What Really Happens on the Road: Data Loggers Reveal Risks

The volume of global shipments is immense and continues to rise: In 2024 alone, more than 183 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) were transported via shipping containers—representing a six percent increase over the previous year. Damage during transport must be prevented, especially for sensitive capital goods—these goods are often custom-made and high-value; transport damage results in additional time and financial costs.

“While shippers try to protect their goods with sturdy packaging and professional load securing, even elaborate protection strategies can reach their limits,” says Peter Adam, Marketing Manager at Aspion. The Karlsruhe-based company, which specializes in sensor technology, offers innovative and user-friendly data loggers that can be used to monitor and secure valuable goods during transit. In practice, it’s become clear time and again that cargo shifting due to emergency braking, rough handling at transshipment points, or even the opening of packaging at customs are not uncommon and can lead to significant damage.

2. Choose the right mode of transportation

Whether by truck, train, ship, or plane—each mode of transportation subjects the goods to different stresses. The solution best suited for a product can often only be determined based on real-world transportation data. Data loggers record relevant events such as vibrations or climatic influences, thereby enabling an objective comparison of different transportation routes. In the future, companies will be able to base their decisions on reliable data rather than on experience alone. “If companies then find that a product is repeatedly damaged when transported by a particular mode of transport, they can opt for a different one from the outset and minimize the risk,” says Adam.

3. Identify Critical Transport Routes

Not every route poses the same challenges for sensitive goods. Poor road conditions, significant temperature fluctuations, or long layovers at terminals can significantly impact the quality of transport. Data loggers record stresses throughout the entire journey and time-stamp them. This makes it possible to trace when and where critical events occurred. Models with live tracking also provide real-time information on the location and condition of the goods. “For example, if it becomes apparent that the goods were damaged early on in the route, companies can halt further transport and thus save time and money,” explains Adam.

4. Continuously improve supply chains

Shipping damage is a daily occurrence in global supply chains. This makes it all the more important to be able to clearly identify the causes. Data loggers comprehensively document events that cause damage, thereby providing transparency into critical process steps. The information gathered helps companies identify weaknesses in the supply chain, adjust transportation processes, or evaluate service providers in a targeted manner. “Unfortunately, damage caused by so-called rough handling is all too common,” the expert notes.

5. Process and settle claims more quickly

In the event of damage, it is crucial to be able to document the sequence of events as clearly as possible. Without objective data, determining liability is often a time-consuming process.
Data loggers provide verifiable evidence of stresses and environmental factors during transport. This enables companies to document the causes of damage more quickly and simplify communication with insurance companies and logistics service providers. “This makes it possible to assign responsibility, avoid disputes with insurance companies and service providers, and settle claims quickly,” says Adam.

Conclusion

Shipping damage to sensitive capital goods is not an isolated incident, but rather a structural risk in global supply chains. The assumptions widely held by companies—ranging from the belief that packaging is sufficient to the false sense of security provided by insurance—do not hold up to data-driven analysis. Data loggers provide a new level of transparency: They deliver objective evidence of stresses, environmental influences, and the exact timing of critical events. This not only gives companies a reliable basis for damage assessment and communication with service providers and insurers, but above all, an effective tool for continuously improving packaging, the choice of transportation modes, and route planning. Those who base transport safety in the future not on assumptions but on reliable data can measurably reduce risks, lower costs, and make their own supply chain more resilient in the long term.