Sea Star expands visibility of reefer monitoring service

   Sea Star Line said Wednesday it has enhanced its refrigerated cargo monitoring service, StarGuard Elite Service, to provide shippers full visibility of the container’s progress 24 hours a day.
   The extended service is aimed, in particular, at pharmaceutical shippers, the line said. It allows customers to manage and monitor their refrigerated containers in real-time from any Internet-connected personal computer, tablet or mobile device. It’s also designed to give shippers of temperature-sensitive cargo an alternative to air freight, the carrier said.
   StarGuard Elite provides immediate up-to-date access to the trip progress and confirms that temperatures, as well as onboard and environmental conditions, are met throughout the voyage anywhere in North America.
   The new technology also gives Sea Star wireless monitoring capacities on 100 percent of its refrigerated container fleet, marine terminals and vessels. The system can detect whether equipment is plugged or unplugged, powered or without power, as well as temperature readings including set, supply, return and ambient temperatures.
   “Reefers can be monitored as well as managed in real-time, which is not common in the shipping industry,” said Sea Star Line Executive Vice President Tim Nolan. – Eric Johnson