A Unit45 dry container. Photo: Unit45.

Unit45 has selected Orbcomm to provide its end-to-end telematics solution and Cloud platform for remote container monitoring and control. Unit45’s diesel-electric containers, which provide maximum capacity and cargo stability ideal for long-haul rail, transport temperature-controlled cargo, including food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, printers and computers, along the New Silk Road linking China and Europe.

Headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Unit45 is using Orbcomm’s complete telematics solution, including hardware, connectivity, device management, and its CargoWatch web reporting platform, for its container fleet. Due to the remote nature and harsh climate of the New Silk Road rail route, the Orbcomm devices are dual-mode, automatically switching to satellite when there is no cellular coverage, to ensure uninterrupted service and full visibility of Unit45’s containers from origin to destination.

Orbcomm’s CargoWatch allows the company to receive critical data from its containers, including the container temperature, diesel volume and machine performance as well as alerts and alarms. The Orbcomm platform also enables Unit45 to remotely control its refrigerated units, such as adjusting the temperature and starting and stopping the reefer. In addition, CargoWatch reports when preventive maintenance or repair is needed, which allows for advance arrangements to be made for a qualified technician or the right parts to be waiting at the earliest checkpoint to minimize downtime.

Unit45 expects to complete deployment of Orbcomm’s container monitoring solution in the fourth quarter of 2017.