An examination of the key takeaways, significant moments, and impressions from the IANA Conference.
SiteTrax™ by Netarus was on hand to introduce its latest Intermodal Asset Tracking Release at the Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) 2022 EXPO, which took place September 12-14 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. SiteTrax is an asset identification and data capture solution for containers and chassis. In addition to demonstrating this cutting-edge technology at IANA, the SiteTrax by Netarus team presented Increase Intermodal Yard Visibility with Inexpensive OCR in the Dialogue Box. The SiteTrax team was not only featured, but they also left the conference with some great insights into the industry, the latest technologies, and the direction of things to come.
An Industry Embracing Technology
One of the key takeaways from the conference for the SiteTrax team was the move towards incorporating the latest technology. Industry-wide there is a definite inclination towards embracing technology. Driving this is a sizeable number of small businesses and innovators in the space.
Artificial intelligence is one important technology that the industry is investigating (AI). In particular, something called Sophia is used for “blind” shipping. Sophia employs predictive analytics, which will complement and integrate well with the SiteTrax powered by Netarus capabilities. The smart technology could be a game changer, allowing inventory to be moved from ship to truck rather than stacking. Yard control and inventory movement would be much faster and more efficient as a result.
Additionally, the team was impressed by the number and variety of outstanding TMS Platforms available, the new technology for Yard Inventory as well as multiple systems that utilize RFID and GPS to advance the capabilities of the industry.
Sharing SiteTrax by Netarus’ latest Release
The exhibition hall was the ideal setting for the SiteTrax team to showcase the most recent release of their Intermodal Asset Tracking technology. SiteTrax is a solution that enables the automatic identification and data capture of container and chassis assets. The Machine Vision AI can identify all ISO standard container IDs as well as Chassis IDs. These assets can be captured using the SiteTrax Capture Android App for a handheld solution or the Virtual Gate Camera for an In and Out Gate solution. For a more hands-free approach, SiteTrax has also added the ability to use an external camera that can be mounted inside or outside of a vehicle. All these options provide a quick and simple way to digitize assets. Likewise, SiteTrax can send these digitized assets to a simple spreadsheet and/or an API-enabled YMS/TMS or ERP system.
Attendees were eager to learn about this ground-breaking innovation, which is extremely user-friendly, easily integrates, ideal for yard checks, and extremely cost effective. Furthermore, visitors to the SiteTrax booth were treated to a hands-on demonstration of SiteTrax’s capabilities using an appealing premium item.
The Dialogue Box Featuring SiteTrax
At this year’s IANA Conference, Chris Machut presented Increase Intermodal Yard Visibility with Inexpensive OCR in the Dialogue Box. The presentation was well-received, with many excellent questions, excellent feedback, and an impactful presentation that sparked discussion, #SiteTraxEasy.
Machut walked attendees through a case study that showed how SiteTrax’s OCR platform and data capture was used to significantly improve the operations, productivity and even the morale of an organization. The compelling study detailed how one company was able to turn around a yard where truck drivers couldn’t maneuver, containers were lost, drivers were frustrated, reconciliation was slow, and yard checks took too long. So much so that by using SiteTrax and creating solid data with a digital twin, they were able to reclaim control of the yard and grow exponentially.
Machut made the SiteTrax case and impressed those in attendance with the case study impact and results, which included decreased truck turn-times, faster yard checks, less administrative time and more timely data, and a common operating picture for all involved. Furthermore, having SiteTrax and its capabilities featured in the Dialogue Box provided a welcome spotlight for the brand on such an important industry stage.
Outstanding Networking
Aside from being featured in the Dialogue Box and revealing its latest Intermodal Asset Tracking Release, the SiteTrax team was blown away by the caliber of networking at IANA 2022.
The relaxed atmosphere, combined with the sheer number and quality of industry leaders, as well as important small businesses and innovators in attendance, provided a wonderful opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, learn from others, and form connections that have the potential to not only expand SiteTrax’s reach, but also revolutionize the industry.
Take Away
The 2022 EXPO of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) was a significant event for SiteTrax by Netarus. The team was able to share their latest release with a variety of businesses while also learning about and witnessing some of the most recent technological advancements firsthand.
Even though the number and quality of new devices are impressive, SiteTrax can be confident that its critical components, such as an ISO container, a horizontal ISO container, a vertical ISO container, chassis ID, a mounted chassis, Android App SiteTrax Capture, and a Video Gate Solution, remain superior. Furthermore, SiteTrax by Netarus is by far the most affordable development available.
