General Electric (GE) has introduced to the trucking industry in Mexico its VeriWise Trucking service, advanced satellite-based technology that helps companies monitor, manage and secure their over-the-road trailers.
Today, more than 150,000 VeriWise units are installed on trailers in Canada, Europe and the U.S., including those operated in the U.S. by Wal-Mart and the U.S. Postal Service. VeriWise Trucking has helped improve safety on the highways, reduce wasted fuel, and provide an additional layer of security to guard against cargo theft, the company says.
Customers can view trailer locations continuously through a secure Website, and use it to determine how to route and maintain them efficiently. VeriWise provides critical management information on conditions in and around trailers such as whether doors are open or closed. GE is now adapting VeriWise technology for rail cars, intermodal units and marine containers.
GE helps customers finance their VeriWise Trucking purchase, as well as acquire, maintain and sell trailers through the Trailer Fleet Services business unit of its Equipment Services division, operating in Mexico since 1993. Trailer Fleet Services has branches in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. A new branch will be opening soon in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
Other GE businesses have operated plants and joint venture operations throughout the country for decades, and employ more than 12,000 people.
A major component of VeriWise hardware, the dual-satellite transceiver that makes up the “brain” of the system, is manufactured by a Delphi in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. In addition, all wiring harnesses for VeriWise systems are manufactured in Mexico. Finally, GE’s North American VeriWise Customer Call Center is located in Juarez, and has 20 bi-lingual employees that can handle more than 450 product support calls per day.
To help launch VeriWise in Mexico, GE has brought its Mobile Solutions Center (MSC), a custom-built 53-foot drop-deck exhibition trailer. A technology classroom on wheels, the MSC demonstrates all the monitoring capabilities of the service, including “door open” and cargo sensors, and even a solar-powered battery charger, which is used to transmit data when the trailer is left unhooked from a tractor.
