The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) has finalized its Booking 2.0 and Bill of Lading 3.0 standards. These updated standards aim to simplify data exchange between shippers and carriers, leading to reduced administrative overhead, fewer errors, and lower costs for the container shipping industry, reports the Digital Container Shipping Association.
Key Features
Enhanced standards for electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs) have been introduced, incorporating key features to improve security, regulatory compliance, and efficiency. These enhancements include:
- Enhanced Security: A digital signature is added to the eBL, ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and non-repudiation of the eBL content provided by the carrier.
- Increased Compliance: Over 190 attributes have been added to the Shipping Instructions to support Import Control System 2 (ICS2), the new advance manifest requirement for cargo moving to or through the EU, Norway, Switzerland, or Northern Ireland.
- Greater Visibility: The ability to provide notifications, including the full content of bookings, shipping instructions, or transport documents, improves business process latency and reduces network traffic for all parties involved.
These standardized eBLs eliminate the need for costly, customized IT integrations, leading to increased profitability and efficiency. Fully digitized data exchange between carrier systems and Transport Management Systems (TMS) reduces reliance on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) solutions, saving both time and resources.
Improved Sustainability
The adoption of these finalized standards will also contribute to sustainability by significantly reducing paper usage through increased adoption of electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs).
DCSA CEO Thomas Bagge commented on the launch, stating, “We are thrilled to launch the final versions of our Booking and Bill of Lading standards, ensuring seamless data exchange across all industry participants. These advancements will not only cut costs through automation and reduced manual processing but also set the foundation for a more interoperable and efficient global shipping ecosystem.”
He added, “This couldn’t have been possible without close collaboration with our valued members and the broader global community of shippers, governments, freight forwarders, carriers, and operational partners. This is a further step to set the technological foundation for more interoperable solutions and drive recognition of the value of standardization across the maritime industry.”
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Source: Digital Container Shipping Association
