Delta Cargo to Extend Bluetooth Tracking to Off-airport Customer Facilities
ATLANTA, October 9,2018: Following the announcement earlier in the year that Delta will be providing real-time tracking for unit load devices (ULDs), the offering has now been extended to cargo businesses based off airport. This will enable customers to have end-to-end tracking of the ULDs starting in their own warehouses throughout the journey to the final destination.
This new service provides a number of customer benefits by eliminating all paperwork at the dock door when units are loaned out and producing a digital Uniform Control Receipt (UCR) which is emailed directly to the shipper. In addition, customers will receive customized push notifications with full tracking available on deltacargo.com in 2019.
“The extension of the tracking technology directly to our customers’ facilities will ensure visibility for the whole freight journey, creating a best-in-class shipping experience,” said Shawn Cole, Delta’s Vice President-Cargo. “This is a genuine innovation, and we are on track to launch in January 2019, with full visibility on deltacargo.com later that year, once the customer installations are complete.”
Delta is one of the first major airlines to test Bluetooth tracking technology and since March 2018 has deployed readers at 80 Delta and partner airline warehouse locations across six continents, including all U.S. hubs and major trucking stations with 70 locations remaining. Nearly 40 percent of the ULD fleet has been tagged with Bluetooth asset trackers. By January 2019the tracking system will be available on nearly all of Delta’s ULDs with customer reader installations anticipated to be completed soon after that. Real-time ULD tracking information will allow Delta’s Cargo Control Center to more accurately monitor and reroute shipments that are delayed due to irregular operations, like inclement weather.
Delta Cargo has invested in a number of customer solutions with the full product range now bookable on deltacargo.com, reliable shipping services with GPS and real-time tracking options. Plus an industry-leading Cargo Control Center for 24/7 proactive shipment monitoring and IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification. Over the past several years, passenger innovation has been extensive with RFID baggage handling, and bag tracking via the Fly Delta mobile app, replacing ID checks at touch points with fingerprint scanning, biometric-based self-service bag drop, automatic check-in, an alliance that will empower customers with seamless in-cabin connectivity experience, more efficient and high-tech automated screening lanes, and a groundbreaking app that helps Delta pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable flight, along with working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on optional facial recognition boarding tests. Delta is also one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Worldwide in 2018, earning the No. 6 spot among travel companies.
