As an importer, you face challenges that often stand in the way of capitalizing on new growth opportunities. The last global financial crisis, ongoing changes to regulations across the global business environment, escalating costs, and rising user expectations are all impacting profitability.


Now, there are numerous digital tools that offer an opportunity to move past the traditional manual-laden processes. Here’s how.


With advancements in logistics, the delivery experience has improved in many ways. However, expectations have risen higher as people become accustomed to instant information access through online and mobile channels. This includes on-demand access to goods and services as well as the advancement of JIT (Just in Time) deliveries.


You need access to real-time data, including the estimated time of arrival (ETA). Although an ETA seems like a “nice to have” feature, consider what else is riding on knowing when those goods will arrive in port and be on their way.


The reality is that having an ETA means planning the next steps that are necessary to deliver an exceptional customer experience. To do so means alerting operations, distribution, and retailers to address any timing changes before customers become frustrated about an uncommunicated delay.


With ETA, it’s important to know specific details that impact the rest of the experience your customers are trying to create for their customers. These details include knowing when the:


Merchandise is picked up to begin the shipment process;

Goods have cleared customs and is being loaded onto the ship;

Ship has left and arrived at any port of transshipment;

Ship departed from the port of transshipment and arrived at the port of destination; and

Consignee took possession of the shipment.

In a world where data now rules, it’s become the norm to expect all these details as part of the shipment process.

The challenges grow when trying to get updates about ocean shipments. For example, according to an August 2018 report from 

, a global research firm that measures the shipping and delivery industry, the level global schedule reliability reversed its improving trend and decreased to 75.4 percent. The reduction in on-time shipment deliveries can wreak havoc on your company’s ability to deliver on customer expectations.


Even with today’s advanced technology, many factors can still lead to unreliable shipment schedules. There are factors like volatile weather conditions, port logistical issues, port strikes, transit delays due to mechanical breakdowns, and inconsistent cargo scheduling. And, it’s all these potential problems that bolsters the reasoning for having a better shipment tracking process that includes digital capabilities.


Let’s look at the changes within shipment tracking to see how you can develop a more effective user experience strategy.


The Tides are Turning For Shipment Tracking

Today, shipment tracking solutions must help companies achieve specific business objectives. This requires tools that help you effectively manage your supply chain.


An efficient transport platform enables informed decision making throughout your operations, addressing unexpected delays. Receiving real-time updates also directs how to keep customers satisfied about when to expect their orders.


As part of a digital transformation, shipment tracking is one of many processes changing for companies in the shipping industry, according to a 2018 Boston Consulting Group research report, entitled, “

The Digital Imperative in Container Shipping

.” The report cited the benefits of digital solutions that can reduce operational costs while improving customer relationships. These digital technologies include document management, network design, and tracking systems.


While it can be expensive to undertake an entire operations overhaul to digitally transform your business, there are aspects where an external partner can help provide the technology necessary to leverage the benefits of digitizing a process. Just making a change to your shipment tracking process can begin to deliver marked improvements.


Let’s move on to a strategy for transforming your shipment tracking process.

As an importer, you face challenges that often stand in the way of capitalizing on new growth opportunities. The last global financial crisis, ongoing changes to regulations across the global business environment, escalating costs, and rising user expectations are all impacting profitability.   Now, there are numerous digital tools that offer

A Strategy For Transforming Your Shipment Tracking Process

Terminal 49 Introduces Tracey, a Track and Trace Solution For Importers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders

Track and Trace provides end-to-end visibility on a single platform for effective real-time shipment management

Importers, brokers, and freight forwarders gain greater control and transparency for more informed decisions that address critical industry challenges

Company incorporates a “Tracey” avatar to personify the user experience

Terminal 49 today announced it has launched Tracey to help track and trace global shipments and containers. Built with importers, brokers, and freight forwarders in mind, the free tool delivers end-to-end visibility on a single platform for effective real-time shipment management. Users enjoy greater control and transparency and can make more informed decisions that enhance the logistics experience.

Those first to try Tracey already see the benefits. “Before implementing Terminal 49’s solution, there was no transparency or visibility,” notes Alberto Buenrostro, Inventory Manager. “The majority of my time was spent hassling truckers -- without response -- in an attempt to track down my containers. After using Tracey to track and trace my containers, I enjoy the convenience of using one dashboard to check on appointments at ports and warehouses. It’s now so easy to track my containers in real-time. In return, my clients the transparency they expect.”

