Start with Hinterland Container Notification Road

In the video below, we explain everything about the service Hinterland Container Notification Road. Below the video you will find more information as reference material alongside the video.

Also available in Dutch or German.

Starting HCN Road

1. Go to iamconnected.eu in your browser.
2. Click Login and follow the steps to sign in.
3. After logging in, click the PCS tile.
4. In My services, under Road, choose the service Hinterland Container Notification.

Don’t have access to this service yet? The colleague within your organisation who has been designated as the Portbase main user can grant you the required authorisation.

Dashboard

Your status requests and pre-notifications are categorised using five tabs on the left side of the dashboard.

• All handlings: This tab shows all status requests (handlings that are not yet linked to a visit) and pre-notifications (handlings that are linked to a visit).
• To do: This shows all handlings, excluding the handlings that have been picked up/dropped off.
• Status requests: This tab shows all status requests.
• Not ready: This tab shows all handlings that are not yet fully ready to be picked up/dropped off.
• Completed: Once a handling has been picked up/dropped off, you can find it on this tab.  

To ensure HCN Road continues to operate in a stable and fast manner, when starting the service the 500 most recent pre-notifications and the 500 most recent status requests are retrieved. When you use the search bar, tabs, the terminal filter or the drop-off/pick-up filter, the search/filter is applied within these 1,000 results. If you are looking for a specific handling that is not included in these results, you can use the date filter to retrieve all results within the selected period.

Not all terminals send gate-in/gate-out information to HCN Road. Pre-notifications for which no gate-in/gate-out is sent are automatically moved from the ‘To do’ tab to the ‘Completed’ tab seven days after ETA. 

Search and (date) filter

In the search bar at the top of the dashboard, you can search for things such as:

• Shipping company
• TAR code
• Pick-up/drop-off number
• etc.

You can use multiple search terms at the same time by separating them with a space. You automatically search within the tab you are currently in. If a handling is not found within the current tab, you can search within the All handlings tab with one click of a button. 

You can refine your search using the date filter on the left side of the dashboard.

1. Click Date under the tabs.

2. Select a date range (max. 31 days) or choose one specific day.

3. Click Apply to apply the filter.

Want to adjust the date range? Then click the filter again.
Want to remove the filter? Click the cross to the right of Date.

To the right of the search bar, you will find a pick-up/drop-off and terminal filter. These filters make it possible to further specify the search. 

Sorting

Using the sorting function, located to the right of the filters, you can sort the handlings based on: 

• Time slot (ascending)
• Recently updated
• Status 

In the All handlings tab, sorting is set by default to time slot (descending).  

Status information

On the dashboard, visits are shown with the associated handling(s). Visits are indicated by light-grey blocks. A visit contains one or more handlings. Within the grey block of a visit, a handling is indicated by a white block. 

For each handling, the dashboard shows the most essential status information using dots. Hover your mouse over these dots for more detailed information about documents, container availability, commercial release and more.

Registering a new handling with a status request or pre-notification

Follow the steps below to create a new status request or pre-notification:

1. Click the Add handling button in the top right of the dashboard.
2. Fill in the required fields. These are indicated with an asterisk (*). Tip: you can quickly move through the date and time fields using the tab key. For example, by entering 15 in the date field and then pressing the tab key, the date is completed with the current month and current year. The time field automatically completes to the full hour.
3. Click the Submit status request button at the bottom of the screen to submit a status request. If you want to submit the new handling as a pre-notification, click the Submit pre-notification button. By submitting a pre-notification, you make an appointment at the terminal to pick up/deliver a container.

Not every terminal supports status requests. See here which terminals support status requests.

Upload functionality 

It is possible to upload multiple containers at the same time using the Upload functionality in combination with the XLS template. Follow the steps below:

1. Click the Add handling button in the top right of the dashboard.
2. Click the Excel tab to the right of the Manual tab at the top of the screen.
3. Click Download Excel template to download the spreadsheet.
4. Open the spreadsheet in Excel.
5. Carefully read the instructions on the first tab regarding the required fields.
6. Fill in the spreadsheet and save it on your computer.
7. Upload or drag the Excel file to the designated area on the Excel tab.
8. Click the Submit as status request button to submit the handlings as a status request. If you want to upload the handlings as a pre-notification, click the Submit as pre-notification button. By submitting a pre-notification, you make an appointment at the terminal to pick up/deliver a container.

Editing a handling or visit

Editing a handling

Follow the steps below to edit a handling:

1. Click Details to the right of the handling you want to edit.
2. Click the Edit button at the top right of the dashboard. Here you can adjust the handling details (e.g. container number, acceptance reference, shipping line, etc.).
3. To adjust a status request, click Update status request to save your changes. To adjust a pre-notification, click Update pre-notification to save your changes.

Follow the steps below to cancel a handling:

1. Select the handling(s) you want to cancel.
2. Click the Cancel handling(s) button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.

Do you want to pre-notify the cancelled handling again? Then link the cancelled handling to a new visit to save costs. You can do this by selecting the cancelled handling and clicking Attach to visit in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If you create a new pre-notification, you will eventually pay for two pre-notifications.

Converting a status request into a pre-notification

Follow the steps below to convert a status request into a pre-notification. You can convert the status request into a pre-notification on a new visit or link the pre-notification directly to an existing visit. 

Follow the steps below to convert a status request into a pre-notification on a new visit:

1. Select the status request you want to convert into a pre-notification.
   
2. Click the Create pre-notification button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.
   
3. Choose the terminal where you want to pre-notify the container and enter the ETA.
4. Then click Submit pre-notificaiton to definitively convert the status request into a pre-notification.
5. Click the Create pre-notification button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.
6. Choose the terminal where you want to pre-notify the container and enter the ETA.
7. Then click Submit pre-notificaiton to definitively convert the status request into a pre-notification.

