New app to help Boston port truckers check box availability

Tideworks Technology has developed a mobile version of its customer service web portal for the Massachusetts Port Authority called Forecast Mobile Lite.    Drayage drivers at the Port of Boston’s Conley Container Terminal are expected to save time making cargo moves thanks to a new app developed by Tideworks Technology for the Massachusetts Port Authority.
   The app, called Forecast Mobile Lite, is a mobile version of Tideworks Technology’s customer service web portal and is designed to help truckers access container availability information on their smartphones.
   Functions of the mobile application mirror the existing web application and provide information that is generally available from the terminal. Conley Terminal customers who have a Forecast web portal account can download Forecast Mobile Lite from the Apple App Store and Google Play for free.
   Tideworks is the technology division of Carrix, Inc., the Seattle-based parent of terminal operator SSA Marine.
   The app will allow drivers to search for containers by bill of lading or container number, instantly view release and availability status, add multiple containers to a “watch list” to easily monitor their status, and view other related information such hazardous conditions, vessel and whether any fees are due.
   The app is an example of how ports are trying to get terminals, motor carriers, rail carriers and shippers to share data in real time so dispatch decisions are made with accurate information and truckers don’t have to wait to resolve invoice issues or for a box to clear Customs. The Port of New York-New Jersey on Monday launched a community-wide web portal to centralize information sharing among port operators and users.
   Tideworks said Forecast Mobile Lite will be extended to other terminals in the future, and subsequent versions will provide port community users with additional features, including the ability to search for subscribing terminals in the area and connect to multiple terminals.