Shipment tracking system providing monitoring of access to a closed shipping container or cargo space utilizing locally-deployed access reporting and monitoring devices

A container access door sealing and monitoring (CADSM) system comprising:

• a shipment monitoring service (SMS) server comprising:
• a memory having stored thereon program instructions for enabling concurrent tracking of a plurality of different shipments each comprising cargo in a sealable container being transported by one or more operators of one or more transport vessels from an origination point to at least one destination point, the program instructions further comprising an access reporting and monitoring (ARM) device monitoring module for configuring the SMS server to track and report on an operating state of a plurality of ARM devices, each ARM device deployed with a respective container to track a sealed and unsealed state of a cable locking mechanism comprising a cable intertwined around and affixed to secure both sides of an access door of the container;
• a communication subsystem that enables the SMS server to communicatively connect via one or more networks to secondary devices including a first intermediary communication device co-located with a first container having a first ARM device assigned to monitor a seal and unsealed status of the cable locking mechanism attached as an access door seal of the first container, the first intermediary communication device communicatively connected via short range wireless communication to the first ARM device, receives ARM device status information and seal/unseal messages from the first ARM device, and reports a sealed and unsealed status of the access door, as detected and reported by the first ARM device, within messages transmitted to the SMS server;
• and
• a processor communicatively connected to the memory and to the communication subsystem, the processor processing the program instructions which configures the SMS server to:
• in response to receiving an ARM device message indicating an unsealed status of the access door seal being monitored by the first ARM device:
• parse the ARM device message for information related to an actual time and location at which the ARM device detected unsealing of the access door seal;
• and
• compare the actual time and location to an expected time and location at which a scheduled, authorized unlocking of the container is expected;
• and
• in response to the actual time and location not being within a threshold range of the expected time and location:
• determine that at least one of an unexpected or an unscheduled unseal event has occurred with the container;
• and
• generate and transmit notifications, via the communication subsystem, alerting at least one interested party identified with the shipment of the unexpected or unscheduled unseal event, wherein to transmit the notifications, the processor configures the SMS server to:
• transmit a request to the mobile terminal for the operator to capture and provide one or more pictures or video of the access door, the seal, and the ARM device in real time and provide, along with the images, secondary information to confirm whether the access door was unsealed and whether the cargo has been tampered with or stolen;
• and
• receive, via the communications subsystem, the secondary information confirming a current status of the access door seal.