News

Electronic bills of lading system to replace paper
(Feb  8  2010)

Electronic Shipping Solutions has launched CargoDocs, a system aimed at allowing shipping companies to replace paper bills of lading with electronic documents.

The first CargoDocs electronic bill of lading was issued by the Brostrom Tankers vessel Bro Deliverer for a shipment from Ineos’s Finnart Terminal in Scotland to BP’s terminal in Belfast, after being electronically signed by the vessel’s Master.

The electronic document was transacted from Scotland to London to Milton Keynes (UK) and produced back to the vessel in less than two hours.

"CargoDocs fit perfectly within Brostrom’s fleetwide adoption of broadband services and short sea services,” says Andreas Jorgensen, operations manager for Brostrom Tankers.

“It eases the administrative burden for the Captain and fosters real time savings.”

Brostrom Tankers (part of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group) is joined by BP Oil UK, INEOS, and Denholm Barwil as some of ESS’s first customers to create and transact electronic bills of lading using CargoDocs.

BP has been involved with ESS for over five years, contributing to the development and evolution of the CargoDocs system.

Rob Ramos, UK supply operations manager at BP Oil UK confirmed the use of BP’s first electronic bill of lading, saying: "BP concluded testing last year and are now comfortable with eDocs and welcomed the opportunity to participate in this first electronic trade."

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