For shippers and BCOs, knowing where your ocean freight shipments are and the estimated time of arrival is one of the most crucial elements of creating a reliable supply chain. It sounds so simple, yet even in our tech-driven economy, it's something that remains a difficult task for many organizations.

If you rely on carrier ETAs alone to determine when ocean cargo will arrive, chances are you will run into many problems. The good news is that reliable and timely adjusted ETAs are now possible from loading to delivery, thanks to real-time container visibility solutions.

The Problem With Carrier ETAs

According to research from LinkedIn, an average of 11 distinct ETAs are provided by a carrier for a single ocean freight shipment. This statistic alone highlights the critical problem with carrier ETAs; if they were accurate and reliable, only one ETA would be required. The fact that carriers almost always update their ETAs numerous times through a shipment's journey tells you all you need to know about how reliable carrier ETAs are.

Most carriers tend to underestimate how long it will take them to deliver cargo, though it isn't uncommon for ocean freight shipments to arrive earlier than predicted. In either case, inaccurate ETAs can create real problems for organizations relying on these estimates for effective inventory management. Along with creating inventory management nightmares, unreliable ETAs can lead to issues such as increased demurrage and detention fees and challenges filing import documents, booking inland transportation, and planning operational activities.

How Real-Time Container Visibility Solves This Problem

Unreliable ETAs are a problem that plagues all ocean carriers, meaning that it's an issue that can't be solved simply by partnering with the right carrier. Thankfully, it is an issue that shippers and BCOs can solve with in-transit container visibility.

With VIZION's real-time container tracking solution, organizations receive real-time updates regarding the status and location of their ocean freight shipments that are automatically pushed via API to any software system or spreadsheet. With this solution, organizations will always know where their ocean freight shipments are and when they will arrive, empowering accurate and reliable ETAs from loading to delivery.

The Benefits Gained From Reliable and Timely Adjusted ETAs

The benefits of actually trusting your adjusted ETAs are multi-faceted. For one, reliable adjusted ETAs ensure that you are never unable to fulfill an order due to inventory not arriving when it should. Perhaps even more impactful than improving your inventory management process, though, is the fact that reliable ETAs achieved via real-time container tracking enable you to plan your operational supply chain activities for ocean freight shipments far more effectively.

Arranging pickup, booking inland transportation, and filing import documents are all activities that rely on knowing exactly when your cargo will arrive. When your ocean freight shipment doesn't show up when it should, all of these crucial tasks become disrupted. Along with creating a lot of logistical headaches, not knowing when your cargo will arrive can lead to it sitting at the port longer than it should and racking up a lot of demurrage and detention fees.

Thankfully, the solution to all of these issues is simple. With VIZION API, you will never again have to worry about whether or not the ETA that your carrier provides can be trusted. By leveraging our industry-leading real-time container tracking solution, reliable updates on your cargo's location and expected delivery date is always just a few clicks away. Along with a range of other benefits that real-time container tracking provides, this robust solution solves one of the biggest headaches facing shippers and BCOs since the dawn of global trade.

A Partnership with VIZION API Delivers Adjusted ETAs You Can Trust

Adjusted ETAs that can actually be trusted, deliver immense value to modern supply chain managers. By putting the power of real-time container tracking at your fingertips, VIZION provides reliable and timely adjusted ETAs for ocean freight shipments from loading to delivery. If you want to learn more about the powerful features and benefits of VIZION API, contact us today!