California’s Port of Oakland and Bay Area World Trade Center have new technology for truck movement efficiency that provides “first and last mile” visibility of cargo containers as they near the port and are delivered in Northern California.
More than 200 truckers are using the Advanced Transport Communications System, which tracks trucks in real time using global positioning satellites. The system — which uses Sprint GPS-enabled mobile phones, Xora tracking software and International Asset System container processing — is part of the port’s new Truck Tracker program.
Truckers can enter container information into carriers’ and shippers’ tracking systems. By pressing a single button on a Sprint phone, the trucker confirms that the cargo has been picked up or delivered. “It works on mobile handsets they already use, the system is user-friendly, and it makes it really easy to get accurate data,” says Bill Aboudi, president of AB Trucking.
This “last mile” technology automates what has been an inefficient manual process, the port says. “Taking this system live will result in fewer vehicle miles driven, less traffic congestion, and fewer emissions,” says Omar Benjamin, the port’s executive director.
