Hinterland Container Notification Rail

As soon as you as a transport company are designated by a customer to transport a Secure Chain container, a status request is generated automatically. We recommend reusing it for the pre-notification at the terminal, so that it is directly linked to the correct Secure Chain B/L. In addition, the advantage of this is that you need to fill in less information, reducing the risk of errors and saving you time.

Have you already started a status request or pre-notification?
If you have already created a status request or pre-notification yourself, MCA will try to automatically link it to the Secure Chain. This is not always possible due to the complexity of some chains. Make sure you include the B/L number in your status request or pre-notification, so that it can be directly linked to the correct Secure Chain B/L. This will prevent problems and ensure smooth handling.

In brief:

1. Make use of the pre-filled status requests (only applicable to Secure Chain containers)
2. If you have created a status request or pre-notification yourself, please follow this urgent advice:
   • Enter the B/L number into the status request or pre-notification.
   • What if I don’t know the B/L number? You can find the B/L number in the MCA shipment dashboard and copy it to your status request or pre-notification.
   • What if I cannot find a shipment for the container in question? Your transport company may not be authorised (yet). Contact your customer to resolve this.

Note:
ECT and Euromax cannot process updates. We therefore recommend that pre-notification to these terminals is only done once the status request is completely correct and green.

For inland operators and software providers with an MCA-API system link:

The new field consignmentNumber has been added to the existing handlingData object. For more details, check the and the API specifications in our Developer Portal.

Any problems?
Have you followed all these steps but are still experiencing problems? Please contact Portbase Customer .

In the dashboard it looks as follows:

In MCA Road:

In MCA Barge & Rail as follows:

No, in the current phase, the Portbase Secure Chain is only in place for the import flow of containers.

This value is not currently available in Cargo Controller and Cargo Release Manager. For now, you will find this value on the delivery note the shipping company send you by e-mail. We are currently working with the shipping companies in order to also be able to display these values to all parties in the chain via the Portbase Secure Chain, via the Portbase services.

As an inland operator, you can request the cargo opening and closing and the ETA/ETD from APMII by manually linking a handling to a seagoing vessel. This can be done by entering the seagoing vessel that is carrying the container in the prenotification in the field below.

Please note! If there is a change to the seagoing vessel that is carrying your container, it will not be automatically updated! You must make this change manually yourself, otherwise incorrect information will be displayed for the relevant prenotification. You can change the seagoing vessel by clicking on the handling to expand it and entering the correct seagoing vessel in the relevant field.

However, for Secure Chain containers, the seagoing vessel is automatically added to the prenotification, as this information is included in the Secure Chain file.

The information is displayed at several locations within HCN Rail.

1. Open a rotation and open the visit at APMII. In the 'Handlings' tab, click on 'Show' and hover over the seagoing vessel in a handling.
   
2. From the overview above, click a handling to open it.
   

RWG has started sharing the additional data below via HCN Rail in 2024. The data is shared as soon as it is available to the terminal.

1. Call reference number (CRN): reference number to identify vessel visits. This information is visible for (full and empty) pick-up and drop-off
2. Cargo closing time: after this time, export containers are not allowed to be dropped off at the terminal for a specific vessel visit. This information is visible for (full and empty) drop-off
3. Cargo opening time: before this time, export containers are not allowed to be dropped off at the terminal for a specific vessel visit. This information is visible for (full and empty) drop-off
4. Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of seagoing vessel: expected time of arrival of the seagoing vessel according to the terminal. This information is visible for (full and empty) pick-up and drop-off
5. Estimated Time of departure (ETD) of seagoing vessel: expected time of departure of the seagoing vessel according to the terminal. This information is visible for (full and empty) pick-up and drop-off
6. Expected discharge time (EDT)*: expected discharge time of an import container. The information becomes available after the actual time of arrival (ATA) of the vessel. This information is visible for (full and empty) pick-up After discharge, the information field is cleared.
7. Size type: the container size type known to the terminal is fed back in case there is a size type mismatch. This information is visible for full pick-up containers and for empty pick-up containers if the container number is known.
8. Ultimate release date: commercial release end date. This information is visible for full pick-up
9. Voyage number: number identifying the voyage of a vessel. This information is visible for (full and empty) pick-up and drop-off

The additional RWG data is displayed at several locations within HCN Rail.

For pick-up containers:

1. Open a rotation and open the visit at RWG. In the 'Handlings' tab, click on 'Show' and hover over the seagoing vessel in a handling.
   
2. From the overview above, click a handling to open it.
   

For drop-off containers:

1. In a visit, open the 'Handlings' tab and then click on 'Show' to show all the handlings in the visit.
   
2. From the overview above, click a handling to open it.
   

* Please note! RWG states the following regarding the EDT: ''While RWG makes every effort to ensure that the Expected Discharge Time (“ETD”) is accurate and up to date, the ETD is an indication only. RWG is not responsible or liable for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions or for the consequences of the use of the ETD. The ETD is provided in its actual state, without guarantee of its completeness, accuracy and timeliness. Use of the ETD is at your own risk and RWG accepts no liability whatsoever in connection with such use.”

