Electronic Tracking for the Safe, Efficient and Reliable Transport of Radioactive Materials

Governments and operators take their responsibility to transport nuclear and other radioactive materials seriously. Thousands of shipments are carried out every year, both safely and securely. However, because nuclear and other radioactive materials are potentially at their most vulnerable while they are being shipped from one location to another, the shipments need to be monitored carefully. One way of monitoring the shipments is to track them. To accomplish this mandate, organizations around the world use many different kinds of tracking methods. The most basic requires transport operators to contact their organizations at certain fixed time periods or checkpoints along the route. Electronic tracking systems can have many benefits, depending on the particulars of the shipment; if applied effectively, they could add an extra layer of security and functionality to materials transport. This paper is manly focused on electronic tracking for safe, efficient and reliable transport of radioactive materials.