

• Third party

The third party is basically logistic provider who acts as a coordinator for shipment on the first-party behalf.

• Fourth party

Fourth party is basically an independent body who assists the first party to streamline the supply chain. They do so with the assistance of third-party logistics providers.

What are the things to keep in mind before selecting a container tracking system?

• Building/Buying a container tracking system

Building & buying a container tracking system comes with its own pros & cons. Hence, you should decide which approach would work best for your organization.

For instance, with off-the-shelf system, you can get your system running in the shortest span of time.

On the contrary, if you work with third party, then you need to build up a new system. After this, you need to decide if the system can outweigh the container tracking software.

So, the best case scenario would be to use pre-built system that can be customized as per your company’s needs.

• Scalable system

You should understand that the system that you select would be used for a long span of time. So, you should select a system that can fulfill your future requirements as well as upscale easily. You cannot afford to spend your money & time on a system that requires costly updates regularly. Thus, understand your future & present requirement acutely before choosing a system.

• Software

There is a high probability that you have a system in which you want to integrate the container tracking system. So, if container tracking software doesn’t integrate with your existing system, then you can’t leverage the new system completely. Hence, it is important to ask the correct questions such that the software can easily be sync with various systems.

Besides this, with good online tracking systems, you can track international shipments in real-time using a single dashboard.

How to implement a good tracking strategy?

If you are having the budget to invest in IoT or satellite tracking, then you should very well do so. In this way, you can verify that the container is in an accurate place. But, the most important aspects are the updates coming from truckers & carriers.

Moreover, the tracking that is presented by different communications channels can provide you with a lot of information. It can give you information regarding the current delays, potential delays & expected delays.

Also, communication sharing lets you know about your container status alongside the location. For instance, your container might be present at the port but not gated. This arguably means that it is not the departure time.

Final Verdict

Shipping tracking is considered a very complex process. Hence, it is recommended that you deal with all of these complexities to meet the specific needs of your organization.

At Vizion API, we have worked with various companies such that container tracking can be done for their supply chains.

So, if you would like to know more about how we work, then you can get in touch with us. You can do so by calling us or sending us an email and we would be happy to assist you.