Mitigate cargo theft and spoilage with Emma's real-time monitoring

00:00 In this week’s CCJ Tech Shorts, we’ll take a look at an integration that aims to improve the carriers’ experience with fuel reimbursement, a Norwegian cargo theft device’s entry into the U.S. market and more.

00:24 AI-powered TMS provider BeyondTrucks has integrated with Breakthrough, a provider of sustainable fuel and freight solutions for shippers. 

Through this integration, BeyondTrucks fleet customers can now seamlessly obtain the fuel amount calculated by Breakthrough’s Fuel Recovery solution for invoicing purposes with their mutual shipper clients.

Beyond Trucks’ CEO (Hans Galland) said, “Traditional fuel surcharge calculations that rely on national or regional average fuel prices often result in significant discrepancies between actual carrier fuel costs and benchmark rates, leading to inaccurate load acceptance decisions and potential over and underpayment by shippers.”

Breakthrough’s Fuel Recovery solution provides market-based fuel reimbursement calculations based on exact prices, timing, taxes and geography of freight movements. This integration allows BeyondTrucks fleet customers to simplify compliance with a shipper’s fuel pricing requirements, making fleets more attractive partners, while saving time and reducing errors by eliminating the need for carriers to perform manual lookups when handling transactions with shippers.

01:30 Package pickup locator LockerMap, which launched with a website in 2022, now offers mobile apps for iOS and Android.

LockerMap aggregates publicly accessible, secure package lockers to help truck drivers easily receive their personal online orders while on the road by helping them find a convenient pickup location. LockerMap has more than 100,000 users and over 20,000 pickup locations in the U.S., 650-plus of them located at truck stops.

The company has also introduced wholesale pricing for fleets. The premium plan, LockerMap Plus, is $20/year per driver, about one-third the cost of an individual subscription. While the core app is still free to use, Plus unlocks advanced features like truck stop filters and route-based searching.

02:17 A Norwegian tech company has entered the U.S. market with its new trailer tracking device that aims to mitigate cargo theft and food and pharma waste.

Surfact has introduced Emma, a cable-free IoT tracker made of recycled ocean plastics in the shape and size of a hockey puck with a long-endurance battery. The device ensures real-time data on location, temperature and shock. No installation is required.

Surfact’s CEO (Per Magne Helseth) said, “In cargo space, no one can hear you scream ... until now. Last year saw record-high cybersecurity attacks on the U.S. supply chain. Meanwhile, the American truck fleet is getting older, and most tracking devices come from overseas manufacturers with questionable security standards. That’s not just a problem; it’s a crisis.”

03:03 The City of Charlotte has rolled out a new commercial truck parking tool online for desktop and mobile to assist truck drivers in locating legal parking throughout the city. This resource, developed by the City of Charlotte's Quality of Life team, is designed to provide truck drivers with convenient and reliable information to find safe, authorized parking locations.

Key features include searchable parking lots by address or current location and a parking lot availability survey, submitted by lot owners, detailing costs and amenities such as gates, showers, and security features.

The tool also outlines the city’s local truck parking regulations, including fines and penalties for violations and offers a real-time interactive heat map that highlights commercial truck parking violations across Charlotte, helping drivers avoid high enforcement areas and locate authorized parking spaces.