Canadian traffic solutions company, SMATS, today announced the general availability of its Port Traffic Management Solution to equip port authorities and operators around the world to better manage drayage truck backlogs at terminal gates.
The technology is part of the solutions for alleviating cargo backlogs, which have rippled through the supply chain, causing supply shortages and adverse economic impacts. Long truck queues at terminal gates also contribute significantly to air and noise pollutions in and around ports, negating the industry’s progress towards its environmental commitments.
SMATS’ Port Traffic Management Solution includes next-generation IoT sensors to monitor truck movements, and a powerful data analytics and visualisation platform (iNodeTM), whose algorithms enable the accurate prediction of wait times leading to and at the terminal gates in real-time.
This vital information allows the terminal operators to actively optimise their service rates, and to timely communicate with the drayage truck drivers who can then plan their trips most efficiently.
“Our Port Traffic Management Solution can be used as a standalone solution, or as an addition to the Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) which many large ports have implemented,” said Amir Ghods, CEO of SMATS.
“What sets us apart is the accuracy in data collection, filtering, and prediction algorithms – all in real-time – which allows terminal operators to react quickly to diminish truck queues as they happen.”
SMATS’ Port Solution has proven to deliver on its intended impact. In Los Angeles, Fenix Marine Services manages the Ports of Los Angeles’ Pier 300, where SMATS’ solution was implemented to monitor truck queues outside the terminals to facilitate better decision-making with powerful predictive data.
“SMATS’ truck traffic wait-time monitoring allowed us to better measure and manage our traffic at the terminal gates,” said John Rosen, CTO at Fenix Marine Services.
“Real-time data has provided visibility where we had none and is helping us to better service the trucks.”
In Canada’s Port of Trois-Rivières, SMATS’ TRAFFICXHUB™ sensors were installed and collected traffic data with 92 per cent accuracy using Bluetooth beacons distributed to truckers. For the first time, the port authorities were empowered with actionable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that lead to data-informed decision-making and improved traffic flow.
Thanks to the support of Transport Canada, at Port of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, SMATS extends the capabilities of the solution to offer multiple analytics dashboards, including a smartphone application for truck drivers to communicate with terminals and access their expected turn-times based on their location and estimated time of arrival at the gate.
“We offer customisation options to supplement the capabilities of a variety of Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) and traffic networks,” said Amir Ghods.
“All with the goal to effectively help reduce the congestion issues that are negatively impacting the ports’ revenue objectives and the movement of global supply chain.”
For more information on incorporating SMATS’ Port Traffic Management Solution into your traffic management strategy, visit https://bit.ly/3OIyN1I.
