In a bid to save billions of dollars annually, the shipping industry is graduating from pilot projects and finally starting to adopt a smattering of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for real-world, commercial use. Lately, several large and small shipping companies have turned to Traxens, a French technology firm, to help them deploy IoT devices across their fleets.

Traxens develops technology that tracks and monitors cargo. Since it launched in 2012, the company has earned investments from leading shipping companies. Shipping is responsible for carrying 90 percent of the world’s traded goods, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. This year, A.P. Møller—Mærsk A/S, which is the world’s largest container ship and supply vessel operator, became a Traxens shareholder and customer. 

Then, earlier this month, Traxens equipped Indonesian shipping company, PT TKSolusindo with a set of devices, each slightly longer and thinner than a brick, with sensors including GPS.  These devices can track geolocation, detect shock and motion, and check the temperature, humidity, and alarms on refrigerated containers, often called reefers.