Damage to Rail Freight Wagons or Goods in Transit - Condition/Position on Alert

The Benefits

• Recovery of costs for the wagon or the goods damaged inside the wagon.
• Supporting evidence of location, time and magnitude of impact to support the claim.
• Improved logistics management.
• Potential to reduce Insurance premiums.
  

The Problem
Rail freight wagons can often suffer large impacts or even derailment which may seriously damage the wagon or the goods being transported. This damage can occur during loading and unloading at customers premises and the freight operator does not become aware of the problem until some time later. At the time when the freight operator is made aware of the problem it is often difficult to recover costs from the customer or the insurance companies.


The Solution - Condition/Position on Alert
The solution is fitted with a calibrated impact sensor, is mounted on the rail freight wagon in a secure location. The unit can be fitted into a fixture specified and approved by the freight operator. The Asset Alert is switched on by removing the key fob, battery is supplied internally in the unit.

The user logs on to the Internet web site and sets the product to a specific level of impact damage, e.g. 6g vertical impact. Any impact exceeding this threshold will automatically trigger an alert that reports location and impact information to the user's mobile phone, or via email to the user's desk. If detailed mapping information is required, the user logs on to the secure Internet web site and can see the position on a detailed map. Users have the ability to provide application specific maps which can be made available through the online web site.

The operator will then contact the customer to advise that they are aware that the wagon has been damaged and despatch someone to view the damage. If the damage to the wagon is insignificant the system can be reset.