The installed base of active cargo tracking units will reach 29 million by 2025, according to market researcher Berg Insight.

The report covers the trailer and cargo container tracking market. It found the number of active tracking devices deployed for cargo loading units including trailers, intermodal containers, rail freight wagons, air cargo containers, cargo boxes and pallets reached 9.3 million worldwide in 2020.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.3 per cent, this number is expected to reach 28.9 million by 2025.

In terms of installed units, trailer telematics is the most developed market, followed by tracking devices for general cargo applications and intermodal containers. The markets for tracking for rail freight wagons and air cargo containers are considerably smaller but are estimated to grow quickly during the coming five years.

The total market value for trailer and cargo container tracking reached an estimated €1.2bn in 2020. Growing at a CAGR of 16.0 per cent, the total market size is forecasted to reach €2.5bn in 2025.

Berg ranks Orbcomm as the largest vendor of tracking for cargo loading units, having an installed base of trailers as well as containers. Orbcomm, SkyBitz, Spireon, CalAmp, PowerFleet and Samsara are the leading players on the North American trailer telematics market in terms of number of active units.

The European trailer telematics market is smaller than the North American and is dominated by Orbcomm, Idem Telematics, Schmitz Cargobull, Transics/Wabco and Novacom Europe.

Maersk Line is the largest intermodal shipping container tracking company. Other leading players in the segment include Envotech, Orbcomm, Traxens, ZillionSource and Globe Tracker. Mecomo and Agheera, both based in Europe, are strong vendors in the adjacent swap body segment. Nexxiot, Siemens, Savvy and Dot Telematik based in Europe and Amsted Rail based in North America are significant vendors of tracking for rail freight wagons. Sensitech, Roambee, Tive, OnAsset Intelligence and Controlant are notable players in the general cargo segment, also offering air freight cargo tracking.

While the global Covid-19 pandemic and the semiconductor shortage are problematic for tracking vendors, they also accentuate how important reliable and up-to-date shipment data is for fleet owners, shippers, transporters and other actors in the logistics industry. This creates an increasing demand for asset tracking and cargo condition monitoring.

“The trailer and cargo container tracking industry is now rapidly advancing from providing merely location tracking towards providing a complete view of the condition of the trailer, container and the cargo,” said Martin Backman, senior analyst at Berg Insight.

This is especially true for the trailer tracking market, which has in the past few years seen an influx of new connected products covering cargo load, brake systems, tyre, lights and other trailer systems.

“The key to success for tracking vendors will be to make sense of all the data and provide easy-to-use tools that help increase trailer and cargo container utilisation, identify reoccurring issues in the supply chain, and in turn save costs,” said Backman.