Project44 adds rail data to supply chain visibility network

Supply chain software company project44 said today it has expanded its shipment visibility communication tools to include U.S. and Canadian rail networks, the first time the company has broadened its coverage beyond trucking services.

Project44 provides customers such as transportation management system (TMS) vendors and logistics service providers (LSPs) with a software product that automates the flow of data among shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics providers (3PLs). The company's platform integrates application programming interfaces (APIs) into various software platforms, allowing computers to exchange data directly with each other instead of depending on third-party interfaces like email or on formats like electronic data interchange (EDI).

The company says its rail visibility API allows users to track rail shipments in real time from origin to destination, providing data on whether shipments are on hold, when shipments have been ramped or have left the origin location, when shipments have reached an interchange or have departed/switched trains, and if equipment has reached the final destination or been de-ramped.

Chicago-based project44 offers API coverage in the truckload and less-than-truckload sectors. The company plans to expand its coverage to ocean and air freight modes during 2018.

"In addition to enabling deeper transparency, project44 is focused on improving predictability throughout the entire supply chain," project44 CTO Mike Reed said in a statement. "Our advanced reporting, exception management, and notification architecture has been designed for multimodal consumption."