Return Container Booking App Launched

Cargo stream – the first of its kind container booking app in Europe – has officially gone live. Built by Cargo stream, an international company developing solutions to manage the whole logistics chain in one place and making empty container logistics in Europe more efficient, the app is set to become a go-to tool for cargo forwarders and carriers. It enables users to book their shipping container faster and easier across the globe.

“This functionality was highly requested by various shipping lines. More and more companies are moving their operations online, accessing important data via computer or smartphone screens, and we see this trend as an extraordinary opportunity for the logistics sector. Technology enables immediacy, ubiquity, in our case, while booking containers or managing logistics processes. Our decision to launch an app was inspired by the number of functionalities requests we received from our partnering shipping lines. We are creating value for our customers by launching the first app of its kind in Europe,” said Anthony Poullain, member of the board at Cargo stream.

Currently, available solutions in the market are limited to desktop applications, enabling only several actions, which forces companies to stick to managing most of the procedures by phone calls or emails. “We want to be at the forefront of technological implementation in an otherwise stagnant industry. It is difficult to develop a solution from the shipping line side because other shipping lines will not join the internal system. Cargo stream is an independent, reliable and objective solution provider that connects different parties in the whole logistic chain,” said Stéphane Gouvart, an associate of the CMA CGM Group.

The Cargo stream app allows users to make container bookings and offers or announce that they are searching for a specific container. It facilitates a full exchange between cargo senders, forwarders and carriers and provides a single portal to manage the entire container communication with shipping lines in real-time. Additionally, users can use the container location tool that helps find empty containers near their location. From there, users quickly book the containers and begin the cargo journey.

The app also provides value for customers in the following ways: request changes in drop-off and pick-up locations, check empty container status and whether it can be re-used for export customers, as well as manage cross-border open equipment opportunities in real-time. With these features, app users can optimise trucks’ planning, avoid congested areas and disputes with other carriers, and centralise all lines on one platform.

“Using such technology, logistics professionals can save time and money by reducing the number of empty runs. When facing a global containers’ shortage, speed and concrete communication are key to be first in line and secure the containers. We have started booking containers through Cargo stream with MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company),” said Igoris Uba, CEO of Limarko Maritime Agency.

Previously, both parties lacked the information they needed to improve their business efficiency: since forwarders had to ask hundreds of carriers if they have a container or vice versa, carriers had to inquire whether forwarders need empty containers for their shippers. The economic value here is immense, as it was never that easy to match empty containers with cargo shippers. Moreover, Cargo stream is not a marketplace, but a modern hub for re-using containers for export.

Cargo stream business model is straightforward: it comes with no license fees, subscription requirements, and upfront commitments. The app only takes a fixed rate when business transactions have performed. It is expected that Cargo stream will increase the speed of finding suitable parties for transportation circumstances, expediting service requirements for all parties involved. As existing app users have already claimed, the app is the fastest and easiest way to book a container in the European market.