FreightSmart – OOCL’s innovative online platform providing customers with a full menu of supply chain solutions for shipping – is an essential element of the company’s digitalization initiative, intended to enhance efficiency and improve customer service by using transformative digital technologies.
As the initial step in the entire shipping process, E-Spot was the first FreightSmart function to be launched in 2021, and sets the foundation for the customer’s online experience with OOCL. In alignment with OOCL’s core value of Customer Focus and the company’s commitment to innovation, E-Spot was designed to allow ordering and booking of shipments fast and easily – no more worries over space and equipment availability, or complex pricing structures.
E-Spot vs E-Quote
E-Spot is one of two ordering options in FreightSmart, and offers ad hoc pricing for General Cargo, Reefer Cargo and Non-Operating Reefer (NOR). The other ordering option, E-Quote, offers quotations at stable prices which remain fixed for a longer period – from two weeks to one month, and may be more suitable for customers who wish to plan bookings ahead for the longer term.
Search, Order and Submit Your Booking – It’s As Simple As That
Whereas booking a shipment may once have required a string of phone calls or a lengthy exchange of emails, E-Spot makes it a simple and almost effortless process. Once your requirements are entered, E-Spot will automatically match up vessel and equipment availability and issue an immediate quotation, with all rates, surcharges and conditions transparently laid out.
Order confirmation is also instant, with rates fixed from the moment of confirmation. Once confirmed, E-Spot orders are immediately locked in at the ordered rate, with space and equipment protection included. Bookings can then be submitted within 24 hours, allowing you the time and flexibility to cross-check the shipment details with concerned parties.
Manage Your Booking with Ease
The customer may then follow up through the subsequent stages of the shipping process through FreightSmart’s Control Tower. This empowers you to view and manage your orders and bookings, create bookings, submit related actions, and track your cargo in real time.
Cargo Tracking+ - provides transparent information on your real-time cargo status from the moment you place your order, through to delivery and container return, with a map providing visualization of the ocean freight sector and showing vessel locations.
Extra D&D - In addition to the free time offered, you may purchase extra free time for both origin and destination through Extra D&D on the platform, which allows you to cope with unexpected events and mitigate the risk of demurrage and detention charges.
You may also request inland transportation, and customs declarations and clearance services through other modules of FreightSmart, performing all the necessary steps seamlessly on a single platform. The status of the required follow-up actions may be checked through the Control Tower.
In addition to ease of use and 24-hour availability, 7 days a week, E-Spot gives you convenient access to OOCL’s vast selection of service routes, with spot rates for a large network of port pairs in major markets worldwide.
Hurry up and give this hassle-free experience a go – book your shipments through E-Spot now!