Initially used for monitoring the temperature of fixed installations or fleets of regional vehicles, the JRI MySirius solution has been deployed since one year by Transgourmet on a national scale.
From its nationwide platforms, Transgourmet Operations delivers with its 650 vehicles (3.5 to 19 t), all equipped with two-temperature cold-boxes. Its semi-trailers are only used for transport between its regional platforms.
Previously, Transgourmet monitored temperature excursions using thermotracers. Each of these devices required weekly manipulation to read the data they had recorded. Such a system allows only after the fact control and is very labor-intensive. After studying the new solutions made possible by the IoT, Transgourmet turned towards the JRI solution characterized by a use of the LoRa network (via Objenious from Bouygues Telecom). Communication through the Operated LoRa network requires little energy.
This gives the temperature sensors an autonomy of two years that corresponds to the frequency of the mandatory calibration. Transgourmet thus passes from a solution requiring a weekly manipulation of the sensors and not allowing a control in real time, to a real time follow-up with an intervention every two years on each sensor for calibration carried out by the accredited Cofrac laboratory of JRI.
To remain independant of the vehicle and its telematics
The JRI solution is voluntarily independent of the telematics of the vehicle.
Its connected probes (Lora Spy) are simply attached to the wall of the cold-box taking advantage of the protection offered by the cooler. They mesure the temperature and transmit it at regular intervals to a platform, that is consulted in SaaS mode on the JRI MySirius portal by the end user.
To date, Transgourmet has not retained the possibility of SMS alerting because the driver always has a temperature display in his cabin. Flexible and finally independent of the vehicle, the JRI solution adapts instantly to the temporary replacement of one vehicle by another. As for the LoRa network, it has the advantage of being bidirectional and allowing a remote reconfiguration of the sensor or the acknowledgment of its alarms.
An expendable system
The adaptation of the LoRa network to the use case as well as the price of the JRI solution contributed to its adoption by Transgourmet. Each probe costs around 130 euros. The subscription price to the JRI-MySirius service start from 80 euros per year depending on the subscribed services and the amount of sensors.
Among the options, the possibility of having an unlimited number of users, measurement backup, web API export to business software, geolocation, backup and online calibration certificates, and of course, alerts by email, text message or phone call. At a minimum, the service includes the automatic escalation of measures, a guarantee of integrity of the measures (encrypted, integrity, non falsifiable) and the management of the alerts.
Eric Cartalas mentions that MySirius and its LoRa Spy sensors are very successful because the solution is very simple in its implementation and operation while responding to a real Quality policy. It has convinced many other major players in temperature-controlled transport such as Antoine Distribution, DB Schenker and Sofrilog.
"Our IoT solution has the benefists of real time monitoring and low energy consumption thanks to the LoRaWAN network. "
Eric Cartalas, General manager of operations for JRI-GROUP MMS.
Article published in the French magazine FROIDNEWS: the magazine of the logistic cold logistics, number 26 - May 2019. Written by Loïc Fieux
