March/April 2005

Continuous monitoring of temperature-controlled air freight has been achieved by international freighting specialist Kuehne & Nagel. The company is describing the development as a first, and sees it as "a significant step" in the development of innovative Cargo 2000-based cold chain solutions.

The company's claims are based round a trial shipment of a batch of cholera vaccine produced by Swedish manufacturer SBL Vaccines, which was transported to a pharmaceutical company in Canada via KLM. It needed to be kept within a temperature range of 2 to 8 deg C.

K&N equipped two air-freight cool containers with special temperature-recording devices which allowed logged data to be retrieved even after the doors were closed and sealed. Data was then captured at ten checkpoints and transmitted to an Internet platform by means of a laptop computer running special software.

All parties were able to monitor the temperature curve via the Internet. The idea is to allow quick remedial action In the event of any deviation.

K&N is not claiming to have achieved literally continuous monitoring, which would require elaborate wireless transmission; but it says this is nonetheless a major step forward.

Cargo 2000 is an interest group involving around 30 International Air Transport Association members. It aims to establish and promote operating standards for air freight, enhancing quality and reducing costs.