Follow the steps below to retrieve your billing statement:

1. In the HCN web screens, click on the dropdown menu at the top right of the screen and then on 'Billable transactions'.
   
2. Select the period for which you want to request billing statements.
3. Click 'Download' to retrieve the billing statement for the selected period.

By clicking on 'Loading' or 'Discharge' or the 'Visit voyage ID' (on the right of the screen, see screenshot) you have the possibility to see handlings for loading or discharging only. The filter is activated when the word ‘Loading’ or ‘Discharge’ is highlighted in orange. This filter is will stay activated when navigating through visits and also across sessions. So, if you don't see a container make sure you have selected the right filter.

This means that the terminal has changed something during a visit. For example, that the visit has been accepted.

The blue orb for a visit disappears (for everyone) when someone presses the ‘Acknowledge update’ button.

For the rotation and visits when viewing a rotation:

When all changed visits are acknowledged, the blue orb for the rotation will also disappear automatically.

These are slots in the railway timetable, whereby it is determined in advance at which times of the week a particular rail operator will visit which terminal. These are put in HNC by the terminal and used by the rail operator when they request a visit in HNC.

Using the search bar? Use at least three characters to start a search. Note that the dashboard shows only status requests and/or prenotifications with an ETA from 00:00h today to one year in the future. If you are looking for a status request or prenotification from further in the past, please click on 'Search older results' at the bottom of the page.

Click here for more information about the search function.

You can cancel the status request in the MCA web screen. However, no cancellation will be forwarded to the terminal.

On the terminal side, the status request expires as soon as a new status request or prenotification is submitted. Or if the term of the status request expires.

You can view the history within the service. Click on the rotation and then on the ‘history’ tab.

There you will find the event history (a log) like the printscreen below. This shows you all the events that took place on that rotation. By clicking on an event, the rotation is shown as it appeared at that moment in the past.

Note: you can search within the history by using the search function CTRL+F.

Once you have cancelled a rotation or visit, it will no longer be displayed on the HCN Barge and HCN Rail web page.

The terminal will receive a “Cancellation Requested” status update in connection with the cancelled visit/rotation.

As soon as the terminal accepts the cancellation, the visit or rotation will no longer be visible on the terminal web page of HCN Barge / HCN Rail.

Yes, you can.

Common browsers including Microsoft Edge are generally supported. The preference for optimum use is Google Chrome. Internet Explorer, the Microsoft predecessor to Edge, is not supported (from October 31, 2021).

For example, if you see 5/50, this means: 5 handlings are linked to this rotation or visit and 50 containers are notified as the expected number to discharge. As a result, you can see that you can still link multiple handlings to this visit without exceeding the expected number to discharge.

Please note: as soon as the barge goes into operation, actual numbers are shown, for example, 2/40 = 2 containers actually loaded of a total of 40 containers prenotified for loading during this visit.

The numbers after the warning icon indicate how many containers there are issues within the handling status.

If you submit a new prenotification with the same combination, the prenotification will be rejected.

A prenotification may occur only once with the combination of:

1. Container number
2. Direction (loading/discharging)
3. Clearance reference/booking number
4. Terminal
5. Shipping company

A status request can be submitted multiple times; however, once is enough to receive ongoing changes to the handling status.

Yes, you can track the container(s) in HCN well before the ship's ETA. You can then also inform the subcontractor by linking them to your shipment. The chain will not become active until the commercial release is issued.

The prenotification can also be made before the commercial release, but there is an exception for ECT's terminal, because it cannot process updates.

Select the container(s) you want to assign to another haulier by checking the box to the left of the container line. The Forward button then appears at the bottom of the page. By clicking on it, you can choose which organisation you want to prenotify and transport the selected container(s).

Important! You can select multiple containers at once, but you can only nominate one haulier per forward.

If your haulier is not known in HCN, you cannot select them to nominate them for the Inland operator role. The haulier must first register with Portbase and then choose (one of) the services HCN Road, Rail or Barge. This is how you step into the Portbase Secure Chain.

Should this block further processing of the current container, you have two options:

• Use another haulier that is known to Portbase, or
• the PIN code will be shared with your customer by the shipping company in the usual way.

Important! At most terminals, prenotification by your haulier is mandatory. In time, the option of collecting a container with a PIN code will be withdrawn due to its susceptibility to fraud.

Yes; in this phase, the Portbase Secure Chain is only concerned with collecting containers without a PIN code. Other information required for transport must be shared with the haulier outside the PCS. When downloading container information, you can see what information is available within the PCS and HCN.

The party that made the nomination can also revoke the nomination. They can do so for one or more containers. To do this, click on the selection box(es) for the appropriate container(s) and click the Cancel shipment button. The nomination has now been revoked for the selected container(s) and there is no longer an active haulier. You can now nominate another haulier.

