Navigating the complex terrain of the temperature-controlled supply chain, also referred to as the "cold chain," which involves refrigerated production, storage, and distribution, demands the integration of advanced telematics technology. This industry's complexity extends to a series of refrigerated activities required to consistently maintain products within the precise low-temperature range, presenting challenges for both shippers and trucking companies. With the increasing demand for efficient vaccine distribution, preserving the integrity of the cold chain is now of utmost importance. Telematics technology emerges as a critical ally in this mission, offering innovative solutions for real-time monitoring and management of shipment temperatures. This article explores how ATrack telematics gateway devices and ELA Innovative Bluetooth sensors benefit the cold chain logistics industries.

Connect your refrigerated fleet: Enhancing Cold Chain Efficiency and Compliance through Telematics Solutions

Maintaining the optimal conditions for vaccine storage is crucial to ensure their efficacy, necessitating stringent temperature control across the entire supply chain. Any deviation from the recommended temperature range poses a potential risk to the quality and effectiveness of vaccines, especially during transportation, where challenges such as weather conditions and unforeseen delays can impact the temperature of vaccine shipments.

ATrack's telematics solutions play a pivotal role in advancing the digital transformation of businesses, particularly in the realm of logistics quality and operational optimization. Within the Japanese market, ATrack collaborates with ELA Innovation to seamlessly integrate our telematics devices with BLE temperature sensors. This integration empowers customers to deliver services in alignment with HACCP and ISO regulations, specifically catering to the stringent requirements of cold chain logistics.

ATrack's LTE telematics gateway devices can connect with multiple Bluetooth sensors that allow continuous collecting and transferring of sensor data. To ensure optimum performance, our AK7V telematics gateway device collects environmental and reefer container temperature data from ELA BLUE PUCK T-PROBE, a Bluetooth temperature sensor that meets the challenges of cold chain traceability. The Bluetooth temperature sensor must be fixed outside, at a sufficient distance from the cooling unit, and the isothermal transport box, and the probe must be placed inside the box. 100% autonomous, the sensor measures and records the temperature at regular (configurable) intervals. A temperature alert threshold can be defined to automatically notify the driver. In this case, when the temperature exceeds the predefined level, an alert will be displayed in real-time on the driver’s smartphone.

ATrack goes beyond by providing customized services to our clients, ensuring the sensitivity of temperature data collection and transmission meets their specific requirements. Our commitment to precision and reliability in telematics contributes significantly to optimizing cold chain logistics and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Gain Visibility. The centerpiece of this telematics solution is the ATrack AK7V device. This compact and powerful telematics unit is capable of collecting and transmitting temperature data from ELA Blue PUCK T-PROBE Bluetooth temperature sensor in real-time. This external probe sensor is ideal for extreme industrial environments, such as monitoring the temperature of pharmaceutical products. This temperature logger offers an extra-wide measurement range from -80°C to +200°C, can record and timestamp up to 4000 temperatures, is perfectly suited to the transport and storage of heat-sensitive goods. The sensor accuracy is as follows: ±0.5 °C typical (-30°C to +60°C), ±1°C typical (-40°C to +150°C), ±2°C typical (-80°C to +200°C). Resolution: 0.1°C. Additionally, the AK7V allows for precise vehicle location tracking, offering insights into the entire journey of the vaccine shipment.

Improve communication with your drivers. AK7V features a two-way voice function; AK7V makes communication for the drivers much more efficient and convenient. Through an additional accessory – ATrack AC3R, AK7V is compatible with OBDII, J1939, J1708 protocols, which allows AK7V to be suitable for all types of vehicles.

Proactively manage maintenance and inspections. AK7V supports vehicle bus for getting detailed vehicle engine data, helping you to simplify compliance with regulations and improve equipment safety, as well as helping to prevent costly breakdowns and extend the life of your assets and preserve their value.