MSC has launched a new digital solution for processing the Bill of Lading (BL) online. The solution aims to ensure that all the parties involved in a cargo shipment booking can issue, transfer, endorse and manage the bill of lading electronically through a secure, decentralised network.

“MSC has chosen Wave BL because it is the only solution that mirrors the traditional paper-based process that the shipping and cargo transportation industry is used to,” said André Simha, Global Chief Digital & Information Officer at MSC. “It provides a digital alternative to all the possibilities available with traditional print documents, just much faster and more secure.”

Users can issue all originals, negotiable or non-negotiable, and exchange them via a direct, encrypted, peer-to-peer transmission as well as being able to amend documents.

Research conducted by the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), of which MSC is a founding member, indicates that by achieving just 50% eBL adoption by 2030 could save the industry more than US$4bn per year.

MSC has participated in a number of initiatives led by the DCSA focused on driving standardisation, digitalisation and interoperability in container shipping.

“Traditionally, the shipping industry has relied quite heavily on physical paper documents. And among these, the Bill of Lading is the most important transport document in international trade,” adds André Simha. “While there have been attempts to create an eBL solution in the past, we are now in a position to introduce a solution that can pave the way to mass eBL adoption, which will mean significant savings for the shipping industry.”

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SeaCube Containers LLC and Carrier Transcold have announced a strategic refrigerated asset management systems platform engagement.

The engagement will see SeaCube become the first intermodal equipment leasing company to incorporate Carrier’s Lynx Fleet solution into its fleet with an initial deployment of 2,000 PrimeLINE refrigerated container units.

The Lynx Fleet solution includes proprietary technology that monitors reefer unit performance and provides early warning actionable diagnostics and predictive analytics down to the level of the machine’s components. The Carrier Lynx Fleet system will provide much more detailed machine performance analysis capabilities compared to other telematics platforms on the market by using integrated sensor machine data feeds.

“This is an exciting step forward for SeaCube as we move toward realizing our vision of telematics as a standard within our reefer fleet,” said Bob Sappio, chief executive officer of SeaCube. “We are confident that the Lynx Fleet offerings will help drive improvements in our own operating metrics and resonate with our customers to help them achieve optimal reefer performance and act on data-driven insights.”

Kartik Kumar, vice president and general manager of global container refrigeration at Carrier Transicold, said: “We are confident that Lynx Fleet will enhance connectivity across the cold chain, increasing visibility, providing predictive analytics and driving faster data-driven decisions.”

Lynx Fleet will offer prognostics and data analytics with features that provide differentiation such as improved fleet uptime through health analytics and prognostics using Carrier-unique features and reduced operational costs and maintenance and repair expenses as a result of optimised performance. It can also provide incremental value through lower cargo spoilage and possible reduced insurance costs.

The Lynx digital platform applies advanced internet of things (IoT) analytics, machine learning and various big data technologies to connect the cold chain in the cloud, automate key processes and deliver real-time visibility and insights throughout the cargo’s journey.

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The world’s largest container carriers have adopted DCSA Track & Trace (T&T) standards with a commitment to providing customers access to the standards-based API.

The DCSA T&T API provides a streamlined way for shippers to receive real-time, cross-carrier data regarding the whereabouts of their containers. Widespread adoption of DCSA standards will advance the industry in terms of visibility and real-time responsiveness, resulting in greater reliability and a better customer experience.

The DCSA T&T standard comprises an information model and interface standards that can be freely downloaded from the DCSA website; API definitions are available on SwaggerHub. The data model ensures track and trace data definitions are consistent for all users, leveraging any system. These definitions are based on the Industry Blueprint, published by DCSA and its carrier members in 2019, which established a consistent vocabulary and proposed a common set of industry processes. The T&T standards are aligned with the UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) standards to provide a global industry framework that preserves existing investments and streamlines communication among all supply chain participants.

“While a variety of digital innovations exist in the maritime industry, MSC believes that new solutions will only be fit for purpose if they can be operated across multiple carriers, service providers and geographies. Collaboration is essential in this regard, so we can establish the same technology standards throughout the industry. The ‘Track & Trace’ (T&T) standards establish a consistent method for exchanging data between carriers and customers. We’re proud to be one of the first to implement these new standards with our customers, thus shaping the technological future of the shipping industry.”said André Simha, chairman of the DCSA supervisory board and global chief digital & information officer of MSC.

Yu Kurimoto,  managing director, corporate and innovation for ONE (Ocean Network Express), commented:“Today, optimization in the way we envision requires digitalization. Done properly, digitalization will provide a foundation for integrating all aspects of global trade, uniting geographies and connecting stakeholders in a way that will not only enable ONE to deliver on its vision, but for container shipping to be seen as a leading light of industry. DCSA is enabling digitalization to be done properly, and we are proud to be among the first to offer a Track & Trace API based on DCSA standards that will improve cargo visibility for shippers.”

“The standards work being done in conjunction with DCSA will enable a level of seamlessness that has been difficult to achieve to this point due to a lack of interoperability across the industry. Digital standards will not only enable this interoperability, they will make it easier for carriers to achieve customer excellence and operational efficiency. But adopting standards and collaborating across the industry requires more than standards alone, it requires a cultural change in the industry which will hopefully start now. We are not only proud to be a founding member of this standardization initiative, we are excited about the benefits our DCSA standards-based Track & Trace API will provide for our customers.”said Nicolas Sekkaki, executive vice president IT, digital, SSC & transformation from CMA CGM.

