Delta Cargo is extending ULD tracking to businesses off the airport, allowing customers to track ULDs from their own warehouses to the final destination.

The service provides customer benefits by eliminating all paperwork at the dock door when units are loaned out and producing a digital Uniform Control Receipt to be emailed to the shipper.

Delta Cargo vice president, Shawn Cole says: “The extension of the tracking technology directly to our customers’ facilities will ensure visibility for the whole freight journey, creating a best-in-class shipping experience.

“This is a genuine innovation, and we are on track to launch in January 2019, with full visibility on deltacargo.com later that year, once the customer installations are complete.”

Delta is one of the first major airlines to test Bluetooth tracking technology and since March 2018 has deployed readers at 80 warehouses including all US hubs and major trucking destinations.

Nearly 40 per cent of the ULD fleet has been tagged with Bluetooth asset trackers and the tracking system will be available on nearly all ULDs by January 2019.

Real-time ULD tracking will allow Delta’s Cargo Control Center to accurately monitor and reroute shipments that are delayed due to irregular operations.