Eastern Railroad Discussion > Container Question

I noticed today that shipping containers going by had what appear to be data transmitters like the ones used on railroad cars. I've attached some photos. Are these read in ports? Why do most containers have four on one side? Thanks in advance.

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I believe they are actually vents of some kind, when you get really close to them they have a opening on the bottom.

They look like RFID tags, not sure where they're scanned though.
Dan

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Air vents. They have a series of small holes on the sides you really cant see until you are up close to them.

Plastic vents. http://www.chassisking.com/parts/plastic-container-vents/

Have a Safe Day
BMH

Some produce shippers will add vents so they can ship produce loads in containers. They use AAR approved vents. This use to be done all the time on 45' trailers.

They are Radio tags for when the Container arrives in the Inter model yard via truck. There would be a scanner at each entrance to a inter model facility.

Thanks for the answers...I zoomed in on the original photos and sure enough, there are holes and vent slits. Going by on a train they sure looked like RFID tags, but you guys are absolutely correct.

They are indeed air vents. In my job at an intermodal ramp, I inspect many containers every day at the gate. Almost all of the vents are made of plastic and can get broken if hit by another container while it is being backed into an adjacent parking spot.

The vents are there to allow air flow due to increasing or decreasing temperatures and altitudes. Altitudes? Next time you take Amtrak or Via across the Rocky Mountains, check out the coffee creamers...they are bulged up due to the reduced air pressure. The rubber door seals on newer containers are very effective at preventing any air flow, especially on refrigerator units, hence, vents.

They also provide a means for any moisture trapped inside - typically condensate when the temperature drops below 50 degrees or so - to escape. Once unloaded, many consignees leave the doors open until a driver brings them back to the ramp...perhaps several days later. Rain and snow typically soak the rear 6 feet of the floor when the doors had been left open. Paper companies and food shippers require an absolutely clean, dry container. A driver recently came back with what had to be a new, 30 day old (they have builders plates!) empty UMXU container that got rejected by a paper company for loading due to condensate on the cold metal roof dripping onto the floor.

And, for what it's worth, some containers are being fitted with GPS units. Most of the orange Schneider containers have a box mounted near the top of the front panel of the container that contains a small solar panel, GPS unit, computer, and transmitter. Some years back, we got a call from Schneider HQ telling us a specific container located in our yard had had its doors opened. A newer refrigerator trailer 'tattled' on a truck driver not long ago who siphoned diesel fuel from the refer tank. We checked the video cameras and sure enough, we saw it happen and identified the driver!