Important! If you revoke the nomination of a subcontractor, it is important to revoke the transport order first to avoid unnecessary charges.

Your customer has revoked your nomination and chosen another haulier for the container(s). You can tell that this is the case because the container is visible in the Handlings dashboard but is no longer visible in Shipments.

If a transport order exists in your own TMS but there is no registration in the PCS, it is no longer valid.

The customer should always inform the haulier of the cancellation or removal of a container in order to avoid a cargo mismatch, because the haulier may have already initiated transport to collect the container.

Contact the carrier, or your client, for a new commercial release or renewal. The client can also see in his own overview that the commercial release is no longer active or has been given a red status.

Your chain may have already been fully prepared, and this chain is still active at this point. Only without the commercial release your inland operator cannot remove the container. If the carrier resend the commercial exemption, this automatically restores your already prepared chain and your inland operator can submit the pre-notification.

All containers are listed under the Handlings tab. Under the Shipments tab, you see only the containers assigned to you via the Portbase Secure Chain by means of nomination. What you do next depends on your situation:

• If you are performing the prenotification and transport of the container(s) yourself, or outsourcing transport, there is no change to your current workflow. If another party is performing the transport for you, please read the instructions for ECT Remote Check-in.

• New! If you outsource both the prenotification and collection of the container(s), an additional step will be added to your workflow. You need to nominate and register another haulier for your container(s) in the Shipments dashboard, under Shipments, by clicking the Forward button.

You now have two options, depending on your situation:

1. If you perform the prenotification yourself and outsource the collection of the container, you can arrange this via Handlings. There is no change to your current workflow. If another party is performing the transport for you, please read the instructions for ECT Remote Check-in.
2. If you wish to nominate another haulier for both prenotification and collection of the container, please arrange this via Shipments. You need to nominate and register another haulier for your container(s) in the Shipments dashboard, under Shipments, by clicking the Forward button.

By means of these actions, your haulier is added to the Portbase Secure Chain and all CargoCards linked to this organisation will be recognised. Failure to do this will result in the haulier being denied access to the terminal. If the commercial release has been issued, you can submit the prenotification.

This means that the commercial release has not yet been issued. The status of a container can be requested even if the commercial release has not been issued yet.

Yes, they can. Depending on the terminal, you will need to update the prenotification or cancel it completely and resubmit it. When updating or cancelling, you can nominate the appropriate haulier for prenotification and transport.

For a list of all shipping companies that are registered in the service HCN Road, including the SCAC and SMDG codes, click on the icon of the small figure at the top right of the dashboard. Then click on 'Reference data'. A new page now opens; you can download the list of shipping companies by clicking on 'Shipping companies'.

As of April 17 2023, ECT Delta and ECT Euromax terminals require an export document before the arrival of a container at the terminal. More information about this change at ECT Terminals can be found by clicking on this link.

Use the free tool Gadwin Printscreen.

It is also possible to directly e-mail statuses of selected handlings to an e-mail address.

View the Quick Start Guide under the ‘E-mail Notifications’ tab to see how this works.

The speed with which status requests and prenotifications are answered depends on several factors. The sending and processing of status requests and prenotifications involve a series of actions by different parties. Things can sometimes go wrong at various points in that chain. The aim is to keep problems to a minimum.

Port Community System (PCS)

Most prenotifications and status requests from carriers/operators are processed via the Portbase platform and sent to the terminal within seconds.

Nevertheless, sometimes malfunctions do occur, or there may be maintenance to the services. In that case, Portbase will get to work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. At status.portbase.com you can see the status of the various Portbase services. On that page, you can also subscribe to notifications so that you are always kept up to date. It is reassuring to know that the Portbase (PCS) system has an uptime of 99.8%.

Terminal Operating Systems (TOS)

Most terminals use an EDI connection. After EDI messages are received from Portbase, they must be read out and processed in the terminal system, and finally, a response message needs to be returned to Portbase. Delays may occur in all these steps – especially when demands on processing capacity are at their highest, for example on Friday afternoons. At peak times like this, large volumes of EDI messages are sent and delays can occur.

API links are the future and may represent an improvement in this regard. The first terminals are now working with API links.

Terminals can also unexpectedly run into malfunctions or require maintenance of their systems. In such cases, terminals will work to solve the issue as quickly as possible and will inform their customers and users themselves.

Transport Management Systems (TMS)

Hauliers can make use of a system link between their planning system (TMS) and the Portbase (PCS) system; delays or malfunctions can also occur in these systems.

Ask your software vendor about the options for working with API.

As we have seen, delays can occur at different times and in different steps in the process. Please contact the Portbase Service Desk if you have reason to believe you are experiencing an unusually long delay during prenotification. You can do so by calling +31 (0)88 625 25 25 or by emailing our Customer Service.