How cellular IoT supports transport security and vehicle safety

The millions of vehicles, drivers, parcels, pallets and containers in transit every day creates the supply chain that drives the global connected economy.

When it comes to safeguarding this transport infrastructure, trackers, sensors, and other Internet of Things (IoT) technology can play a vital role but only if the connectivity used has the same reach and mobility as the people, goods and vehicles it needs to protect.

These global supply challenges require global solutions. The speed, coverage and cross-border roaming capability of cellular networks makes them an ideal choice for a range of transport security use cases.

Securing goods in transit

Cellular-connected IoT devices on pallets, or the transporting them can do much to prevent cargo theft, which the EU estimates costs the economy around .

GPS trackers and sensors – with global roaming SIMs – can alert logistics companies about unscheduled stops, route deviations, door openings or other signs of possible theft, even when goods are being shipped across borders.

Connected thermal sensors also enable preventative action to avoid the spoilage of temperature-sensitive goods like medicines or vaccines. For example, , an Icelandic specialist in environmental monitoring, has reduced the spoilage of medicine shipments from 35 percent to below one percent by fitting its sensors with Vodafone’s IoT SIMs.

Stolen vehicle recovery

According to , over a quarter of a million vehicles were stolen in 2024. Cellular IoT is increasingly being recognised as a way to improve vehicle recovery.

A GPS tracker with a global SIM card housed in robust casing can be covertly fitted into any vehicle – allowing live tracking of its position and movement, including speed and direction of travel. Using this technology, Vodafone Automotive offers its in 50 countries around the world. The service handles around 5,000 vehicle alerts per day, providing vital information to police forces that enable the recovery of vehicles.

Road safety

Cellular-IoT is not just useful for protecting goods and assets on the move.

In Spain, Vodafone and Netun Solutions, have introduced over 250,000 IoT-enabled to keep drivers safe in the event of a breakdown. Thanks to Vodafone’s Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network coverage, these beacons automatically transmit the vehicle’s location to traffic authorities and nearby drivers, enabling quicker response and accident prevention.

Whether it’s safeguarding drivers, goods or vehicles in transit, only cellular IoT connectivity can provide the real-time data transfer and seamless mobility across borders to ensure the safety and efficiency of transport operations worldwide.