Vanguard offers CFS receiving application

   The neutral non-vessel-operating common carrier Vanguard Logistics Services said Wednesday it has begun offering customers a new application for cargo receiving.
   Vanguard customers will be able to view pictures of their cargo, including the marks and numbers, on the Vanguard Website within a few minutes of the cargo’s arrival at a foreign container freight station (CFS). Customers will also receive a copy of the shipping notes, truck bill, and other documents that accompany the shipment.
   The application will roll out in Vanguard’s CFSs in the Middle East and Southeast Asia regions, with the rest of Vanguard’s network to follow. The company recently began using the application in Singapore, Malaysia (Port Kelang, Penang, and Johor) and Thailand. Indonesia, Vietnam and Dubai are scheduled to begin using the application in the next release.
   “We will also send a formatted dock receipt complete with piece counts, weight and dimensions within an hour of cargo arriving at the CFS,” said Jeffery G. Lee, regional managing director for South Asia and Middle East. “If there are any differences in what is received as compared to the booking, we can now provide overage, shortage and damage notification via e-mail very soon after the cargo arrives at the CFS. This will allow us to assist customers in resolving issues much sooner than previously possible.”
   “This allows us to make processes that normally take many companies in the industry a day or more to complete almost instantaneous and it saves our customers time by eliminating unnecessary phone calls and e-mails to check on the status of cargo or to request photos of their cargo,” said Vanguard co-CEOs Biju Kewalram and Haydn O’Brien in a joint statement. – Eric Johnson