Cable seals, bolt seals or eSeals: what really separates them
Cable seals and other manual seals depend on labour, paperwork and trust. An automated eSeal opens, closes, controls access and keeps the record on its own.
Cargo security · 5 October 2026 · 3 min read
Most fleets still secure loads with plastic, cable or bolt seals. Someone fits each one, writes down its number and cuts it off to open the load. Then it all starts again with a new seal. An electronic seal (eSeal) works differently: it opens, closes and keeps the record on its own.
How manual seals work, and where they fall short
Plastic, cable and bolt seals all do the same basic job. They show that a door has not been opened since the seal was fitted. They do not stop anyone opening it, and they say nothing until somebody looks. Anyone with a pair of cutters can remove a seal, and the next person to check may only find out hours or days later.
The seal number is also only as good as the paperwork behind it. Someone has to write the number down at pickup, check it at each handover and file the docket afterwards. Every one of those steps relies on people doing it the same way, every time.
What changes with an eSeal
- No labour. The electronic slam-lock stays on the vehicle, wired to its power supply. No fitting, checking or replacing at every stop.
- Automatic opening and closing. No new seal and no extra cost each time.
- Full access control. Only the users you authorise can open the lock. A manual seal relies on trust, and anyone with cutters can open it.
- Live alerts and status. You see position and status in real time, where a manual seal says nothing until someone checks it.
- Automatic records. A full history audit trail, instead of paperwork written by hand.
- Reports on demand. Full reports from the management software.
With a manual seal, you trust. With an eSeal, you know.
How the geofence decides when the lock opens
The BITLOCK-700 system pairs a GPS eSeal control unit with a heavy-duty electronic slam-lock. You set the authorised areas in the web-based software, such as depots, customer sites and delivery points, and there is no limit on how many. Outside those areas, or while the vehicle is travelling between them, the lock cannot be opened. When the vehicle enters an authorised area, the seal is released and an approved user can open the lock. When the vehicle leaves, access is restricted again.
That means the door can only be opened at the right place, whoever is holding the key code or the phone.
Who can open it, and how
An approved user opens the lock by phone app, key-code or RFID, or the control room can open it remotely. There is no limit on the number of users, and every opening is recorded. A manual seal can only be broken once. An eSeal can be opened, closed and checked as many times as the job needs, without replacing anything.
Three questions to ask of any seal
Can someone open it without anyone noticing? Does it tell you where and when it was opened? Does it need a new part and a handwritten note every time? With plastic, cable and bolt seals the honest answers are usually yes, no and yes. With an eSeal they are the other way round: the lock opens only for authorised users in authorised places, every opening is logged with its position and time, and nothing needs replacing between runs.
What a seal really costs
A mechanical seal looks cheap, but you pay for it every time: the seal, its replacement, the labour and the paperwork. An eSeal is fitted once and used on every run. For fleets with many vehicles, many drops or valuable loads, that is where it makes the most sense.
The BITLOCK-700 replaces cable and plastic seals and manual log records. It suits logistics, supply chain security, fleet management and high-value asset protection. If you are comparing options for your own fleet, tell us about your routes and delivery points and we will recommend the right setup.
Related solutions
Where eSeal security and live tracking fit in your operation.
Replace cable seals with the BITLOCK-700 automated eSeal.
Automated GPS eSeal locking for distribution and supply fleet vehicles. Ask for a demo and we will show you how it fits your routes.
