US-based Locus Traxx, a specialist in real-time monitoring technology for fresh produce, has launched a new European subsidiary, which will feature a range of products that it believes will help fresh produce companies increase the shelf-life of their goods and help minimise losses during transportation.
The opening of Locus Traxx’s European office follows the signing of a joint venture agreement between the company and technology specialist Vitrociset Belgium (VTCB) earlier this year, which was aimed at helping the US firm reach new EU markets.
Locus Traxx has introduced product tracking technology enabling customers to check the location, temperature and security of their fruit and vegetable shipments, even if they are crossing the ocean.
As well as enabling customers to offer transparency during transportation of fruits and vegetables, the group's products could also help growers achieve significant savings, with the group noting that some US clients had reduced product-related losses by more than €400,000 a year.
“Shippers and receivers often lack information on the conditions their products are transported, making it difficult for them to pin point the weaknesses in the logistics chain,' said Ray Hoffman, managing director of the European venture of Locus Traxx Worldwide and Vitrociset Belgium. “We offer total transparency of the transport, as well as the opportunity to react immediately to issues that arise during transport.”
By efficiently monitoring fruits and vegetables during transportation, Hoffman said customers could protect their brand image, maintaining products in the best condition possible, and improving product shelf life in the process.
Receiving real-time information, he continued, would enable companies to make timely decisions to correct any difficulties and keep retail clients up-to-date on when to expect deliveries.
“By reporting the status of the load in real time our customers are able to react immediately as problems arise and not after the fact,” Hoffman outlined. “Many times a simple phone call can get a problem solved, thus avoiding damage to the product, time
and resource consuming claims and even total loss of product.”
Locus Traxx currently markets two main products that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of fresh produce companies.
SmartTraxx GO is a palm-sized, disposable unit for monitoring products transported by road, which is powerful enough to transmit data from inside a truck or container. Its low weight and powerful capabilities make it the natural replacement for outdated data loggers.
SmartTraxx Portable is a multimodal unit that is capable of transmitting location and temperature data from inside a container even when travelling across deep oceans. An added value of the device is that it also sends intrusion alerts, warning customers when the doors of the container are opened.
All data is secured and made available on Locus Traxx’s client dedicated website, Oversight, where customers can also create reports and graphics for efficient analysis of their transports.
“After years of great success in the North American region, we decided to bring this level of shipment visibility to the EU,' Hoffman added. “Launching EU operations allows us to approach a whole new market, with countries strategically
positioned to have commercial exchanges with all the continents.”
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