DECEMBER 2025AUTOTECHOUTLOOK.COM8IN MY OPINIONLEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK RETURNABLE SHIPPING CONTAINERSBy Bridget Grewal, Director of Packaging Continuous Improvement, Magna InternationalThe ability to track shipping containers filled with automotive components is quite valuable in today's just-in-time production world. Identifying when shipments will be delayed, or correcting the path of shipments off course, helps us ensure our manufacturing facilities can plan accordingly and meet the production needs of our customers. Until recently, leveraging technology to track returnable containers, those that are specially fabricated and hold significant value as a company asset, has been too expense. However, as is common with tech, the cost for implementing and using RFID, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and low power, wide area (LBWA) solutions has come down, making the use of them now cost effective.Before we look ahead at how these technologies can greatly improve tracking for container fleets, let's review some history around this kind of effort. When I worked for a large automaker in the 1990s, tracking returnable shipping equipment started to gain traction as the industry adopted the use of standard hand-held and bulk containers. These kinds of fabricated containers held value, could be reused and replaced expendable cardboard shipping boxes. In 1994, our team of seven people launched returnable shipping assets valued at $21 million that year. The idea that we could dramatically lower the use of cardboard for shipping was a nod toward creating a more sustainable approach to moving parts from our suppliers to our assembly plants in North America.
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