APM Terminals has increased the number of terminals providing data via its Application Programming Interface (API) in response to growing customer expectations.
In a statement, the terminal operator said it has added new APIs for Export Booking Enquiries and Container Event History.
David Francis, APMT’s Head of Digital Customer Solutions, said meeting expectations for fast and reliable delivery while cutting costs requires constant innovation.
“Reliable, real-time data is the key to meeting all of these requirements,” Francis said.
“APM Terminals’ modern, industry-leading APIs enable our customers to pull real-time container status data from its Terminal Operating Systems, into their own internal ones – a Transport Management System for example.”
APIs remove the need to look up information manually via the company’s existing Track & Trace channels, making this the ideal solution for shipping lines, inland transporters, cargo owners and managers, as well as data aggregators who process higher volumes.
Removing the need for manual intervention not only saves man hours and speeds up the process, but also increases accuracy. “Most importantly, access to the latest data available in the supply chain, improves planning and helps meet customer expectations,” says Francis.
The company’s new Container Event History API provides a detailed log of ‘events’ from the moment a container is entered in APM Terminals’ system to the moment it exits the terminal via rail, road or vessel. For example, this could include container damage being recorded, customs holds being applied or released, VGM (verified gross mass) being assigned or the container being available in the yard for collection.
The new Export Booking Enquiry API provides data feeds at both booking and container level, including shipping Line and vessel information, vessel name, estimated time of departure (ETD), begin receiving and cargo cut off dates, cargo status: pre-advised, appointment, gate in, stuffing date, ready for load, load date and cargo data, such as ISO code, size, VGM, quantity.
Data is currently available for terminals in the following locations and will be made available for most of the company’s terminals during 2020.
- Apapa (Nigeria)
- Gothenburg (Sweden)
- Los Angeles (USA)
- Mobile (USA)
- Moin (Costa Rica)
- Port Elizabeth (USA)
- Vado (Italy)
