Dream technology or pipe-dream? Jury still out on advances in remote-monitoring systems.

An 18-wheeler carrying a trailer-load of ice cream motors through a sweltering Arizona summer night. Suddenly, a warning light goes off in the cab, signaling a possible problem with the trailer's contents. Pressed for time, the driver doesn't shoulder the rig. Meanwhile, the temperature inside the trailer's refrigeration unit slowly rises, putting the cargo at risk of spoilage. The driver knows this, but he's also aware that should he pull over to inspect the trailer, his options for corrective action are limited. So he puts pedal to the medal and hopes for the best.

Hundreds of miles away, however, a little magic is about to happen. A trucking company employee receives instant notification, via the company's mainframe computer, of unit. With several mouse clicks on a desktop PC, the clicks on a desktop PC, the employee adjusts the temperature, bringing the levels to within the proper parameters. The environment is soon stabilized, and the shipment is salvaged. The rig and driver continue uninterrupted to their destination.

It sounds futuristic or even downright Orwellian, but technology that allows companies to monitor perishables consignments and fix any problem while the goods are on the move is gradually coming to a cold chain near you.

This year, C.R. England Inc., one of the nation's largest …