# Overcoming the Technological Barriers in the Blockchain Supply Chain for Small Carriers
## 3 Methodology and Materials
#### Levels of Control  
The logistics and supply chain industry faces a challenge due to the involvement of numerous companies, each with different roles, services, and levels of technology and information management. This results in variations in quality control and data collection processes. We have proposed the primary levels of controls. 1. Manual control  
The first level of goods transportation involves manual measurement and control of the temperature and other conditions during transportation. This information is only accessible to the responsible organisation or the carrier itself (Figure 3). A responsible person publishes the report. Small carriers usually provide such a level of control with limited budgets and access to technology. 2. Semi-manual control  
The second level involves creating a comprehensive system that can automatically collect temperature data, transmit it to relevant parties, or store it in a central database. The system can also monitor the temperature within the vehicle as per the requirements, track its location, or monitor other parameters (Figure 4). However, human intervention is still required to check the database and enter instructions. Figure 4: Semi-Manual temperature control of goods. Figure 3: Manual temperature control of goods. Automatic control  
The third level of automation allows for temperature control without any human intervention (Figure 5). Creating a sensor architecture that can automatically evaluate and provide instructions based on the data collected is possible. This data can be securely stored using blockchain technology, providing stakeholders with trustworthy data on which to base their actions. Companies with well-established systems of automation and sensor networks typically use this type of control. The following Table 1 compares the key aspects of control. Manual control will have lower operational costs than semi-automatic control, which results from the fact that there is no need to create an operational and capital-cost-intensive sensor architecture. Stakeholders who do not need to share temperature data will only prefer manual control. On the other hand, automatic control is more relevant for stakeholders involved in a supply chain where data sharing is required and meets other criteria. It is essential to acknowledge that many transport operators still do not use modern technologies to ensure online data accuracy and control of transport conditions. This is due to various barriers that prevent them from utilising new technologies or existing sensor networks. For small carries, the following are identified as the main barriers:  
* lack of access to technology,
* motivation to use new technologies,
* insufficient financial resources to upgrade equipment or technology,
* ignorance and mistrust of new technologies,
* lack of transport standards. Case Study: Measurement of the Temperature of a Vehicle Intended for the Transport of Temperature-Sensitive Good  
Sequencing all activities is vital during the transportation of perishable food items. In areas where refrigeration or freezing is necessary, constant monitoring is crucial. Hence, \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Factors** & **Manual** & **Semi-Manual** & **Automatic** \\ \hline Operation cost & Low & Medium & High \\ Human intervention & High & Medium & Low \\ Technology dependence & Low & Medium & High \\ Data Sharing & Low & Medium & High \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Comparison of various aspects of control. Figure 5: Automatic control within the blockchain. temperature monitoring is the most accurate method, and subsequent traceability data storage is easy to maintain in this part of the supply chain. However, measuring the temperature of goods directly loaded onto a transport vehicle from the point of production or manufacturing (e.g., orchards) where pre-cooling of the area is not required may cause a problem. Additionally, there may be issues during transportation or unloading from the vehicle.