Within Cargo Controller, your organisation can be linked to a B/L and the information that becomes available in multiple ways. In this knowledge article, we explain how you can unlock this data and what possibilities we offer in this.
Option 1: Add a B/L yourself
Each user can enter a B/L number via the web screen (or via Cargo Controller API) in combination with at least 1 container number. Based on this data, Portbase retrieves information submitted by the carrier or cargo broker on the import manifest. If this is known, we immediately show all information (and all containers) that Portbase has available at that moment, an „Extended B/L“.
B/Ls that you as a user have added yourself are immediately marked as ‚Favorite‘, recognizable by the yellow star in front of the B/L number. B/Ls that your colleagues have added can also be activated as favorites by clicking on the star.
Option 2: Assigned to a B/L
A carrier, a freight broker or a principal can grant a commercial exemption (via Secure Chain) to your organization without your organization tracking the container on the corresponding B/L within Cargo Controller. Based on this data, Portbase retrieves information that is available within the Secure Chain, a „Basic B/L“.
As explained in our Quick Start Guide, there are filter options available, but also ‚Quick Views‘. These quick views quickly differentiate in the main screen, such as the quick view „My Cargo“ which immediately selects all B/Ls that you have registered as favorites.
In addition, you can add a label for each B/L, a reference that makes it unique for your organization. This also allows for additional distinction in B/Ls and you can also apply a filter to the set labels. Click on the Label icon of the B/L and add unique or recurring labels, these are then saved and with the filter ‚Labels‘ you can filter on these values.
As previously stated, the way your organization is linked to a B/L determines how much information you can see from a B/L. With a Basic B/L, you only see the bare essential information you need for the Secure Chain, this B/L is not attributed to your organization as a paid transaction.
Do you need this information? Then every user can easily retrieve it by clicking the ‚Get Access‘ button. Portbase will then register a paid transaction and immediately provide all available B/L information as you are used to. The B/L that you manually upgrade will be marked as a favorite immediately.
Portbase makes this distinction to avoid unexpected costs because your organization had not actively tracked this B/L.
There may be exceptions to the goods description, which means you may or may not be able to view this data.
Option 1:
If your organisation is the first tracker of a B/L, your organisation will be granted the right to view (and manage) the goods information. You can grant requests to view goods description by clicking the „Release goods description“ button under B/L details in the Cargo section.
Option 2:
If your organisation is the second tracker of a B/L, your organisation will not see any goods information. The party that blocks this right is stated in the place where the goods description is normally visible.
Option 3:
If your organisation is part of the Chain of Trust, your organisation will be able to see all goods information, regardless of when you are linked in the chain. But in that case you do need to track the Extended B/L.
With this article you are now fully informed about the different ways of tracking B/Ls and how to filter them. In our other knowledge articles we will go deeper into the import status of your cargo and which data sources are available for this.
The above can also be controlled via our Cargo Controller API, which allows you to fully integrate with your own internal systems. Read more about this here.
If your organization is not ready for our Cargo Controller API integration, we also have an interim solution with an Excel upload function. Read more about that here.