Wireless tank car monitoring system

Railway Age, April, 2008

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The Asset Management Platform (AMP) from RFTrax is a wireless tank car monitoring, tracking, and reporting system that provides location and status information via GPS and cellular technology, allowing shippers to access data 24/7 using the RFTrax web portal.

With reporting as frequent as every 15 minutes, this system can help chemical and petrochemical shippers meet anticipated government regulations regarding shipments of Toxic Inhalation Hazards (TIH) in high-threat urban areas, monitoring the temperature of volatile chemicals. Chemical and petrochemical shippers are facing future regulatory requirements that may call for more stringent monitoring and reporting of tank car location in high-threat urban areas.

The RFTrax AMP is currently installed on more than 1,000 railcars. The heart of the system is the Asset Command Unit (ACU), a rugged, battery-operated, railcar-mounted telemetry device with an integrated solar panel. The ACU features a microprocessor, a GPS receiver, and a GSM/GPRS cellular modem. The ACU provides the GPS location and direction of travel and speed, and interfaces with external sensors reporting on such conditions as open/closed hatch, loaded/empty status, and temperature of contents. It has been certified to safety standard UL[R] 913 and is rated intrinsically safe for use in Class I-3, Division 1 requirements.

The RFTrax web portal is linked to Google Maps[TM] for geographical information, so customers can track car location and status, set parameters (such as geofences, which establish virtual boundaries), and run reports. They can also set up alerts that instruct the system to send an email or text message for certain conditions or events. ACU and sensor data can be integrated with customers' IT systems via web services and file-based data feeds. The RFTrax data service is compatible with such third-party logistics software as Bourque Data Systems RAILTRAC[R] and SAP. In addition to chemical and petrochemical cargoes, AMP is designed to track and monitor plastics pellets in covered hopper cars; automotive parts, steel rolls, paper rolls, and beverages in boxcars; motor vehicles in autoracks; coal; and locomotives. (281) 276-5921, www.rftrax.com.