How can Information Technology and a returnable container tracking system provide cost saving solutions and increase ROI for your fleet of returnable shipping containers? Using the Internet and enabled by media such as electronic file transfer, RFID or Bar Code, a tracking system can be a major step towards controlling, recovering and securing returnable shipping containers during their entire life cycle. Unlike a GPS location application, the container tracking software solution necessarily includes not only each returnable container’s most recent location but also a permanently archived history or “passport” from the date the returnable shipping container was acquired.

While a container tracking and recovery solution can help with internal and external audit requirements, regulatory compliance and international trade requirements, it will drive up the overall cost effectiveness of the returnable container fleet.

Some of the management benefits you should also expect from automated container tracking software can be derived from a focus on event-triggered exception or smart reports. This should address potential trouble areas of the returnable container fleet performance such as stranded containers, excessive dwell or transit times or inordinately high damage. Another benefit of a container tracking system would be the ability to sort or rank customer or supplier locations from “first to worst” in terms of the container fleet performance while under customer or supplier control. The routine flagging of containers that are due for maintenance or testing and certification will avoid loading outbound product into an inappropriate returnable container that can’t be shipped.

The container tracking system and will improve Return on Assets (ROA) by increasing the velocity and utilization of the returnable containers, which can be tracked and measured. As a consequence, it will provide better performance intelligence when the container fleet size needs to be increased, or in the alternate, identify an opportunity to downsize the container fleet.