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GSM/GPRS coverage gets a bit patchy north of SA's borders and this is where 2-way satellite communication becomes crucial. |
Before the days of satellite and cellular communications, fleet managers relied on two-way radios to keep tabs on freight moving through remote territories. "Signal was not always available back then but the risks were different and constant contact with the vehicle wasn't as crucial as it is today," says Basil Anderson, a veteran fleet manager now heading up this function at Fourway Haulage, a specialised cross-border operation owned by Imperial. "Back then it was lions that would take you out when you stopped for a pee. Now it's hijackers and bandits."
Digital smoke signals
Helping protect the Fourway Haulage fleet of 21 International superlinks as it traverses the sub continent is an integrated bi-directional satellite communications GPS/GPRS Fleet Management/tracking system supplied by GlobalTrack, a company at the forefront of developing Fleet Management (FM) systems specifically designed for long-haul, cross border operations.
"Fourway Haulage has specific needs because of the routes and types of cargo we run," explains Anderson. "An efficient FM and tracking system with full reporting functionality is essential to keep our fleet fully visible while moving from South Africa through Zimbabwe and Malawi up to the northern border of Zambia. We carry everything from cargo containers and break-bulk for petroleum companies to copper on the return trips. Having vehicle status and trip information at our fingertips helps keep our customers happy, whether it's conveying cargo arrival times or supplying full trip reports for multinational clients like BP."
With a background in tracking Africa's wild elephants and UN personnel carriers in the Congo, GlobalTrack has extensive experience in building systems that can efficiently track and report on mobile assets in the remotest of locations, says Pieter-Paul Mooijman, General Manager, GlobalTrack. "We have our new state of the art tracking device that combines both GPRS and satellite communication. The great advantage of this device is that the low-cost GPRS communication can be used while in the GPRS network-covered area to provide very high-interval messaging without the high costs. As soon as the truck travels outside of a covered area, the system automatically switches to two-way satellite communication, ensuring least cost for permanent connection with the fleet."
The jungle covered
The device (called Surelinx) is ideal for monitoring and managing drivers, vehicles and loads in regions where 'the law of the jungle predominates', especially for high value cargo, as you are ensured of coverage anywhere, adds Mooijman. "We also have an in-cab messaging terminal that can be connected to any of our tracking devices, that allows for two way communication between the driver and head office. This enables operators to monitor and manage their drivers wherever they are as it communicates via the tracking device. The terminal also has a built-in panic button. Our system can be set to send emails and SMSs to cell phones in the event of panic button activations."
The cost of running an FM system needs to be weighed up against the risks encountered by cargo-laden trucks as they move through areas where potential danger lies. "The GlobalTrack system offers the best solution for our operation because it selects the 'least-cost' communication channel according to the signal strength in a given area. Cell coverage is not as wide in Zambia, for example, as it is in South Africa, so the 'always-on' two-way satellite backup is essential when GPRS coverage becomes intermittent. Hijackers know where the weak cell coverage areas are so we 'ping' our high-risk loads every half hour using satellite, which makes our customers and our insurers happy," adds Anderson.
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A Fourway Haulage superlink leaves Johannesburg for Zambia carrying a mixed load worth a cool million or two. |
From space to street corner
GlobalTrack has a web-based user interface called WebTrack, where trucks can be monitored in real-time on a map which can be zoomed down to street level. "These maps can be superimposed on satellite pictures of the given area, which is really useful when the fleet controller is unfamiliar with the terrain his vehicles are in," says Mooijman.
Historical data concerning all vehicles is stored on remote servers, adding an extra degree of security in this age of viruses and computer crashes. "This function helped us recover cargo from a hijacked rig a few weeks ago," says Anderson. "The system sent us a panic signal and our response team recovered the vehicle in Pretoria. The entire load had been stolen and the driver was nowhere to be found. We used the stored data to get a report on the vehicles movements over the previous 24 hours and found that the truck had stood for two hours in Brakpan the previous night. The mapping and satellite photograph led us to a warehouse where the cargo was recovered and arrests were made."
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Basil Anderson, Pieter-Paul Mooijman and Stephanie de Windt (GlobalTrack Marketing and Communications Manager) discuss the merits of GlobalTrack's new Surelinx system, which combines GPRS/GPS and bi-directional satellite communication in the same unit for least-cost global coverage of assets. |
Night vision
Having full visibility of the Fourway Haulage fleet is Anderson's number one priority. "Being able to pinpoint the position and status of a vehicle 2500kms away in the middle of nowhere at anytime of the day or night has made my life a whole lot easier. Having easy-to-use software to generate driver, vehicle and trip reports is helping elevate operational efficiency tremendously and add value to our service offering."
Despite these benefits, Anderson still finds it worthwhile to employ the old 'hands-on' surveillance method - "I get in my car and take a drive up to Beit Bridge from time to time, just to let my drivers know I'm right behind them."
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