Quick Start Guide | Cargo Controller

Overview of the service

Cargo Controller offers two different views that allow you to track the current status of a ship or your cargo.

1. Cargo

Track the current status of your cargo – that could be bulk cargo, container cargo or trailer cargo.
The status of your cargo includes: B/Ls, vessel, your own reference, terminal, follow-up arrangements and statuses. The cargo screen contains various views:

• All cargo
  All B/Ls linked by your organisation. Cargo that you have added yourself are marked as Favourites (star icon).
• My cargo
  Personal overview of all B/L shipments you want to track; by adding yourself or marking as a favourite.
• Not yet known
  Cargo you are tracking but which is not (yet) known by the shipping company on the manifest.

The cargo overview has various filter and search options that make it easy to find the B/Ls that are relevant to you or that require your attention. By means of selection boxes, you can select multiple B/Ls to quickly perform follow-up actions such as a Notification Local Clearance.

2. Vessel

Track the status of a specific vessel, including ETA/ATA, ETD/ATD, Terminal and linked cargo.

Status information in the cargo screen

In Cargo Controller you are able to monitor your cargo based on 3 main indicators for the 3 phases of the import process that your cargo goes through before you can pick it up at the terminal.

Import fases

Each indicator monitors the status of the import phase your container is currently in. This way, either the general status or the most critical status is shown. An indicator contains a group of specific indicators for that phase:

• Arrival of transport equipment
  • Ship arrival status
  • Import manifest status
  • Unloaded at terminal
  • Departure ship status
• Release of transport equipment
  • Customs inspection status
  • Commercial release status*
  • Import declaration status
• Collect transport equipment
  • Carrier nomination status*
  • Status pre-notification on terminal*
  • Gate out**

* This indicator is only available within the Secure Chain. More information about this can be found here, such as our Quick Start Guide, Factsheet or introduction film.

** The availability of the current status of the Gate out depends on the unloading terminal. For more information read on here.

As you can see, the 3 indicators form from 10 individual indicators. You can view this if you press the i icon and open the details screen:

Colors and icons

The main indicators indicate a general status per phase, or the most critical status. You can read the color and icons as follows:

• : Status is confirmed, all indicators are green.
• : At least 1 indicator is yellow, your attention may be needed.
• : At least 1 indicator is red, your attention is needed.
• : Process in progress. Not all indicators are green yet, but there are no warnings either. Waiting for update.
• : Status not yet known. There is no update available yet, but there may be an expected status, such as the ETA. Waiting for update.

The last status is the most interesting, this status indicates that you are in control of your load, but that a status is missing and it is still gray. Below is a situation in which this can occur:

With these indicators you are in control of the status of your load. Supplemented with the filter options in Cargo Controller, you can now manage exceptions.

Tracking cargo and vessels

Tracking cargo

1. To track new cargo, you add it using the ‘Add’ button.
2. Enter the (Master) Bill of Lading (‘B/L’) and the transport equipment number.
3. You can optionally also enter your own reference to help you quickly find this cargo.
4. Select ‘Save’
5. You will receive a confirmation of the B/Ls you have added and can now view the details of those B/Ls.

Manifest known

• A B/L is usually notified to Portbase by the shipping company one week before arrival. If you add the B/L before this time, Cargo Controller will list it as ‘Not yet known’
• If the B/L is not (yet) known, the B/L will be added to ‘Not yet known’. See the category links in the service ‘Not Yet Known’.

• If the B/L details have been entered incorrectly, you delete the B/L. The B/L then disappears completely and does not appear in the overview under ‘Not yet known’. You can add a new B/L with the correct details.
• If you know which vessel your cargo is being shipped on, you can already start tracking the vessel. To do so, add the vessel using the ‘Add’ button.
• You can also delete cargo you have started tracking via the cargo details.

Tracking cargo in your personal overview: My cargo

Cargo Controller makes a distinction between cargo you are tracking and cargo that is being tracked by your organisation.

1. Cargo which you added yourself is automatically displayed in the ‘All cargo’ and ‘My cargo’ screens. Cargo added by your colleagues only appears in ‘All cargo’.
2. You can add or delete cargo in your personal overview by clicking on the asterisk to the left of the B/L number.

Tracking vessels

1. Want to track the status of a ship or cargo? Select ‘Add’ and then ‘Add vessel’.
2. Enter the vessel name, the IMO code or the Call Reference Number.
3. From the search results, select the vessel you want and then click ‘Add’.
4. The vessel has now been added to your vessel overview.

Tracking vessels in your overview

Cargo Controller makes a distinction between the vessels you are tracking and vessels being tracked by your organisation.

1. Vessels you added yourself are automatically displayed in the ‘All vessels’ and ‘My vessels’ screens. Vessels added by your colleagues only appear in ‘All vessels’.
2. You can add or delete vessels in your personal overview by clicking on the asterisk to the left of the vessel name.

Tracking multiple B/Ls in one go

We also call this a batch upload.
You can enter a maximum of 500 B/Ls in one go with an Excel file.

