#Essentials for Transport Temperature Monitoring and Verifying.
Transport Temperature monitoring, and specifically — your ability to verify the temperature inside your trailer or truck body during transport — is not a new topic. It is a normal part of discussions about both unit specifications and maintenance. The final compliance date of the implementation of F.S.M.A. (Food Safety Modernization Act) in April of 2018 for shippers and carriers has not lessened the importance any of us are putting on this, although this kind of regulation is also not new in the U.S. (see footnote below).
#Things your telematics vendor doesn’t tell you:
Sensors that are used for transport temperature monitoring—reliable, low cost components with no recurring costs—are at the beginning of the process. Thermo King units have two main categories of these air temperature sensors which we describe as either Service Watch or Cargo Watch sensors.
- Service Watch sensors include Discharge Air and Return Air Sensors, and can include Spare Sensors. These monitor air temps that come into and back out of Thermo King units.
- Cargo Watch sensors get mounted in trailers and truck bodies. These monitor actual air temperatures of the locations where they are mounted. Data from both Service Watch and Cargo Watch sensors gets logged and stored in your unit’s microprocessor, along with other data being monitored about the machine.
As long as your unit’s clock is set correctly and kept updated with your service program, you have the ability to monitor and verify temperatures—using just these basics.
#Anatomy of Accessing and Using data.
Transport temperature monitoring sensors capture the data. The two common ways to access and use your temperature data are via downloads and via telematics systems.
- Download data via USB port (or cable for units before 2011), and use Wintrac software to analyze, display, and manage your data—and have no recurring subscription costs.
- Use telematics and internet based applications for both automatic access and data management—which requires recurring subscription costs.
Thermo King’s industry leading Connected Solutions platform offers you 3 telematics options:
- Trac-King, the only O.E.M. sourced system.
- 3rd Party Gateway, a value-added interface tool.
- Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device, using our free ap in your ap store.
#Where to find the origins of Transport Food Safety Regulations.
Federal regulation in the area of transport food safety in the U.S. is not a new topic. Transport temperature sensors capture the information you need. When did the legal/regulatory aspect of this become so important? Although F.S.M.A. implementation occurred in April of 2018, we’ve had a long track record in the U.S. with this: It follows the Sanitary Food Transportation Act by the F.D.A. in 2005; the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act in 2002; the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 where the F.D.A. was involved in safeguard and prevention with the transport of unsanitary meat.