Follow the steps below to convert a status request into a pre-notification under an existing visit. You can also perform the action below for multiple status requests at the same time.

1. Select the status request you want to convert into a pre-notification.
   
2. Click the Attach to visit button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.
   
3. The visits are automatically filtered based on the terminal for which the status request was submitted.
4. Definitively convert the status request into a pre-notification under an existing visit by clicking Attach to this visit to the right of the relevant visit.

Adding and adjusting the executing haulier / Executing Charter

Read the article Adding and adjusting an executing charter in Hinterland Container Notification Road for more information. 

Linking/unlinking containers

Linking containers

There are two ways to link containers.

• Select an existing handling / multiple handlings and link them to an existing visit.
• Select an existing visit and add a new or existing handling to it.

Option 1: Select an existing handling and link it to an existing visit. 

It is also possible to select multiple handlings at the same time.

1. Select the handling(s) you want to link to an existing visit.

2. Click the Attach to other visit button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.

   

3. Click the Attach to other visit button in the pop-up that appears.
4. The visits are automatically filtered based on the terminal for which the handling was submitted.
5. Click the Attach to this visit button to the right of the visit you want to link the handling to.

Option 2: Select an existing visit and add a new or existing handling to it.

1. Click Actions to the right of the visit you want to add a handling to.
2. Click Add handling to this visit.
3. The handlings are automatically filtered based on the terminal to which the visit is planned.

4. If you want to add a new handling to the visit, click the Create new handling button in the top right of the dashboard. Fill in the required fields and submit the new pre-notification by clicking the Submit pre-notification button at the bottom right of the screen.

   

5. If you want to add an existing handling to the visit, click the Move handling button to the right of the handling you want to add to the visit.

Unlinking containers

To unlink containers from a visit, follow the steps below:

1. Select the handling(s) you want to unlink from a visit.

2. Click the Detach from visit button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.

   

3. Click the Detach handling button in the pop-up that appears.

Shipments

Watch the video below for more information about shipments. 

Also available in Dutch.

With the Shipments function, you gain insight into which containers have been assigned to you by means of nomination. You can also nominate another inland operator for the pre-notification and collection of the container. This is a new way of working to share data with each other securely, also known as the Secure Chain.

Components

From the HCN Road service, go to the Shipments tab. Here you will see an overview of all containers for which you have been nominated via the Secure Chain and for which further action may be required.  

Under the Arrivals tab, you will find the containers shown per seagoing vessel. Under the Shipments tab, the containers are grouped per principal or cargo director. Using the filter above the containers, you can quickly find your container(s). 

Make sure the date range is set to the ETA of the seagoing vessel.

Actions to perform

At container level, you can perform a number of actions. Select one or more containers and at the bottom of the screen you will see three action buttons:

• Forward: nominate another inland operator
• Cancel forward: withdraw a nomination
• Download: download container data

Forward

1. Click the Forward button to nominate an inland operator for handling the transport and the pre-notification.
2. Then type the name of the organisation you want to nominate. While you type, the applicable organisations will appear on the screen.
3. Select the correct organisation and it will be linked immediately.

You have now outsourced the pre-notification and transport of the container to another inland operator. The chosen inland operator is now visible in the container details. The container remains visible to you and you can continue to monitor the container status and the planned and actual pick-up times. Only your own status request or pre-notification is cancelled during the transfer.

Cancel Forward

Do you want to withdraw your nomination for one or more containers? After selecting a container, click Cancel Foward. This container will disappear from your overview. You can then nominate another inland operator. 

Download

Using the Download button, you can download an Excel file with data for the selected containers for your own TMS.    

Email notifications

You can be informed by email in the event of, for example, rejection or acceptance of handlings and/or visits. To receive these updates, you must subscribe to the email notifications.

1. Click the bell icon at the top right of the dashboard.
   
2. Under the notifications, enter the email address where you want to receive the notifications.
3. Click the Save button to save your preferences.

If you use group email addresses, the email address only needs to be set up by one user within your organisation. This prevents you from receiving the same email multiple times at this email address.

Email container statuses

It is possible to email container status(es) directly from HCN to yourself or to an external email address. Follow the steps below:

1. Select the handling(s) for which you want to receive the container statuses by email.
2. Click the Email handling(s) button in the menu bar at the top of the dashboard.
   
3. Enter the email address to which you want the container statuses to be sent.
4. Click Send.

Within a few minutes, an email will be sent to the specified email address. See the sample email below for illustration.

Copy visit details as text

HCN Road also offers the option to copy visit data as text, which can be shared with your driver via the onboard computer.

1. Click Actions to the right of the visit whose details you want to copy as text.
2. Click Copy visit as text.

See the screenshot below for illustration.

Receive an email in case of a Secure Chain nomination or cancellation

Email notifications are now available upon receipt of a Secure Chain nomination and when a nomination is withdrawn.

If you want to receive these notifications, add your email address in the HCN web screen. 

Do you use group email addresses? Then the email address must only be set up by one user within your organisation to prevent multiple copies of the same message arriving in the group inbox.

With these email notifications, you gain insight into (last-minute) changes, and therefore better review of your Secure Chain shipments. 

Status requests and pre-notifications are automatically cancelled when a cargo director/customer withdraws the Secure Chain nomination. This can affect your planning. Contact your customer if this causes problems.