TransCore has announced that its GlobalWave satellite-based trailer-tracking devices have been awarded the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 913 Intrinsically Safe Apparatus and Associated Apparatus Certification. The Class 1 Division 1 rating (C1D1) is the highest qualification necessary for tracking dangerous shipments over road, rail or barge that have ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, vapors or liquids, like those found in the transport of gasoline and ethanol fuel.
Statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show there are an estimated 300 million hazardous materials shipments nationally each year, representing about seven percent of the overall truck traffic on U.S. highways. TransCore is expanding GlobalWave’s market reach to support the full scope of transportation tracking requirements, whether basic tracking, sensor-based, temperature-critical goods, hazardous materials or munitions.
Under the UL 913 category, TransCore’s GlobalWave technology is certified for intrinsically safe operation, meaning any spark or thermal effect is incapable of causing ignition of a mixture of flammable or combustible material, oil or gas. This intrinsically safe certification, along with GlobalWave’s fast response time, makes it ideal for tracking and monitoring hazardous materials, according to TransCore.
“By demonstrating conformance with internationally recognized hazmat standards through stringent testing by a recognized third-party certification organization, GlobalWave trailer-tracking products can further expand into this critical part of commercial transportation,”
says David Roscoe, vice president for satellite communications research and development for Calgary, Canada-based TransCore. “This qualification is crucial for providing the maximum level of safety and performance that carriers and shippers require.”
Previously, TransCore’s GlobalWave data communication terminal received the Department of Defense HERO — hazards of electromagnetic radiation to ordnance — certification, making it available to fleets responsible for transporting DoD freight.
