Additionally, the system includes dynamic tire inflation as well as an anti-lock brake system, a health monitor, a trailer backing camera and door position sensors, plus video recording and playback from the rear and interior cargo cameras. The trailer fleet health dashboard keeps an eye on tire pressure, brake health, and temperature monitoring, while additional sensors offer lights-out detection, brake monitoring, and weight monitoring.
Hand emphasized how these features will allow fleets to leverage proactive maintenance. For example, if the ABS alarm goes off, managers know the brake pads are thin and ready to be replaced, and other alerts can warn when wheel bearings are going bad.
"We saw the value of Smart Trailer telematics immediately,” said Michael Job, director of safety, fleet maintenance and facilities for JBS Carriers. “Our first trailer we installed it on, the air pressure sensor detected low tire pressure that our driver hadn’t been aware of. This allowed us to safely bring the trailer back to the shop, repair it and get it back on the road quickly. Without Smart Trailer telematics, the tire could have blown out, requiring a costly mobile technician repair. Now, we can monitor trailer performance and address maintenance needs before they hit the road."
When paired with TracKing Pro, the two systems allow fleets to manage their trailer, cargo, and the reefer itself, too.
“While TracKing Pro includes insights related to the refrigeration cycle like fuel level, door status and temperature sensors, TracKing Smart Trailer Telematics provides visibility to the rest of the trailer, including the brakes, tires, lights, wheel hub, weight and even video cameras both inside and outside the trailer, all which help a fleet to reduce maintenance and operating costs, while increasing uptime, safety and compliance,” Hand noted.
This update shows how reefer trailer technology is catching up to standard OTR trailers, with both growing smarter all the time.
“A smart trailer optimizes its own performance and provides actionable recommendations for improving performance,” Hand concluded. “Thermo King has been providing embedded telematics and the smartest trailer refrigeration units for decades, and it’s time to expand that intelligence to the rest of the trailer, making it not just a smart reefer, but a complete smart trailer.”
