DHL introduced SmarTrucking, an innovative trucking solution by leveraging IoT Technology. This new solution is currently being rolled out across the road networks in India and trucks are now being equipped with Internet of Things sensors to provide a real-time data analysis regarding route optimization, reduction in transit times by 50% and providing reliability above 95% for real-time tracking.
The IoT sensors will be monitored through the company’s centralized control tower, which will provide real-time temperature and consignment tracking of the perishable goods. The information as well alerts are sent to the customers and DHL SmarTrucking operations teams by the means of a customer portal and a mobile app.
With greater efficiency from this solution, DHL expects to transport 100,000 tonnes of cargo covering a distance of nearly 4 million kilometres Pan-India on a daily basis. This system utilizes an agile which rotates the pre-determined stops of drivers located across the country, enabling the drivers to the return to their origin point with another truckload.
This solution was launched last year, in May 2018 post successful three-month plot that covered a road network of 2.7 million kilometres. The firm wishes to achieve a fleet of 10,000 enabled trucks by 2018.
IoT and Logistics Industry Ecosystem
In order to implement IoT in the logistics industry it is going to require a strong collaboration, besides high levels of participation taking place between the different players and competitors present in the supply chain with a common willingness of investing in IoT. The shared end goal would be creating a thriving IoT ecosystem. To achieve this end goal, the following are some key success factors-
-
A clear and standardized approach for using the unique identifiers for various types of assets within different industries on a global scale
- Seamless interoperability in order to exchange the sensor information within heterogeneous environments
- Establishing trust and ownership of data to overcome the privacy issues in an IoT-powered supply chain
- A clear focus on the reference architecture for IoT
- Changing the business mind-set for embracing the full calibre of IoT
The logistics companies are working on IoT technology in order to streamline their business processes and reducing visibility. IoT technology is playing an integral part in the growth of the logistics industry. It has provided smarter warehouse management which can by tightening the supply processes by the use of sensors and other intelligent devices.
IoT Use Cases in Logistics Industry
1. Location Management System
In the logistics industry, IoT helps in creating a smart location management system which can enable the companies to easily track the driver activities, location of the vehicle, and delivery status. Once the goods are delivered or arrive at a place, the manager can be notified by the means of a push message. This solution can be an irreplaceable assistant in planning the delivery as well as compilation and viewing schedules. All the changes can be detected instantly and reflected in real time. Thus, IoT technology can be used for improving location management and business process