The Trailer Fleet Services division of GE Equipment Services announced it will provide Wal-Mart Stores with trailer tracking technology for its fleet of 46,000 over-the-road trailers.

The announcement was made during the Truckload Carriers Association 68th convention, one of the largest annual gatherings of trucking industry executives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Telematics is a term used in the trucking industry to describe the integration of wireless communications and sensor-generated information about freight and equipment status. GE's telematics product, called VeriWise Asset Intelligence, is a dual-satellite system that enables precise and timely monitoring of trailer assets – even when they are not connected to a tractor.
"We're pleased to offer Wal-Mart this strategic solution to their global supply chain needs," said Deborah Reif, CEO of GE Equipment Services. "The tracking and monitoring data generated by VeriWise helps fleets increase productivity, reduce costs and meet global security and regulatory requirements. We look forward to further developing our new relationship with Wal-Mart as we expand our asset intelligence capabilities into all major modes of the global supply chain."
First introduced by GE in April 2003, VeriWise consists of a fully protected, trailer-mounted transceiver, a discreet antenna and a patented power management system. Wal-Mart will also be using two recent enhancements to VeriWise capabilities, an interior-mounted cargo sensor and a solar trickle charging system to further extend battery life.