A long-cherished wish and most requested functionality by the Portbase Community will finally become reality in the coming weeks: The earlier tracking of cargo can be provided with current ETA and ETD without an import manifest! When the time comes, we will let you know immediately.
Solution
With the arrival of better collaborations with all market parties around data sharing, Portbase can now offer the option of directly linking a B/L to a ship visit when tracking. Portbase uses this information to immediately link your cargo to a known ship visit and the associated status updates. If you use Premium Terminal Data, terminal data can also be shared with you from that moment on. This means you can arrive at the terminal (ATA Ship) 10 to 20 days before arrival, compared to the current period of 4 to 7 days.
How do you connect a vessel to your B/L?
NB! The following will be put live immediately if it is available, the screens we share below are based on concept images. The actual version may differ.
Manually adding cargo: We have deliberately made it very simple, when manually adding a B/L via the “Add cargo” button, this is requested after it appears that the B/L number cannot yet be linked to an import manifest.
Did you choose the wrong vessel visit afterwards? Then delete the B/L and track it again, or wait until the import manifest becomes available and Portbase will correct this automatically.
Assigned B/Ls: Have you been assigned a B/L via the Secure Chain for which the import manifest is not yet known? Then click on the 3 dots behind the B/L number. The option to add a vessel will then be shown. It is also possible to call this up via the Container Status screen.
After making the connection, everything works the same as before, you will automatically be provided with the latest updates as you were used to within Cargo Controller.
Background
Cargo Controller works based on the core processes of the Dutch ports. Data that Portbase processes and may share is thus shown to shippers, forwarders and customs agents to track import cargo.
Ship information is provided by shipbrokers (shipping companies) and was dependent on the moment they submit the import manifest to Customs. This timeline ensured that from then on Portbase could match the B/L to a ship visit and share an initial status update for the ETA. That moment varied between 7 and 4 days before the expected arrival of the ship at the terminal (ATA Vessel).
Portbase expects to have expanded the added value of Cargo Controller with this long-cherished wish.