Fresh produce logistics within the air cargo industry has evolved significantly in recent years thanks to new technological advances. And Lufthansa Cargo is taking advantage of them, as the cargo carrier recently succeeded in achieving a new milestone in monitoring and providing optimal transport for fresh produce.

Are perishables becoming trackable?

Perishable goods have limited shelf life and contribute a specific portion to global waste problems because expired, spoilt, and rotten goods are typically not what the customers wish to receive. For cargo carriers, storing and transporting such precious freight can be challenging as it requires special expertise and detailed planning.

Photo: Lufthansa Cargo

This is where technology comes in to make such situations more efficient. In partnership with Sensitech and Lobster Logistics Cloud, the German cargo carrier can use special sensors and GPS technology to identify the exact location and ambient temperature of fresh produce. The duo of information makes monitoring fresh produce in the air and on the ground more seamless.

The overall safety of the perishables is improved as potential problems are identified earlier for rectification. As the risks of losses decline with real-time monitoring, fresh product logistics maintain their sustainability. Andreas Tittel, Strategic Account Manager at Sensitech, further explains:

"The interaction of our innovative temperature logger with Logistics Cloud's modern tracking platform enables notifications by the transported product in real-time, for example when specified parameters for temperature and humidity are reached. Together with Lufthansa Cargo's expertise, the customer can thus identify challenges at an early stage and act accordingly."

Is advanced technology all it takes?

While the use of advanced technological developments certainly makes the whole process more efficient for Lufthansa Cargo, it still takes a village to make it all work, specifically a significant transport network for a quicker response to the potential problems identified by the real-time shipment tracking options.

Suppose critical parameters of perishable cargo are detected and reported. In that case, the customer can intervene in the transport at a certified fresh hub - such as the Lufthansa Cargo Perishable Center in Frankfurt - to protect the product from further damage.

However, not every destination in the cargo carrier's network will have facilities for customers to intervene, so Lufthansa Cargo took it a step further by correcting flight routes for the shortest freight times possible to minimize the risk of losses further. Oliver Blum, Head of Airmail, Courier & Perishable Handling at Lufthansa Cargo, highlights:

"Our route network includes around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries. This enables us to plan optimized flight routes for short freight times. In combination with innovative real-time tracking, we have succeeded in topping our ambitions for a long shelf life of the goods once again. And in doing so, we have also further optimized sustainability in air freight. We are genuinely proud of this achievement."

Photo: Lufthansa Cargo

Bottom line

When it comes to sustainability, Lufthansa Cargo has spearheaded its efforts with its initiatives of investing in digitization and artificial intelligence for sustainability. The use of technology to evolve perishables into trackable shipments follows after the cargo carrier used shark skin technology on its Boeing 777 freighters to save fuel when flying.