REEFER MANUFACTURER ADDS OPTION FOR SATELLITE MONITORING

REEFER MANUFACTURER ADDS OPTION FOR SATELLITE MONITORING    Vistar Datacom saud Thermo King Corp. ordered 500 of its GlobalWave satellite data communication terminals.
   Thermo King, which manufactures refrigeration systems for a variety of freight transportation modes, will install the devices on truck trailers and rail cars as an option for customers who want to better manage their assets in the field, Thermo King spokeswoman Kim Thorsen said in an interview.
   The Vistar tracking and monitoring units are an additional component of Thermo King's Trac-King system released last October. Thermo King originally used a land-based, cellular service provider to transmit Global Positioning System coordinates, as well as temperature, fuel level and other data from sensors, from mobile equipment to the dispatch office, Thorsen confirmed.
   The addition of Vistar's GlobalWave system gives long-haul carriers extra coverage in parts of the country that lack established wireless networks.