Purolator joins Blockchain in Transport Alliance

Logistics technology trade group Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) said today it will partner with Canadian parcel delivery and logistics company Purolator Inc., and work together to develop blockchain solutions for courier and logistics industry challenges in e-commerce and digitalization.

Blockchain technology could be a useful tool in transportation industry applications because blockchain's shared ledger design makes it "next to impossible" for the members of a network to falsify data, Purolator said.

That attribute means blockchain technology could provide value for operations such as vendor management, loss prevention and security, and billing and payments, the company said. Purolator said it is also looking into ways to use blockchain to improve customer service in the areas of shipment visibility, agility and tracking, and delivery speed.

"The shipping and logistics industry will continue to change at an incredibly fast pace, and ... Purolator wants to help shape its future," Purolator Vice President and CIO Ricardo Costa said in a statement. "The applications for blockchain are endless and will provide the shipping and logistics industry with never-seen-before benefits. This is because the technology enables complete end-to-end visibility into the entire life cycle of a shipment transaction and all its connected parts."

BiTA has more than 200 active members and has been growing quickly in recent months, adding high-profile partners such as BNSF Railway Co., UPS Inc., FedEx Corp., SAP SE, McLeod Software Corp., and Trimble Inc. The group says it plans to leverage its new partnerships by offering educational tracks on blockchain at its series of industry events and conferences.