E-Sealing is based on Sealed Parcel Delivery System, an international concept for the secured and supervised transport of petroleum products, which have been loaded into road tankers through metering devices calibrated to official standards. The basic element of this concept is that once the compartment of the tank truck has been filled with a measured volume, this compartment is electronically sealed and monitored. The seal is then to remain unbroken until delivery is made to the customer, and the compartment is to be totally emptied. This procedure ensures that the quantity loaded is the same as that delivered to the customer. Proof of the amount delivered is provided by the loading data (e.g. the bill of lading) in combination with the evidence of the unbroken seal and the status report generated after delivery is completed.  In the event that the SPD system is used only to prevent pilferage, the compartment may even be split.

To seal means that the openings in the compartment used for loading and discharging the product (e.g. dome cover, footvalves, discharge valves) are electronically monitored. The status of the systems monitored is recorded in a central database. Via reporting (e.g. a printout), it must be plain to the customer whether the compartment is sealed or whether the seal has been broken. The complete drainage of the compartment is verified with the wetleg (empty compartment) sensors.

The scope and type of monitoring is determined according to the customer’s requirements. In consequence, all events (valve operations, dome cover openings, etc.) on the tank truck can be captured, encoded and processed. The means of displaying the data is also highly variable. From a simple display by printout to wireless data transmission, everything is possible.