What Data Does ClearMetal Use to Provide Visibility?
ClearMetal uses several different data types and sources to provide visibility.
When searching for an order, bill of lading, booking, or container in ClearMetal, you will see milestones describing the progress of a shipment. These milestones are created from data provided by ocean carriers and was generated by the carrier, terminals, and other facilities. This data is transferred in a data format called Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
Different types of business transactions utilize defined EDI message sets. EDI data is transmitted as a message from one party to another. For ocean container movements, ClearMetal primarily utilizes X12 EDI messages from the 300 series.
|
EDI Message |
Message Meaning |
|---|---|
|
310 - Ocean bill of lading information (Required) |
Used to provide ocean bill of lading information. It is sent by ocean carriers to interested parties and can be used as the receipt for the shipment. ClearMetal utilizes a duplicate, unfreighted bill of lading containing no commercial information. |
|
315 - Ocean Status Details (Required) |
Used to provide all the information necessary to report status or event details for selected shipments or containers, such as gate events or load/discharge events. |
|
323 - Vessel Schedule and Itinerary (Optional) |
Used to provide all the information necessary for an ocean carrier to communicate the schedule and itinerary of an ocean vessel to interested parties. |
|
301 - Ocean Booking Confirmation (Optional) |
Used to provide all the information necessary for an ocean carrier to confirm space, container, and equipment availability in response to the Ocean Booking Request or to notify other parties such as terminal operators or other ocean carriers. |
ClearMetal provides an API for customers to submit sales and purchase order information. This order information is associated with ocean shipment bookings, bills of lading, and containers. Line item information can be included to associate specific product SKUs and logistics information.
ClearMetal tracks the locations of thousands of container vessels continuously. Each vessel emits radio signals through its Automatic Identification System (AIS). These radio signals are detected by a constellation of satellites. AIS transmissions contain numerous data points, such as GPS location, speed, draft, etc.