Case Study: UNIT45 secures year-round temperature control and full cargo visibility on New Silk Road 45ft containers with ORBCOMM

UNIT45 pioneers smart containers for the New Silk Road with ORBCOMM IoT technology

UNIT45, a Rotterdam‑based innovator in 45ft intermodal containers, needed a way to make long‑haul New Silk Road rail shipments viable for sensitive cargo (like HP notebooks and Friesland Campina milk powder) where winter lows can reach −40°C and products must never drop below −20°C. To support its purpose‑built 45ft diesel‑electric reefers (expanded to an 800‑litre tank and 33 europallet capacity for 20–24 days endurance), UNIT45 turned to ORBCOMM and its CargoWatch® IoT telematics and cloud platform for the remote monitoring, control and tracking required across remote Eurasian rail routes.

ORBCOMM delivered a complete telematics package — dual‑mode GSM/satellite devices, CargoWatch® web/mobile access, alerts, APIs and device management — enabling remote temperature control, diesel monitoring, geo‑fencing and machine performance oversight. The solution ensured uninterrupted 16–18 day rail transit visibility across ~11,000 km, protected cargo from extreme cold, reduced operational risk with proactive alerts and maintenance planning, unlocked new SaaS data revenue for UNIT45, and made regulated pharma‑grade monitoring and low‑cost location tracking for dry boxes possible.

UNIT45

Jan Koolen

Managing Director