1. Select ‘Add’.
2. Click the ‘Upload file’ button at the bottom of the ‘Cargo’ section; this will take you to an Excel template.
3. Complete the Excel template with the required data (B/L number, equipment number and optionally your own reference) and save the file.
4. Click ‘Upload file’ and select the Excel file you just saved. Now select ‘Upload’.
5. You will receive a confirmation of all the B/Ls successfully and not successfully added.
   • Successfully added B/Ls are automatically added to Cargo Controller.
   • B/Ls not successfully added do not meet the criteria. An explanation for the rejection will be displayed. You can now manually correct or delete the data.
     If you do so, select Save afterwards. The corrected B/L data will now be added to Cargo Controller.

Viewing the details of your tracked cargo

You can see the details of your cargo by clicking on ‘Details’ for a B/L. Here you will find information about the trip, the B/L and the cargo. This screen is made for scrolling, information is displayed by opening a container.

A timeline is also visible in which you can find the history of the B/L. Here you will find information about who, what and when is involved in the cargo.

You can find the details and status of the load by clicking on ‘More Details’ next to the load. In the details screen you can also delete a B/L from Cargo Controller.

Request or release a blocked goods description

1. Request
   With Cargo Controller it is possible for everyone to always track the cargo. However, not everything is visible to parties outside the Trust Chain. If you require access to the goods description, please contact the organization registered as the release-to-party. In the details screen you can see which organization this is.
2. Release
   If you add the load to Cargo Controller first, you will have insight into the goods description. You can also make this description visible to organizations that follow the cargo after you. You do this in the detail screen via the ‘Release goods description’ button.

Printen van de ladingdetails

Printing the cargo details

In the details screen you will find two different print options:

• Print
  This creates a digital print (pdf) of all information known to the B/L. You can use this information for your own file or you can share it with your customer.
• Download tracking letter
  When you have created a Transit Declaration Notification. In Cargo Controller you can immediately download the tracking letter to use during transport or storage at the warehouse.

View details via the Timeline

The Timeline gives you insight into who, what and when is involved in the cargo. Here you will see all changes and important status moments that have been made since the original registration of the load. This includes changes in the cargo, the unloading times of cargoes and any Customs inspections. You can also see which colleagues within your organization have carried out actions on the load.

Removal of cargo

You can also delete a B/L from Cargo Controller via the details screen via the red ‘Delete’ button. You delete the B/L for your entire organization and no longer follow it. If you want to track the B/L again later, add it again to Cargo Controller.

Viewing the details of your tracked vessel

A description of possible vessel statuses can be found in this overview.

Vessel details

The vessel overview shows you the details of the vessel.

1. Click on ‘Details’ for the vessel you want.
2. In the overview displayed you will find information about:
   • The vessel visit
   • Berths*

* Note: here you will see the first terminal in the port where the vessel docks. If the cargo of a B/L you are tracking is discharged at a different terminal, you will see the ETA and ATA at the relevant terminal beside that B/L.

Portbase Secure Chain follow-up actions

With Cargo Controller you can easily carry out your follow-up actions in the Secure Chain, everything is integrated within the existing service. For detailed steps, we refer you to a separate manual for the time being: Secure Chain: Cargo Controller.

Performing other follow-up actions

With Cargo Controller, you can easily perform the follow-up actions you currently perform in separate Portbase services. It is currently possible to send a Transit Declaration and/or a Notification Import Documentation from Cargo Controller.

You can perform a follow-up action in three different ways:

• Multiple B/Ls via the multi-selection box.
• One B/L via the three dots button on the B/L line.
• One equipment via the three dots button at the end of the equipment line.

After performing this action, you will see the available follow-up actions and you can make a choice.

Notification Transit Declaration

After selecting the relevant B/Ls or equipment, click on ‘Make transit declaration’. If you have access to this service, a new form will open in which you select a previously used layout and the timing when you want to submit the declaration: ATA ship or a specific chosen date.
If you wish, you can view, modify, add and submit the details in your chosen template. Using the Save & Send button, you can easily create a draft transit declaration based on all the available B/L data from Cargo Controller. The declaration is automatically submitted at the time of your choice.

Notification Import Documentation (NID)

After selecting the relevant B/Ls and equipment, click on ‘Notification Import Documentation’. If you have access to this service, a new form will open in which you will find the relevant information you need for your notification. At this point, you only need to select the terminal, document type, document number and optionally the modality. When you click Send, Cargo Controller submits the Notification Import Documentation to your chosen terminal.

Setting up e-mail notifications and screen language

E-mail notifications

You can set up e-mail notifications for the most important status changes. That way, you can easily stay up to date if the status of your tracked cargo changes.

1. Open user preferences by clicking the round button with your initial on it at the top right of the main screen.
2. Select ‘Notification settings’.
3. The slider allows you to turn e-mail notifications on or off.
4. E-mail notifications are sent to the e-mail address of your PCS account. This e-mail adress can be changed (for your account only).

Screen language

Cargo Controller is available in Dutch and English. Each user can set their own preference.

1. Open user preferences by clicking the round button with your initial on it at the top right of the main screen.
2. Under ‘Language’, choose NL (Dutch) or EN (English)