High rates of cargo fraud and fuel theft in Brazil continue to cause serious issues for distributors, carriers, and society at large. These crimes compromise business performance and pose risks of explosion, fire, intoxication, contamination, and environmental damage.

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Optical fibers, already well established in traditional applications such as data transmission, lighting, sensors, lasers, and medical devices, can be combined with smart circuits and communication modules to function as security devices for cargo transport, including fuel tankers. Hubz has already applied this technology in monitoring disconnect switches in electrical substations, and its current maturity level is TRL 5.

 

Cargo theft in Brazil caused losses of over R$ 1.2 billion in 2023, with 17,108 reported cases, a 4.8% increase from 2022. In the first half of 2024, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais accounted for 47.2%, 18.7%, and 14.2% of those losses, respectively.

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Benefits

• Tracks exactly when tanker valves open and close, communicating wirelessly to an external device.

• Confirms whether tanker valves were opened and/or closed only in authorized locations and timeframes, making fraudulent activity more difficult

 

Applications

• Fleet and cargo security

• Precise control of loading and unloading times and locations

• Accurately tracks door operations in hazardous or restricted areas — e.g., industrial facilities, pharmaceutical labs, and other secure environments

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