US Agri Houses & Barge Lines go live with Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) Solution
US Agri Houses and Barge Lines are now live with the Barge Digital Transformation (BDT) Solution, powered by CargoDocs.
BDT is initially being used for North-South corn movements on the Mississippi River System, before expanding to additional commodities including soybeans, wheat, soybean meal and DDG. The solution will also expand to additional waterways, and South-North flows, in 2021.
BDT digitizes the creation, application out and acceptance of barges; propose destinations; request lading; reconsignment of barges; grade and weight certificate distribution; bill of lading issuance and transfers; lading corrections; busting of barges; and returning of ladings.
Shippers & Traders signed up for BDT to date include:
- ADM
- AGRIServices of Brunswick
- Avere Commodities
- Bunge
- Cargill
- Central States Enterprises
- CHS
- COFCO
- COFCO Growmark
- Consolidated Grain and Barge Co
- Gavilon
- LDC
- Oakley Grain
- Olam
- Owensboro Grain
- Perdue
- Poinsett
- Prairie Creek
- The Andersons
- Toyota Tsusho
- Ursa Farmers Coop
- Zen-Noh
Carriers signed up for BDT to date include:
- ACBL
- American River Transportation
- Campbell Transportation
- Cargo Carriers
- East River Transportation
- Heartland Barge Mgmt
- Ingram Barges
- LMR Freight
- ROI Logistics
- SCF Marine
An additional 10 Shippers & Traders and 4 Carriers are in the process of signing up for BDT.
Background:
The BDT Solution originates from an initiative led by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), which selected essDOCS to develop, deliver and manage a solution digitizing the approximately 70,000-100,000 negotiable Barge Bills of Lading that NGFA members process annually. BDT was developed in close collaboration with the NGFA-led digital trade body, National Grain and Feed Digital Solutions (NGFDS).
The first BDT production release follows a diligent testing period involving around 100 users during the Beta phase, with earlier testing this year covering 10 functional releases and four prototype releases. Work is already underway for BDT release 2, to extend and improve the solution and its capabilities.
The NGFDS industry group directing and funding the BDT Project includes representatives from the NGFA and the following member companies: Bunge North America, Inc.; Cargill, Inc.; Archer Daniels Midland Company; CGB Enterprises, Inc.; CHS Inc.; The Gavilon Group; Louis Dreyfus Company; Zen-Noh Grain Corporation; American Commercial Barge Line; and Ingram Marine Group.
Read the official NGFA press release announcing the BDT Solution go-live.