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What is Transportation Visibility?

Transportation Visibility is the real-time tracking and monitoring of goods as they move through the supply chain, from the point of origin to the final destination. It leverages data from GPS, ELD (Electronic Logging Devices), AIS (Automatic Identification Systems), and IoT sensors to provide a live "Blue Dot" view of shipments across all modes—Road, Air, Ocean, and Rail.

In the legacy supply chain, transportation was a black hole. Once a truck left the dock, the shipper lost sight of the goods until they were scanned at the destination. Transportation visibility turns the lights on and makes moving goods transparent. It moves the organization from milestone tracking (relying on periodic manual status updates) to near real-time visibility.


Why It Matters: From "Where is my stuff?" to "When will it arrive?"

Visibility is a foundational layer of a modern supply chain. Without knowing where your inventory is, you cannot optimize where it is going.

  • Proactive Exception Management: Visibility allows you to manage by exception. Instead of watching every on-time truck, your team focuses on the shipments that are "At Risk" or "Late," allowing for faster intervention.
  • Reduced Safety Stock: When you have high confidence in the exact location and arrival time of raw materials, you can reduce the amount of "Just-in-Case" inventory held in the warehouse, freeing up working capital.
  • Customer Trust & Satisfaction: Customers increasingly expect real-time transparency. Visibility allows you to provide precise Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) updates, improving the customer experience and reducing "where is my order" inquiries.
  • Fewer Hidden Costs: GPS breadcrumbs provide a "Digital Record of Truth." This allows companies to verify carrier detention claims (waiting time at the dock) and prove precisely when a delivery was made, reducing disputed fees.

Key Capabilities

  1. Multi-Modal Real-Time Tracking:
    • The Scope: It unifies disparate data sources—truck GPS, ocean container AIS signals, and air freight flight data—into a single, cohesive dashboard.
  2. Predictive ETAs (Powered by AI):
    • The Brain: It doesn't just show location; it predicts arrival. By combining the current location with real-time traffic, weather, and driver Hours of Service (HOS), the system calculates a dynamic ETA that is often more accurate than the carrier's own estimate.
  3. Condition Monitoring (IoT Integration):
    • The Vitals: For sensitive freight (pharmaceuticals, fresh food, or high-end electronics), visibility extends to the condition of the cargo. IoT sensors track temperature, humidity, shock, and light, alerting planners if a "Cold Chain" breach occurs in transit.
  4. Geofencing & Automated Milestone Alerts:
    • The Trigger: The system automatically draws virtual boundaries (geofences) around warehouses and stores. When a truck crosses that line, the system automatically triggers an arrival status update, eliminating the need for manual check-calls.

The Blue Yonder Difference: Actionable Visibility

Blue Yonder moves visibility from passive observation to coordinated action:

  • Multi-Enterprise Visibility: Blue Yonder Network Transportation Visibility provides end-to-end track and trace across modes, with predictive ETAs, milestones, exceptions and alerts shared with the trading partners who need them.
  • Device-Level Tracking: Network Telematics adds GPS, ELD, IoT and ocean container tracking through third-party telematics providers for more precise, near-real-time visibility and temperature tracking.
  • Connected to Execution: As part of the Supply Chain Command Center, visibility is linked to transportation and warehouse operations, so teams can adjust plans, appointments and dock capacity when a delay is detected.

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