The VizTracker Solution - Making Yard Tractors Intelligent but not Autonomous
The VizTracker solution is envisioned to enable real-time tracking of unaccompanied road trailers and terminal tractors in RoRo ports and onboard RoRo / RoPax vessels. Most RoRo / RoPax shipping companies and terminals today lack a robust data foundation as basis for making cargo operations for unacompanied road trailers more efficient and fast so they also can shorten port stays for their vessels.
Several years of research and innovation projects in collaboration with European RoRo/ RoPax shipping companies has highlighted the need for adressing this issue in attempts to reduce costs and decarbonize the industry. The VizTracker solution deals with the challenge via making terminal tractors and mobile equipment used during loading and discharge opeartions on the yard and onboard the vessel more intelligent, but not more Autonomus in line what other technology vendors are doing.
The latest version of the VizTrack currently undergoing development, is version 5, and it contains a set of technology components or modules which are to be configured and installed on RoRo / RoPax terminal tractors and vessels with relatively little effort. The key technology components are listed below:
- Main Power and Router box unit mounted on yard tractor roof
- Up to 4 Cameras with computing units mounted on yard tractor front, rear and sides
- Beacons / Aruco tags mounted at vessel decks
- Customized OCR Machine Learning algorithms and in-built logic to enable identification of trailer IDs, trips and real-time positions
- GPS tracking and Connectivity with 4G / 5G, Wifi and BLE
- Visual Odometry to enable real-time positioning of tractors and trailers onboard vessel
- Customized OCR Machine Learning algorithms to identify likely collision with human objects
- Digital Maps with GPS coordinates for all cargo positions on Yard and Vessel
- Data Storage in Cloud , Dashboards, Graphical User interfaces and APIs
- Systems integration with TOS and other IT applications
VizTracker Functionalities
The VizTracker solution version 5 is envisioned to provide the following functionalities to the RoRO shipping industry:
- Real-time capture of trailer and tractor IDs, trips and positions on yard.
- Regular automated checking of all trailer positions (able to make “snakewalks” more efficient or reduce the need for them).
- Safety and early warning of human objects colliding with tractors.
- Real-time capture of trailer and tractor trips and positions onboard vessel
- User Interface, KPIs and Dashboards for real time monitoring of cargo operations, tractors and trailers.
- Digital twin and analytics to support simulation and optimization of cargo operations (not started yet) in the RoRo terminals also to the benefit of RoRo shipping companies.
Value Potential for The RoRo Shipping Industry
The Viztracker is expected to deliver the following business benefits for a typical RoRo terminal / port and related routes / vessels in scope:
- Reduction of time spent and distanced driven for daily “snakewalks” checking up on and renominating faulty trailer positions on yard.
- Reduction of unnecessary time spent and distance driven during cargo operations searching for trailers on yard and onboard vessels which anyway are found after some seconds/minutes and picked up correctly.
- Reduction of crew work time validating stowage positions of cargo onboard the vessel.
- Reduction of short shipments, i.e. defined as unaccompanied trailers shipped to wrong vessel voyage and route.
- Reduction of work time spent and distance driven by external truck drivers (and DFDS support staff at gate or yard) unable to find allocated empty parking slots to export trailers or unable to find import trailers on intended parking slots on the yard.
- Improved yard tractor productivity (trailer move cycle time) and reduced driving distance (km) for cargo operations due to reduction of inefficiencies and better planning and execution of work – also reduction of costs and emissions from operating mobile equipment.
- Reduced Port Stay time for vessels in / out of Vlaardingen and bunker fuel savings (HSFO / LSFO / MGO), GHG and other particle emission reductions on the sea leg and during port stay.
- Improved ability to predict ETA at destination port for cargo units based on knowing exact cargo section, lane, slot positions on deck of origin port.
- Safety benefits on yard and vessel due to early warnings to tractor drivers when risk of colliding with human objects.
- In the long term, optimized stowage of vessels with less need for intake of ballast water as stowage planners and supporting software applications receive accurate real-time data on cargo units, positions (and weights) on yard and onboard vessels. Reduced intake of ballast water without impeding stability, strength calculations, optimal trim etc. for the vessel imply less use of fuel for propulsion of the vessel.
The listed benefits explain how a VizTracker implemenation directly and indirectly contributes to achieving several of the UN Sustainable development goals, particularly objectives: 3, 8, 9, 13 and 1.
For a medium sized RoRo port the expected ROI and paycback time from investment in and installation of a VizTracker to benefits are realized for Cargo Operations is expected to be app. 3 years.
The VizTraker is currently undergoing development and testing with support from external funding and is expected to be ready as a commercial product in 2026.
For further information, please check the latest report submitted to The Danish Maritime Fund at closure of Project Marketready:
And do not hesitate to contact us if you want further information on our products and services using the contact info below
ProjectMarketReady-ClosureReport-20250416
