GPS Lite: Keeping tabs on cargo at the port

Cargo that comes into the Rotterdam, The Netherlands, shipping port could very well be guided by a new GPS system.

APM Terminals Rotterdam operates at the important European gateway with a fleet of more than 70 straddle carriers. The straddle carriers have been equipped with GPS Lite, made by U.K.-based International Terminal Solutions (ITS).

GPS Lite tracks the straddle carriers.(Photo: ITS)

GPS Lite, the latest version of ITS’s G-POS GPS tracking system, provides real-time visibility so that valuable resources aren’t wasted hunting for or handling misplaced containers.

Testing. To ensure the new system was rolled out smoothly and provided the required reliability and accuracy, extensive tests were done on two straddle carriers.

Following the success of these tests, the system was rolled out in phases to the rest of the fleet.

APM Terminals Rotterdam uses the COSMOS Terminal Operating System. For COSMOS users, G-POS connects to the radio data terminal on each straddle carrier in the same way as the legacy system it replaced.

It is fully compliant with COSMOS interface specifications and uses the same cable connections to make the system swap compatible.

Rotterdam port: A straddle carrier is in the foreground. (Photo: APM Terminals Rotterdam)

ITS can provide a range of GPS accuracy options wih G-POS, depending on customer needs. Accuracy can range from 2 centimeters up to 0.7 meters, with various types of differential GPS correction methods used.

G-POS provides automated, real-time, error-free data, enabling a live accurate database to improve storage and retrieval decisions, and to optimize equipment use.