Cleaning up port calls

The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) said that widespread adoption is the first step towards achieving a digital, global, transparent, just-in-time port call ecosystem that will ultimately lower fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The standards currently being tested by carriers and terminal operators at two ports, will enable automated data exchange between carriers, ports and terminals for the five main phases involved in any port call.

Efficient calls

These five main phases of just-in-time (JIT) port calls are defined by DCSA as being: Berth arrival planning; Pilot boarding place (PBP) arrival planning; PBP and berth arrival execution and start cargo operations; Cargo completion and port departure planning and lastly, Berth departure execution

The tests will provide critical feedback for further enhancement of the standards as needed.

This is the second publication of the DCSA JIT Port Call Programme, which will ultimately include more than 50 event timestamps, providing a complete framework for all activities involved in the five main port call phases.

DCSA said it will release an information model, interface standards and API definitions for the remaining event timestamps in the coming quarters.

The association is a neutral, non-profit group founded by major ocean carriers to digitise and standardise the container shipping industry.

With the mission of leading the industry towards systematic collaboration, DCSA said it drives initiatives to make container transportation services transparent, reliable, easy to use, secure and environmentally friendly.