The benefits of remote reefer commands

April 07, 2022

Telematics has been responsible for many game changing innovations in the transport industry. One of these – being able to monitor and control a trailer’s refrigeration unit (reefer) from a central or remote location has been huge for cold chain logistics. Remotely monitoring and changing temperature set points, turning units on and off at a given time, being able to share this information with stakeholders are some of the ways that this development has helped organizations carrying food and beverages, fine arts, flowers, medical supplies and anything else that requires temperature controlled refrigerated transport.

 

Compliance and safety

Receiving continuous, accurate real-time temperature data from trailers, and even specific compartments in a trailer from anywhere takes a lot of the leg work out of compliance. Firstly, the data is automatically recorded removing the need for someone to be onsite reporting temperature history for a journey to keep in line with the Food Safety Modernization Act – it’s all done for you reducing unnecessary paperwork.

Being able to remotely adjust reefer settings such as reefer on/off (in the case of shutdowns), temperature set point and more ensures that wherever your loads are going they can be kept safe, healthy, and compliant. When these commands are combined with custom, prioritized alerts that can be sent to you via SMS or email so that you know when action is required, keeping you compliant at all times and eliminating lost loads.

 

Build trust with stakeholders

By sharing information with your clients such as load location and temperature history, it lets them see the details of their load, that it is at the correct temperature at all times and how far it is so they can prepare for its arrival.

This transparency with your customers not only acts as an insurance policy and record for your organization, it also builds trust with your clients. They’re able to see the information whenever they like, and the gesture of offering this to them is a show of confidence that you will get the job done right every time.

 

Remote pre-cooling of trailers

Remote pre-cooling is another feature that has changed the way that cold chain logistics operate. Time and money are saved by not having a driver or operator on site who has to manually turn on a refrigeration unit before its journey to achieve the temperature needed. By remotely pre-configuring the settings the chance of driver input errors is also reduced, helping avoid issues with compliance. When this data is taken from across your fleet over time it can be used to manage the success rate and costs of pre-cooling procedures, letting you make informed business decisions to increase efficiencies and cut costs going forward.

 

Reduce theft

Remote telematics for refrigeration units help to prevent theft. Door sensors trigger alerts for unexpected door openings to indicate product theft and sudden and unanticipated fuel losses can indicate vehicle theft. In the unfortunate event this does happen, the alerts are tied to geolocation data, making it much easier to track for yourself or the authorities.

 

To learn more about how Coretex’s advanced two-way reefer commands could benefit your organization, get in touch with our team today.