Hapag-Lloyd has announced the launch of its first dry container tracking product called "Live Position".

It said that its customers can now enjoy full transparency on the location of their shipments — from the start of transportation until the arrival at the destination.

"By being the first container shipping line to introduce a fleet-wide dry container tracking product, Hapag-Lloyd is demonstrating its commitment to deploying pioneering IoT (Internet of Things) technology in logistics on a large scale," the Danish shipping line said.

It added that more than two-thirds of the dry container fleets have already been equipped with tracking devices. Installations continue globally to catch the last boxes during the summer.

"The "Live Position" product will contribute to our service quality and increase the ease of doing business with us," said Dr. Maximilian Rothkopf, Hapag-Lloyd's COO.

"It does close the blind spots of global logistics, enabling real-time decision-making and risk mitigation for our customers while allowing a more efficient steering of our fleet of boxes," he added.

Henrik Schilling, head of global commercial development, noted that participants in the product's pilot phase have already acknowledged Hapag-Lloyd's going the "extra mile" to address one of their main concerns.

"Now, we would like to take all our customers on this journey to further develop this product. We are currently working on feeding the tracking data into the customers’ operational systems via API. Another milestone for advancing the product will be the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) Prediction," Schilling added.

Hapag-Lloyd said key features of the initial basic product "Live Position" include a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use search functionality by container, booking number, or in batches. The tool provides customers with a quick overview of their shipment’s current location, allowing them to make any necessary adjustments in real-time.