How to track your cargo anywhere – Product Review – Tive’s real-time IoT data tracker

Tive is a real-time in-transit visibility provider providing customers with 24×7 visibility of shipments for customers using multi-sensor trackers that stream location and condition data to the Tive platform or an existing TMS/WMS platform using an API.. 

Tive provides real-time data on cargo inside a container, truck, trailer, ship, aircraft or just about anywhere using their proprietary multi-sensor trackers..

The product

Tive offers customers a physical IoT tracker which is easily affixed/installed to any type of cargo – whether it is a box, drum, crate, carton, pallet or a shipping container..

The device that Tive offers is their proprietary multi-sensor Solo 5G tracker which has several intricate and useful functions covering various dimensions in cargo location and condition..

As per UK P&I Club, there are various types of cargo claims and cargo damage that they encounter on a regular basis..

These are some of the problems that Tive helps solve for customers including BCO, Freight Forwarders and Marine Insurers.. 

Tive’s tracker is the world’s first real-time 5G non-Lithium tracker and this multi-sensor Solo 5G tracker comes with 4 levels of condition sensors to track

1. Temperature
2. Light
3. Shock
4. Humidity

As per P&I statistics, reefer-related claims account for about 15% of their total claims.. Tive specialises in providing visibility for cold chain logistics. The device allows customers to monitor various factors in the refrigerated cargo movement directly on their platform.. 

Customers can monitor key reefer cargo movement metrics such as cargo temperature within a -20°C to +60°C range with an accuracy of +/-0.5°C which is in line with the industry and market requirements.. 

Any changes in humidity during transit can compromise the structural integrity of the packaging used and Tive’s tracker does a good job of alerting customers if there are any unusual changes in the humidity settings.. 

Tive’s multi-sensor Solo 5G uses the ISO 17025-certified humidity and temperature sensor SHT33 which has established digital humidity sensing capabilities and high-accuracy for digital temperature sensing and is optimized for cold and frozen chain applications, on a single chip..

Any changes in entry of light into the container indicates the reefer container doors may have been opened and if it is an unauthorised truck stop or door opening, customers receive alerts..

Shock – At 28%, physical damage to cargo is the biggest volume of cargo claims that is faced by the industry.. Physical damage is where cargo is damaged due to dropping, breaking etc..

Physical damage can also occur due to shipment conditions, such as motion and acceleration on road, rail or sea..

Forces impacting cargoes during movement by road

Forces impacting cargoes during movement by rail

Forces impacting cargoes during movement by sea

Tive’s tracker has a shock sensitivity of 12G with the ability to send alerts and notify customers regarding any events or incidents of cargo dropping or breakage owing to the above shock events during transportation.. This is a really cool feature as you will always be able to identify if your precious cargo has been dropped or mishandled.. 

The device has a few advantages chief among which are 

• Real-time location data at the package level as it can be affixed to any type of cargo
• Its dimension – (W) 58 x (L) 96 x (H) 19 mm
• Battery Life of +/- 100 days
• Reusable device with an efficient reverse logistics operation for you to send back the device to Tive, but for those who don’t want to send it back, it is also easily disposable 
• Real-time location tracking at any package level with an accuracy about +/- 10m
• Ability to work with any Global network – Wi-Fi, Cell, GPS
• Device responds and works well to any weather conditions as it also has an IP67 water resistance. For those who may not know, an IP rating is a certification proving that a product meets a certain standard of water and dustproofing/resistance..
• Because it can be affixed at package level, there is no restriction on the mode of transport and your shipment can be tracked whether it is moving by road, rail, air or ocean.. 

System and Security

While the capability of the specific device is a strength in itself, this strength is further enhanced by the ease with which the Tive platform can be integrated into customer’s systems..

The on-boarding process, much like the tracking device, is extremely simple and straightforward.. My simulated on-boarding process took all of 20 minutes.. It really was that simple.. Once on-boarded, customers have full control of who they want to allow to have access to their shipments..

Access control is available at an administrator level and the administrator nominated by the company can then allow access to others in the organisation or their suppliers/vendors and other stakeholders..

The device capabilities and the ease of on-boarding is supplemented by the way in which all the data related to the shipment is relayed and conveyed to the customers.. After all, the objective of having a tracking device is to get real-time data..

Tive does this quite nicely using their proprietary long-lasting sensors which uses best in class connectivity to transmit the in-transit location and status of shipments. 

Supply chain managers can view these reports and analytics through Tive’s software platform which also allows customers to set up custom alerts like ETA deviations, temperature warnings and geofences.. 

Tive’s API allows customers to import data into their own WMS, SCM, TMS, or ERP systems and get actionable insights on what is happening with their shipments..

The frequency of reporting can be set on the trackers and is said to last 45 days.. But of course bear in mind, the higher the frequency of the reports required, the lesser the life of the battery.. 

Their top of the range rechargeable devices can be set for every 30 minutes and last up to 2 months.. 

While this may have been sufficient a few years ago, considering the current delays in supply chains around the world, 2 months may not be enough on the battery life, but the customer can always set it to a lower ping frequency.. 

The reporting and analytics for the shock impact recorded by the device is particularly useful for shipments of sensitive products like electronic equipment, server racks and solar panels.. 

As per McKinsey, the US food retail industry loses an estimated $15–20 billion in sales every year because items are out of stock or otherwise unsaleable which is around two to three percent of its total sales.. This is mainly due to lack of OTIF (On Time In Full Delivery) which has been attributed to lack of visibility..

Not just for damage monitoring, Tive’s tracking is particularly useful for companies to ensure OTIF – On Time In Full Delivery..