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The Port of Barcelona has begun the process of collecting data to produce its new economic impact study of commercial and digital activity.

The study aims to assess the port’s commercial dimension and especially to learn what added value it generates in the economy of its hinterland, as well as collecting data from other indicators to further assess the scope of its environmental and social impact.

This study is a follow-up to other previous ones, such as the economic impact study that was completed in 2010. Since that time, the Port has undergone major changes at all levels, with a particular focus on innovation and digitalisation as the main factors of competitiveness that the port community of Barcelona has incorporated over the last ten years.

Consequently, the surveys underlying this new study pay special attention to digitalisation, since this is the first time a port has launched a study of this nature. The study will thus highlight the efforts made by companies in the port community of Barcelona in technological investments in all operational and commercial areas —digitalising processes, automation and digital management of different operations, development of PORTIC, innovation in digital services, etc.— which have clearly enhanced the port’s competitiveness.

Port of Barcelona president Mercè Conesa stated that this study “should help us to attach a figure to the qualitative improvement that our port has made in recent years, during which a key role has been played by the development of digital technology, a factor that is creating a more competitive Port of Barcelona, with a growing territorial scope, a lower environmental impact; in short, a more productive port that is improving the competitiveness of companies and the society it serves.”

”I am convinced that the Port of Barcelona would not have the capacity it has today without the firm commitment to digitalisation made by companies, and now is the time to assess the benefits it has brought us”, added Mercè Conesa.

In addition to quantifying economic aspects like the port’s contribution to Catalan and Spanish gross domestic product (GDP), for example, the survey also aims to analyse the other benefits that port activity generates in its surrounding area. Aspects such as employment generated directly by port activity or the reduction of the environmental impact thanks to the measures implemented in the various companies of Barcelona port community are covered in specific sections.

The company Ecoatenea conducted the economic impact study of the Port of Barcelona’s commercial and digital activity. Ecoatena is specialised in these types of analysis, for which it selected a series of companies that are especially representative of the port, both in terms of type of activity and presence in the logistics sector. It is currently gathering data for this purpose, a process that will end in April.

The Port president “thanked the companies and the various associations of the Port of Barcelona for their participation and involvement in this work” on behalf of the people running the study.

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Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) is working with Brussels Airport and the Air Cargo Belgium community to help eliminate waiting times for international road feeder services in the latest initiative to support Brucargo’s ‘Digital Green Lane’.

Two years ago, WFS was one of the first cargo handlers to sign up for Brucargo’s slot booking app, which allows local freight forwarding and transport providers to request a single or recurrent time slot to deliver or collect export and import air cargo shipments. WFS now receives some 2,000 slot requests a month from companies using the centralised web application.

The latest phase of the Brucloud project – developed by Air Cargo Belgium, technology provider Nallian, Brussels Airport and the air cargo community stakeholders – is to pilot a new Road Feeder Management App to digitally improve the efficiency of the interface between trucking operators and handling providers. Four trucking providers are participating in the pilot; H.Essers, Jan de Rijk, Ninatrans and Wallenborn.

The app allows for automatic booking of flexible slots for cargo drop-offs and collections by Road Feeder Services operators which can shift in time according to the estimated time of arrival (ETA) sent by the truck driver. Once registered, the app tracks the progress of the vehicle and gives the driver an updated time slot prior to arriving at the cargo terminal. As well as simplifying the communications process, the app aims to ensure drivers and trucks benefit from a better and priority service by eliminating waiting times which can occur when vehicles arrive at a cargo terminal and are processed in order with other trucks.

For WFS, the pilot offers the opportunity to gain real-time insight of predicted workflows, which allows it to optimise personnel planning to ensure fast, timely, safe and secure handling of cargo shipments carried onboard its airline customers’ flights to and from Brussels.

Koen Gouweloose, Managing Director, Belgium, at WFS, said: “WFS is keen to participate in and support digital solutions which improve customer experience and the overall efficiency of our operations. Brucloud is already making a significant difference to the way the air cargo community in Brussels works together and provides a win-win scenario for all stakeholders. I am confident we will see very encouraging results from the pilot of the Road Feeder Management application because it addresses some of the key challenges trucking and handling companies face; timeslots and planning are not always predictable due to changing traffic conditions, we rely heavily on manual exchange of information, and language barriers can mean a lack of clear communication with truck drivers.

“This new app addresses another key milestone in the ‘Digital Green Lane’ process and has the potential to benefit the entire Brussels Airport community once we complete this trial stage.”

The app is the latest digital solution developed by the Brussel Airport cargo community to address challenges linked to industry fragmentation for the transportation of goods from manufacturer to consumer, and inefficiencies resulting from a lack of visibility of the end-to-end process. Supported by airlines, GSSAs, handlers, forwarders, truckers and others, BRUcloud is an open data sharing platform with multiple collaborative apps which enable the Brussels Airport cargo community to act as an integrated network. It provides an agile and flexible digital roadmap using dashboards and analytics to achieve smart logistics solutions.

David Bellon, Chairman of Air Cargo Belgium Chairman, commented: “A new step taken in the digitization of our air cargo community at Brussels Airport. With this announcement, WFS confirms its strong engagement in the roll-out of the digital landscape at Brucargo. Air Cargo Belgium looks forward to collaborating with WFS and its customers to implement the green lane processes and improve efficiency and quality for all stakeholders in the community. We thank WFS for all its efforts and support.”

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