Chris Haas of Blume Global talks about how IoT is reinventing rail freight visibility and building a more agile, optimized intermodal network for everyone. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.55] IoT and its role in intermodal. [05.15] The big, macro-level challenges Blume see across the intermodal freight ecosystem. "Intermodal logistics is inherently complex – there's multiple modes, multiple stakeholders, and disconnected systems which makes visibility a real challenge." [06.48] How big industry challenges translate to a business level, the day-to-day challenges Blume see their clients facing, and why visibility is critical to navigating those challenges. "Fragmentation, theft risks, equipment inefficiencies – all of that shows up in day-to-day operations. When you don't have visibility, delays and missed hand-offs often go unnoticed, until it's too late… And that reactive mode causes stress across the board." [10.02] The lack of IoT adoption across North America and, despite that underdeveloped adoption, the huge potential IoT holds to modernize intermodal operations. "For a long time IoT was seen as expensive, complex and hard to scale, devices were pricey and battery life was limited. Many legacy systems just weren't built to handle real-time IoT data, so you can understand the hesitation to invest in something that didn't feel practical." [14.58] How IoT has evolved, particularly for rail. "It used to just be GPS… but now that we have smart geofencing, sensors, temperature and humidity monitors and predictive alerts, we've gone from: 'Where's my stuff?' to: 'Here's what's happening, why, and what to do next' – it's exciting transformation!" [16.12] The different types of use cases for IoT in intermodal freight, and their impacts. "Insights let businesses course-correct, before it turns into a systemic problem." [17.55] Why IoT is a win-win for all stakeholders from shippers and railroads to IMCs, and how it's delivering tangible benefits across the entire supply chain. [19.08] The Blume tools that process 1.3 million IoT events per day, and what those events look like. "It can sound overwhelming. The key is not just collecting the data, it's making it usable." [22.14] How the Blume platform helps customers to manage all of that data and deliver visibility for scale and flexibility. [24.30] A case study exploring how Blume worked with an IMC to establish geofencing and GPS tracking solutions, helping them achieve a range of positive results from real-time visibility to recovering stolen containers. [27.25] How IoT can help to build a more agile, optimized intermodal network, and the impact of that for the industry. "We're really talking about removing the guesswork, and replacing it with real-time intelligence. The intermodal ecosystem is under a lot of pressure, rising cost, tighter service expectations… With everyone operating with limited or delayed information, the system ends up being reactive rather than proactive and IoT changes that. It's created a shared single source of truth." [29.17] What's to come for Blume Global. RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Blume Global's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Blume and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn , Facebook , YouTube , Instagram or X (Twitter) , or you can connect with Chris on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about Blume Global, check out 330: Transform Every Move, Every Mode and Every Mile, with Blume Global or 346: Enable and Empower Your Supply Chain, with WiseTech . Check out our other podcasts HERE .
