In 2023, carriers, forwarders, and shippers utilizing the Freightos and WebCargo platforms collectively placed over one million bookings. This surge in digital transactions underscores the growing reliance on instant pricing, routing, and booking services offered by platforms such as WebCargo, which seamlessly connects 50+ carriers to thousands of forwarders worldwide.
This transition to online platforms demonstrates a shift in the industry’s operational landscape. Now, the focus turns to further optimizing these processes through automation. Manual air cargo bookings can see freight data retyped dozens of times for a single shipment inviting human error to slow the process, so the automation of many such processes ensures data accuracy and reduces the time and costs needed to address errors inherent to manual booking processes.Â
Streamlining Recurring Bookings with Automation
WebCargo’s new eBooking Scheduling Tool is the prime example of just such an automation, that vastly simplifies the booking process.Â
This latest innovation eliminates the need for manual data entry when making recurring eBookings, by enabling forwarders to schedule them automatically in just a few clicks.Â
The speed and reliability of automated booking significantly reduces the time that forwarders need to spend on routine bookings, freeing them to address more complex cases, and other value add behaviors which further improve the customer experience, and increase customer retention.
How AI Tools Are Leading the Way
The eBooking Scheduling Tool isn’t just about convenience – it’s the gateway to a wider world of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the air cargo industry. In an industry where every second counts, automation is the key to unlocking unparalleled efficiency. But it’s about more than just saving time – it’s about maximizing potential, and in the dynamic world of air cargo, AI is perfectly poised to do just that.
As Zvi Schreiber, CEO of Freightos puts it:Â
We see AI as having the opportunity to play a major role. We’ve actually been using machine learning for a number of developments internally. Since cargo is about numbers…we are putting more emphasis on regression AI models which help to automate and optimize yield and capacity utilization.
In fact, ninety-six percent of respondents to a September Freightos survey of more than 60 logistics companies said they would use AI and tech advancements in their air cargo and forwarding operations in the coming year.
This demonstrates how in the grand scheme of air cargo digitization, the eBooking Scheduling Tool is just the beginning. It’s a testament to the transformative power of even just a single automation in the air cargo industry, paving the way for a new era of logistics.Â
The Future of AI in Air CargoÂ
Automation isn’t just a tool – it’s a catalyst for innovation, propelling the industry towards a brighter, more efficient future. Businesses are strategically positioning themselves to seize new opportunities and revolutionize cargo operations. This strategic emphasis on AI isn’t merely a response to challenges but a proactive approach to unlocking the industry’s full potential. By seamlessly integrating AI technologies, the industry aims to create a more adaptive, responsive, and intelligent air cargo ecosystem.
