Roambee, the global real-time supply chain visibility and intelligence provider, with a network of 300+ enterprises and offices on multiple continents, deploys smart sensor technology to transform the rail industry at both a shipment and an asset level. Its state-of-the-art sensor-driven visibility and analytics offer shippers and transport companies an effective alternative to costly air or road freight, as well as enabling more accurate estimated time of arrivals (ETAs) to achieve predictable delivery times - a feature previously unheard of in rail transport.

Recently, one of the world's largest chemical producers that operates across more than 25 countries overcame its greatest supply chain challenges using Roambee's real-time railcar tracking in yard and in transit. Solar-powered IoT sensors were installed on top of railcars for all-weather durability and actionability with data analytics. Through real-time location and condition sensing data, the company was able to gain better visibility on their railcars' location and full/empty status, resulting in a 70% increase in the accuracy of their ETAs.Using keyless, sensor-enabled, heavy-duty padlocks on chemical silos and storage facilities, Roambee helped the company generatethousands of dollars in cost savings by mitigating storage contamination.

"There's a lot more to managing rail logistics in the modern age – constant shipment movement tracking, route deviations, detention at yards, dwell time at unloading docks, and bottlenecks along the way - but we've cracked the code," said Sanjay Sharma, Chief Executive Officer at Roambee. He added, "Our platform and analytics eliminates the challenges of managing shipments transported by any transportation mode, be it Less-than Truck Load (LTL), rail, air, or ocean. Our customers use our curated, high-fidelity shipment information to improve their supply chain."

With the increasing complexity of global supply chains and the pivotal role intermodal transport plays in supply chain management, suppliers are seeking innovative ways to move cargo. Inland freight transport was initially dominated by roadways, largely due to their pervasive presence. Over time, however, other cost-effective modes of transport — especially rail — have seen a surge in infrastructure investments and inclusion in the supply chain. In 2021, the White House announced a $10 billion investment in freight rail and intermodal infrastructure. Couple this with the 26,152,716 carloads and intermodal units deployed in 2021, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2020, and there is reason to believe that rail usage is rising and Roambee is well-positioned to help suppliers circumvent its challenges.