WiseTech Global and Hapag-Lloyd Launch IoT Container Tracking Pilot

Supply chain technology solutions company WiseTech Global has partnered with Hapag-Lloyd to trial the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time global container visibility, tracking and data collection.

Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet of 2 million containers are equipped with IoT devices that frequently transmit location updates directly to WiseTech’s ecosystem of platforms for the logistics, global trade and supply chain industry. This pilot specifically tests the ability to ingest and process millions of data points daily, applying advanced algorithms to transform the IoT data into meaningful milestones and products used to drive decision-making.

WiseTech can then distribute the location and positioning data to Hapag-Loyd’s customers via a range of channels such as the CargoWise Cargo Tracker and Container Automation solutions. More distribution channels are planned, including via GLO, INTTRA and Neo.

Moving beyond standard milestone updates, the collaboration aims to provide highly accurate, real-time insights on container positioning, transit conditions, and arrival predictions. Hapag-Lloyd’s customers will not only see where a container is, but also detect anomalies such as deviations or delays that might impact its arrival at the next critical handover point, delivering unprecedented accuracy for data-driven planning and execution.

In addition, Hapag Lloyd delivers the shipping industry’s first dynamic estimated time of arrival (ETA) prediction – Live ETA – that adjusts in real time based on actual movement and location data collected via IoT pings from GPS tracking devices on the containers, regardless of the mode of transport, to provide dynamic arrival time calculations. For shipments where Hapag-Lloyd manages the entire journey from port to customer location, this tool improves delivery time accuracy by 75% compared to traditional static schedule predictions.

Zubin Appoo, Chief Executive Officer of WiseTech Global, said: “The shipping industry has long relied on discrete and often inaccurate event updates that may lag by hours or even days. By bringing IoT-driven live container data and tracking into CargoWise, we’re revolutionizing supply chain visibility. This collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd harnesses data at significant scale to turn it into intelligence that customers can act on, to reduce uncertainty, improve efficiency, and make smarter decisions.”

Karsten Schmidt, Director Live Position & Track & Trace, said: “We’ve invested in equipping our entire dry container fleet with IoT technology to provide better service and reliability to our customers. Working with WiseTech, we can integrate the data from our smart containers into the systems our customers use every day, providing actionable predictive insights rather than just dots on a map. This partnership represents an important step toward a more transparent, resilient and digitally enabled global supply chain.”