What is Ocean Freight Software?
An ocean freight software is a specialized digital tool that streamlines and optimizes maritime shipping and logistics operations. This comprehensive solution facilitates the planning, execution, and monitoring of the movement of goods via sea routes, ensuring that goods are delivered to their destination promptly and safely. Everyone involved in the operations, including shipping lines or carriers, freight forwarders and brokers, warehouse managers, and port operators, will benefit from this software.
Importance
The ocean freight industry is responsible for moving massive quantities of commodities across continents, making this one of the most crucial links in the global supply chain. But with the incredibly complex operations come numerous challenges that hamper the transport of goods from the point of origin to consumption. Software solutions targeted to facilitate ocean freight activities help counteract these challenges, enhancing efficiency every step of the way. Shipping management features like 24/7 monitoring, cargo tracking, reporting with document management, and communication tools provide workers with end-to-end visibility into the operations and enable them to act on issues quickly.
Top logistics and shipping companies like DB Schenker and VROON leverage this platform to digitize information to gain accurate data and automate their workflows for enhanced efficiency.
Key Features
This software is available as a stand-alone tool or component of an extensive logistics or supply chain management platform. Whichever option you choose, be sure it has the following basic functionalities:
Transport and logistics templates in an accessible repository (e.g., shipping orders and logs, bulk goods transport, freight transport, freight audits, etc.)
Documentation generation and management
Shipment scheduling, booking, and management
Real-time incident tracking and management
Route optimization
Container load optimization
Cost analytics and optimization
Collaboration portals
Supplier and carrier collaboration tools
Demurrage and detention management
Compliance management
Report generation (e.g., incident investigations for damage, loss, or theft)
Analytics (e.g., environmental impact tracking)
Integrations (e.g., with warehousing and inventory services)
Mobile accessibility
Choosing the Right Ocean Freight Software
Shipping lines, terminal operators, freight brokers, supply chain managers, and operations managers of the different key players in this highly interconnected operation will benefit from any solution listed above. Before selecting your top pick, take another look at all the platforms in the table below:
Ocean Freight Software | Free Version | Paid Plan | Mobile App |
SafetyCulture | Yes | $24/user/month* | Yes |
Project44 | Yes | Contact for pricing | Yes |
INTTRA | No | Contact for pricing | No |
Shipamax | No | Contact for pricing | No |
Kuebix | Yes | Contact for pricing | No |
CargoWise | No | Contact for pricing | Yes |
FreightExchange | Yes | AUD 250 (≈$170)/mo | No |
* billed annually