Smart Logistics Dortmund: IoT Monitoring for Port Operations and Distribution Centers

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Dortmund is one of Germany's most important logistics hubs. The Port of Dortmund as Europe's largest canal port, the former Westfalenhuette site as a logistics hub, and numerous distribution centers along the A1, A2 and A45 motorways - the infrastructure is there. What's often missing: digital transparency about what's happening inside the halls and across the site.

IoT sensors with LoRaWAN close this gap. Battery-powered sensors capture temperatures, positions, energy consumption and environmental conditions - in real time and without complex cabling.

Dortmund as a Logistics Hotspot

Dortmund is not just football - the city is one of Germany's top 5 logistics locations. The numbers speak for themselves: over 30,000 employees in the logistics sector, more than 150 logistics companies and an unbeatable transport infrastructure at the intersection of the A1, A2, A40 and A45 motorways.

The key logistics locations in Dortmund:

• Port of Dortmund: Europe's largest canal port with 170 hectares. Handling containers, bulk goods and heavy cargo. Numerous freight forwarders and warehouse service providers on site.
• Westfalenhuette / Logistics Park: The former ThyssenKrupp site is now one of the most modern logistics parks in the region. Amazon, DHL and other major distributors have established distribution centers here.
• Indupark Oespel: Commercial and industrial area in the west focusing on wholesale and order picking.
• Gneisenau Commercial Area: In the south near the A44 - a mix of production, warehousing and freight forwarding.
• Dortmund Airport Surroundings: Express and courier logistics companies are located around the airport.

The challenges are similar everywhere:

• Temperature chains must be documented without gaps
• Warehouse utilization is often opaque
• Energy costs are rising, but nobody knows exactly where the power goes
• Vehicle and container positions are tracked manually or not at all

IoT Monitoring for the Port of Dortmund

The Port of Dortmund, with its 170-hectare site, offers an ideal deployment area for LoRaWAN. Just a few gateways on existing crane and building structures cover the entire area.

Use cases:

Container and Cargo Tracking

GPS-LoRaWAN trackers on containers and swap bodies capture positions across the port grounds. Data flows into a ThingsBoard dashboard with map view - dispatchers see in real time where each container is located.

Temperature Monitoring for Cold Chain Logistics

Refrigerated containers and temperature-controlled storage areas are continuously monitored. When values deviate from targets, the Node-RED rule engine triggers immediate alerts - via email, SMS or push notification.

Energy Monitoring of Infrastructure

Crane systems, lighting, cold storage - energy consumption at the port is substantial. LoRaWAN energy sensors at distribution panels capture consumption per system. Grafana dashboards show load profiles, peaks and savings potential.

IoT for Distribution Centers

Beyond the port, the large distribution centers along Dortmund's motorways also benefit from IoT retrofit:

• Warehouse utilization: Ultrasonic sensors on shelf bays measure fill levels
• Room climate: Temperature and humidity across different storage zones
• Gate contacts: Loading dock opening times for energy optimization
• Power consumption: Real-time monitoring of conveyor systems and lighting

The IoT Stack for Dortmund Logistics

Our proven open-source stack for logistics IoT:

• ChirpStack: LoRaWAN Network Server for sensor connectivity
• ThingsBoard: Central IoT platform with real-time dashboards and maps
• Grafana: Analytical dashboards for KPIs and long-term trends
• Node-RED: Automations, alerting and ERP integration
• Milesight: Enterprise LoRaWAN hardware (gateways and sensors)

All components run GDPR-compliant on German servers via merkaio Managed Hosting.

Case Study: Distribution Center at the Indupark

Situation: A wholesale company at Indupark Oespel operates a 12,000 m2 distribution center with dry and cold storage areas. 8 loading docks, 24/7 operations. Problems: no transparency about energy consumption per area, regular temperature deviations in the cold storage on weekends, manual dock management without data.

IoT Solution:

• 2x Milesight Gateways (roof + courtyard)
• 15x Temperature/humidity sensors (dry and cold storage areas)
• 8x Gate contacts at all loading docks
• 4x Current clamps at main distribution panels (cooling, lighting, conveyor systems, miscellaneous)

Results after 6 months:

• Cold storage stabilized: Root cause of weekend fluctuations identified - defective door seal on cold cell 3. Repair costing 800 euros saved an estimated 20,000 euros per year in energy costs from cooling overcompensation.
• Dock optimization: Docks 5 and 6 were open an average of 6.5 hours per day (vs. 3.2 hours for the others). Cause: shift handover without clear responsibility. Process change introduced - heating costs in the north hall area reduced by 22%.
• Energy consumption broken down: Conveyor systems consumed 45% of total electricity - more than expected. Night shutdown of secondary conveyors implemented - 6,200 euros per year saved.
• ROI: Total investment approximately 6,800 euros, paid for itself after 3 months through the cold cell repair alone.

The Port of Dortmund: IoT for Inland Shipping

The Port of Dortmund is special: as a canal port connected to the Dortmund-Ems Canal, it links inland shipping with road and rail. The particular challenge here is the vast expanse - warehouse halls, quay edges, open storage areas and transshipment points spread across nearly 2 km in length.

A single LoRaWAN gateway on the port crane covers large parts of the grounds. Combined with a second gateway on the Speicherstrasse, the entire port area is served. Particularly relevant for port operators:

• Water level monitoring at the quay edges for ship berths
• Container tracking at the transshipment point via GPS-LoRaWAN trackers
• Crane monitoring: Operating hours, load cycles and energy consumption of port cranes

Next Steps

Do you operate a distribution center or port facility in Dortmund? We will analyze your site and show you which quick wins are possible with IoT sensors.

• IoT solutions in Dortmund - All services
• IoT solutions in the Ruhr Area - Regional overview
• IoT solutions in Unna - Neighboring location
• All IoT locations - Overview
• Get in touch - Free consultation