Oakland port testing active RFID system on trucks

Oakland port testing active RFID system on trucks The Port of Oakland, in an effort to boost efficiency and bolster security, has launched a pilot program to track trucks within the port using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.
   The port is working with Santa Clara, Calif.-based wireless tracking firm WhereNet Corp to distribute the tags to trucking companies that work within the port.
   The voluntary program now includes about 300 trucks. Participating drivers, as a concession to privacy concerns, were allowed to place the tags on their own vehicles.
   Under the program, WhereNet has installed tag readers at the port's Oakland International Container Terminal, allowing scanning of incoming and outgoing trucks for an RFID tag signal. If a tag is read, it is compared against a trucking database of all vehicles authorized to enter the terminal. The active tags, which send out a steady signal as opposed to passive tags that can only be read, allow the terminal to track the participating trucks in real-time while they are within the facility.
   “WhereNet’s real-time locating system technology provides container ports with another critical layer of security as we continue to protect our nation from terrorist threats,” said Mike O’Brien, port facilities security officer for the Port of Oakland, in a statement. “While enhancing security measures is always a work in progress, we consider beginning to identify and track trucks on our premises with the latest technology as an important step forward.”
   An additional side benefit of the system, according to the port, is that it will speed up the process of checking a trucker in, thereby cutting emissions, reducing fuel consumption and resulting in less congested queue lines.