Freight forwarder and shipping agency Roberto Bucci SpA has completed what is claimed to be the first electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) transaction in Europe, working with the blockchain-based TradeLens platform.

“TradeLens eBL had the solution, without changing the way we’re doing business, using our standard shipping instructions channel, in one click the originals were surrendered back to carrier and the carrier’s system was updated,” explained Carmen Arianna, Operational Headquarters, Roberto Bucci.

The previous system involved printing a full set of shipper’s instructions and sending it by courier to the shipper, who then sends it back to the consignee. The query response time could take anywhere from 2 hours to more than one working day on average.

“Identifying areas to meet our customers’ expectations and speeding up the delivery of goods at destination using digitisation is what working with an experienced 3PL means,” said Ms Arianna.

“The turn time needed to process a standard telex release request was not satisfying our customers. At destination, they were impatiently waiting to receive our confirmation, especially when the cargo was about to arrive.”

Using the eBL, the carrier system is updated automatically with the surrender of the Original Bill of Lading at the carrier’s office without having to wait for the shipper or freight forwarder’s confirmation, allowing the consignee to confirm the status on the carrier’s website and request the delivery order immediately.

“We had a seamless experience, and efficient and smooth onboarding joined with an easy-to-use platform. With this solution, we believe we can become a leader in the sector regarding the speed in the container release at destination,” said Ms Arianna.

Source: https://smartmaritimenetwork.com/2022/08/25/roberto-bucci-introduces-electronic-bill-of-lading-process/