Intelligent loading environments maximise performance and profit

SmartPack Trailer represents the first in a portfolio of solutions that will help public and private carriers of freight and parcels across ground and air transport modalities build a smarter, more connected distribution network, resulting in real-time informed decision making that improves loading operations.

SmartPack Trailer captures operational data such as load density, trailer fullness, images of loads in progress and number of packages scanned and loaded per hour, giving organisations unprecedented insights to achieve peak levels of performance and profitability.

SmartPack Trailer delivers on Zebra’s Enterprise Asset Intelligence (EAI) strategy by sensing operational data at the point of activity and then analysing that data to derive actionable insights for personnel and dock managers. Zebra will showcase SmartPack Trailer, along with the new Network Connect for Automation and LifeGuard for Android at ProMat 2017.

Key facts to know about the SmartPack Trailer:

• Due to a lack of visibility in the loading process, trailers are often loaded improperly, wasting available space. SmartPack Trailer solves this issue by drawing actionable insight from data provided by 3D sensors and camera technology on the loading dock, allowing organisations to eliminate wasted space and time. This helps decrease the number of trailers on the road, thereby reducing fuel and maintenance costs.
• SmartPack Trailer’s hardware, software and analytics integrates with various Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to track volumetric efficiency, load rate and when a load is nearing completion. Drivers can be alerted in advance when a trailer is about to be closed out, resulting in lower dwell time and freeing up the dock so a new load can begin.
• Businesses can also leverage the images from inside the trailer to track and monitor the lifting techniques of their employees, while enabling loading dock supervisors to make on-the-spot decisions to help employees work faster and more efficiently. This level of visibility can help reduce worker turnover and injury, theft, loss and damage of parcels with every trailer load.

Network connect for automation and lifeguard for Android:

• Zebra’s Network Connect for Automation enables organisations to seamlessly connect Zebra ultra-rugged scanners and printers to the most widely-used Industrial Ethernet protocols and other standard networks typically used in manufacturing plant floor and warehousing environments without additional conversion hardware. This minimises network security exposure, reduces set-up and management costs and increases reliability and device response times.
• LifeGuard for Android is the industry’s first security lifecycle offering that extends the service life of Android-based mobile computers with support that is critical for enterprise deployments. By providing regular Operating System (OS) security updates, LifeGuard for Android minimises security risks that can be costly and prolongs the lifecycle of these devices, which can significantly lower the total cost of ownership. This protection strengthens the Zebra Mobility DNA platform suite of enterprise capabilities for Android and is offered as part of Zebra OneCare maintenance contracts. 

Tom Bianculli, Chief Technology Officer at Zebra said:“Given the rise of the ‘on-demand economy’ driven by e-commerce and the expectation of instant delivery, the need for solutions that can further optimise speed, accuracy and efficiency of the loading process are vital. The new Zebra SmartPack solution suite brings enterprise asset intelligence to the loading dock, providing transportation carriers with the real-time insights they need to run their operations more efficiently.”