Port of Oakland Selects WhereNet Active RFID Technology
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Oakland, CA: The Port of Oakland is taking a proactive step to meeting security requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by helping implement a truck tagging system at one of its most active marine terminals.
Drayage trucks serving the port at the Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) will be equipped with WhereNet active RFID tags, from WhereNet Corp., a Zebra Technologies company based in Santa Clara, CA.
"WhereNet's real-time locating system technology provides container ports with another critical layer of security as we continue to protect our nation from terrorist threats," says Mike O'Brien, port facilities security officer for the Port of Oakland.
"While enhancing security measures is always a work in progress, we consider beginning to identify and track trucks on our premises with the latest technology as an important step forward."
The Port of Oakland has purchased 1,700 WhereTag active RFID transmitters and is contracting with WhereNet and eModal to distribute the tags to drayage companies that serve the OICT, which is operated by Stevedoring Services of America Terminals (SSAT). WhereNet has completed installation of RFID readers at OICT and drivers using that terminal are already voluntarily installing the tags on their truck cabs.
When a driver arrives at the terminal and approaches security, a transmission from the WhereTag is picked up by the WhereNet Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) infrastructure of antennas installed at each marine terminal and automatically cross-references with the information available through the eModal trucking database, ensuring that only authorized vehicles are granted entry.
The Port of Oakland's security initiative should be bolstered by the recent DHS decision, announced on January 9, 2007, to award increased grant funding to help secure California ports this year. By allowing Bay Area ports to jointly apply for the highest level of funding for the 2007 Port Security Grant Program, the combined ports of Oakland, San Francisco, Richmond, and Stockton will be eligible for as much as $11.2 million.
