Product Information

Descartes Highway Carrier Portal

Electronic Data Exchange Made Easier with Descartes Highway Carrier Portal

Participants in today’s global supply chain are working hard to bring costs under control and drive operational efficiencies by standardizing and automating the end-to-end shipment process through the use of technology. Shippers and their Freight Payment Agencies (FPA), in particular, are also looking to reduce or eliminate paper-based processes by using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for electronic messaging. With EDI, they can streamline the shipment process and communicate more effectively with carriers. This approach not only lowers operational costs, it also reduces the amount of time spent on re-entry of information.

Bringing More Effective Solutions to Market

Descartes Highway Carrier Portal (HCP) is a cost-effective and efficient solution that is designed to help shippers and FPAs realize all the benefits of EDI capabilities without the complexity of in-house solutions. Descartes HCP combines EDI capabilities with portal technology to address a number of key areas for carriers, brokers and agencies:

Automation:

Without automation, carriers cannot send documents in the required format and may be at risk of losing future business with their shipper customers. Even if email is used for sending forms, increasingly aggressive spam filtering means that important messages are often not getting through. Referring to multiple web sites to view proof of delivery (PoD) images is also time-consuming. The key to overcoming these challenges is a one-stop online resource that facilitates the end-to-end shipment management process.

A Portal to Success

The Descartes Highway Carrier Portal (HCP) is a value-added information service that leverages the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN) to facilitate the electronic exchange of documents.

Descartes Highway Carrier Portal (HCP) is a cost-effective and efficient solution that is designed to help shippers and FPAs realize all the benefits of EDI capabilities without the complexity of in-house solutions.

Consolidation: The need for consistency and accuracy in document exchange is paramount. EDI allows companies to consolidate document exchange while reducing overall costs, improving workflow processes and accuracy, and increasing productivity. Information can easily be accessed and updated through portal services to gain greater insight into the movement of goods and improve management processes.

Compliance: For shippers to meet accounting standards and practices, their carriers need to use EDI to confirm tenders, provide status updates and send freight invoices. A single information source provides carriers with a full view of the life of shipments – from point-of-origin through to their destination, and every stage in between. Technology enables users to match and cross reference and present shipments via the portal or via FTP or other transmission directly to FPA.

Since 1981, Descartes has been focused on addressing the needs of the global transportation and logistics sector. It has built its reputation on delivering results for organizations around the world that operate logistics intensive businesses and require visibility and control over multi-channel networks of trading partners and shipment management processes.

Descartes As A Partner Of Choice

A Portal To Success

The Descartes Highway Carrier Portal (HCP) is a value-added information service that leverages the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN) to facilitate the electronic exchange of documents. Descartes HCP bridges the gap between the EDI-enabled back office systems used by shippers and their FPAs, and carriers that have not yet automated electronic communication. It provides a global view of critical information that has been sent and received, including proof of delivery images, load tenders, corresponding invoices, details on payments, and more.

Descartes’ on-demand HCP service enables carriers, shippers and FPAs to:

• Increase market share and optimize utilization of resources • Reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) to improve cash flow • Negotiate preferred payment terms, track disputes and reduce archiving costs • Work with smaller or more specialized suppliers through increased automation and electronic record keeping • Provide higher levels of service • Increase information accuracy • Exchange real-time information with a global partner network • Reduce their environmental footprint (less paper consumption) • Speed invoice processing and payments

Descartes HCP modules address four key functional areas and can be tailored to suit specific business needs:

• Load Tenders – Carriers can accept Load Tenders and send EDI responses with the invoice number and pickup date/time. • Shipment Status – With minimal data entry, EDI status messages can be generated based on existing shipment and location information. • Electronic Proof of Delivery (PoD) – HCP enables carriers to upload PoD information to the shipper/freight payment agency before payment is made so they can match electronic images and invoices, as well as provide relevant cross-referencing to shippers and FPAs. • Electronic Freight Invoice – Based on prior tender information or after importing data from back office systems, freight invoices are composed and validated against specific shipper requirements.

General Features Include:

• Automation of load tendering and freight payment between highway carriers and shippers, or the freight payment agencies (FPA) that represent them.

For Carriers:

• In-network document management that reduces the need for receiving, filing, archiving and destroying supporting documentation. • Descartes GLN document identifier provides direct access to documents, along with corresponding digital signatures, minimizing the need for costly integration with back-office systems. • Multi-tenant network for viewing shippers/carriers on the same screen. • Electronic Freight Invoice Management – Carriers can create freight invoices from scratch or previous documents, resubmit previously sent invoices for rebilling and/or correction, upload partial freight invoices to validate and complete online, monitor invoice status and use published fuel surcharges. • Shipper Compliance – Enables the submission of status messages, provides electronic/imaged proof of delivery and notification of missing documents. • Load Tender – Carriers can review load tenders, respond with details and specify communication methods. • Enforce Freight Settlement Compliancy – Shippers can specify mandatory information in freight invoices, reject invoices or request additional information, measure status and delivery precision for carriers and track shipment status online or via EDI notification.

For shippers:

• Proof of Delivery – Shippers can access imaged Bills of Lading and PoD online in the context of an invoice and automatically receive images on a pre-set schedule and provide payment remittance notifications and invoice payment status for online viewing.

GLN Highway Carrier Portal

Carriers

Invoice is generated via the Highway Carrier Portal browser page

is RInvoice responses to Load generated via Tenders, Shipments the Highway Carrier Portal , and signed POD browser page images are provided via FTP or Web Upload

POD images are sent via Fax, IFAX or Web Upload

SHIPPERS/FPAS

The GLN Highway Carrier Portal (HCP) is a Web-based information Service that facilitates the collaboration and automation of Load Tendering and Freight Payment between Highway Carriers and Shippers (or Freight Payment Agencies representing them).

HCP aims to bridge the gap between EDI enabled back office systems of shippers and FPAs and less automated Carriers.

Features

• Many-to-many portal used between carriers and brokers • Web service based EDI generation • Share shipment/invoice folder between both parties • Web service based EDI processing • Receipt of images • Compliancy and validation as used in government initiative • Bar code scanning for automatic assignment

Load Tenders are sent via GLN using FTP, AS2, HTTPS, etc.

Remittance Advices are sent to HCP to provide updates on payment status

Invoices and POD images are made available via browser page or FTP, AS2, HTTPS, etc.