March 2008, Work Truck - Feature

RFID Technology Can Help Manage Fleet Loads

By Paul Dexler

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Controlling Inventory

The RFID system provides detailed and accurate inventory control, without much of the possibility for error that occurs with manual control.

Assume that a vehicle is operated by a delivery service from a base location. Cargo to be delivered is loaded into it. Different cargo units are to be delivered from the vehicle at a number of stops.

At the base, a delivery schedule can be created. The schedule includes a list of the cargo to be removed from the truck at each delivery location.

The information in the delivery schedule can be recorded by the dispatcher on passive data storage media, such as a CD-ROM, a computer diskette, or flash drive, and given to the driver. Using a data entry device in the cab of the vehicle, the driver can load the delivery schedule into an onboard computer. The driver may also be given a hard copy of the delivery schedule. The driver then closes the door to the cargo space and departs.

When the cargo space door is closed, the transceiver receives cargo unit identifying information from the RFID tags carried by each cargo unit. An initial inventory of units in the cargo space is created in the computer’s memory. On arrival at the first delivery location, the driver stops, opens the cargo access door, and removes those units designated by the delivery schedule at that location.

The driver may, at the same time, receive from the customer additional packages or cargo units, each bearing an RFID tag for delivery elsewhere. The vehicle operator places the incoming cargo units in the cargo space and closes the access door. The door closure registers the new cargo inventory in the memory of the onboard computer. The computer then compares the new inventory with the initial inventory and identifies the differences between them.

A difference report reviews the delivery schedule for that location. If there is an inconsistency between the two, an alarm alerts the driver of the misdelivery so the error can be corrected before the vehicle leaves. wt

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