Tracey delivers critical details about a shipment without having to go to individual shipping line websites. Users visit the Track and Trace website at 

. Once there, they enter BL/Booking number for their ocean shipment and select the shipping line. Users receive all the information about that shipment, including the shipping line, origin and destination, vessel and voyage, and container numbers with type. Even if there are multiple shipping lines involved, all can be tracked from one page instead of visiting multiple sites.

According to Akshay Dodeja, Founder and CEO of Terminal 49, “As a service provider, we’re passionate about removing inefficiencies from the shipment, container, and logistics industry while reducing the costs associated with global trade. Tracey helps our clients get the immediate real-time information they expect. In turn, translates to a better overall UX from your company. In developing an avatar to personify our track and trace solution, we further our goal of serving as a partner for our clients rather than operating as just a software company.”

To learn more about Terminal 49’s solution for tracking and tracing shipments, please visit 

https://www.terminal49.com/track/shipments


Founded in 2015, Terminal 49 delivers automated drayage service solutions for modern logistics teams, providing unprecedented cost-efficiency, visibility, and user experience. The company’s service portfolio includes solutions for container container tracking, shipping lines, and drayage. For more information, please visit 

Terminal 49 Introduces Tracey, a Track and Trace Solution For Importers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders Track and Trace provides end-to-end visibility on a single platform for effective real-time shipment managementImporters, brokers, and freight forwarders gain greater control and transparency for more informed decisions that address critical industry challengesCompany incorporates a

Announcement: New tool to automate container tracking

Tracking your shipments through multiple portals and websites creates the obstacle of inconsistencies. Sure, dissimilar track and trace applications can be helpful, but at a cost on your finite resources.

Enter: Terminal 49's track and trace feature, where you can harmonize your visibility data on a single platform.

Why is our tracking software better than the rest?

We track the right milestones. American Shipper's study 

 showed that 63% of their respondents track five or more visibility milestones, however, 72% say no more than five milestones are critical. This means, your competition is tracking a lot of imprudent milestones.

Alternatively, Terminal 49 will show you the most recent, relevant, and actionable data points: the origin, destination, ETA/ATA, and list of containers. Stop using visibility software that creates copious amounts of data. Start tracking the information that can result in action, today.

MSC — Mediterranean Shipping Line (MSCU)

OOCL — Orient Oversees Container Line (OOLU)

PIL — Pacific International Line (PCIU)

Tracking your shipments through multiple portals and websites creates the obstacle of inconsistencies. Sure, dissimilar track and trace applications can be helpful, but at a cost on your finite resources. Enter: Terminal 49's track and trace feature, where you can harmonize your visibility data on a single platform. Why is

Track and Trace - All In One Place!

Drayage has gone digital! Old news, we know, everyone is tracking & tracing these days. But how can you turn digitization into a competitive advantage? As your supply chain grows more intricate, the value of visibility becomes vital to operational success. However, many shippers are not using this visibility to its full advantage. Here are three sure-fire ways to get the most out of your visibility:

Move from passive monitoring to active decision making

Access visibility from all sources in a single view

Do you view visibility as a means to monitor the movements of your containers or as a way to guide your decisions? Sure, the data from tracking might result in an action— for instance, you see that a container has a gate fee at SSA in Oakland, so you'll go ahead and pay the $30.

What if that gate fee could be automatically paid for you? What if you could split a large shipment among multiple truckers for faster delivery with just a few clicks? You can use tracking data to recognize an opportunity and change your strategy quickly. Monitoring is useful, but data-based decision making is valuable.

Tracking your shipments through multiple steamship and terminal websites is time-consuming and can result in inconsistencies. The hassle doesn't end when shipments arrive at the terminal. When you work with multiple truckers, each one has their own methods of communicating, an individual set of milestones, and different ways of accessing information. #cumbersome!

You could solve this by applying technology that collects all the data from each track and trace portal and presents it in a single view 

Without visibility, you risk disorganization: you can't properly coordinate capacity and freight, which drives your prices up and asset utilization down. Without visibility, shippers are forced to make decisions in the dark.

If you use a software visibility tool like Terminal 49, you can be much more agile. When you see all the information you need in one place - updated in real time - you can respond to situations faster, improve turn times, and therefore reduce costs. That will allow you to build competitive advantage and gain customer loyalty.

Drayage has gone digital! Old news, we know, everyone is tracking & tracing these days. But how can you turn digitization into a competitive advantage?

Terminal49 Blog

A Strategy For Transforming Your Shipment Tracking Process

Announcement: New tool to automate container tracking

Track and Trace - All In One Place!

3 ways to use visibility to outperform your competition