An upgrade of its supply chain visibility software by project44 will help to drive adoption of electronic bill of lading (eBOL) data across the less-than-truckload (LTL) industry, the Chicago-based firm said today.
For every pick-up request processed by project44, eBOL data will be automatically sent to carriers – without customers needing to build new API endpoints. By enabling customers to seamlessly adopt the new eBOL standards, project44 says it is advancing the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) LTL Digital Council's vision of industry-wide digitization and improved supply chain efficiency.
Historically, shippers, carriers and logistics service providers (LSPs) relied on paper bills of lading, requiring the manual transfer of information into a digital format. That error-prone process can result in limited real-time visibility, reduced tracking quality, freight delays, and high overhead costs due to billing complexity and disputes. But using eBOL instead enables shippers/LSPs and carriers to exchange accurate, concise data hours earlier – mitigating exceptions upstream, decreasing delays, and automating billing processes, project44 said.
"project44 has been instrumental in digitizing the LTL shipment lifecycle, helping to drive efficiency, accuracy, and operational excellence for the entire LTL ecosystem," Paul Dugent, executive director of the Digital LTL Council, said in a release. "Their adoption and promotion of the standard electronic Bill of Lading (eBOL) is a notable example of this progress, as they currently have the highest number of customer shipping locations leveraging eBOL among adopters. We also appreciate project44's role in establishing the original LTL Digital Council, which has since evolved into the industry group the NMFTA now stewards."
