Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

C.H. Robinson says it is first 3PL to deploy electronic bill of lading standard

eBOL technology standard was launched in 2023 by National Motor Freight Traffic Association

CHRobinson Screen Shot 2024-01-22 at 11.33.15 AM.jpg
Supply Chain Xchange Staff
By Supply Chain Xchange StaffJan 22, 2024
Supply Chain Xchange Staff
See Full Bio

A consortium of less than truckload (LTL) transportation and logistics service providers says it is making progress toward digitalizing the trucking sector by establishing an electronic bill of lading (eBOL) standard to replace paper records. 

C.H. Robinson today said it was the first third-party logistics provider (3PL) to adopt the standard, which was created in 2023 by the Digital LTL Council, a division of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA).

Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based C.H. Robinson said it has now implemented an eBOL with 10 of the top LTL carriers and is in progress with four more. In the past year, 17,240 C.H. Robinson customers benefited from the eBOL and that number will rise in 2024 as the company helps additional LTL carriers come on board.

“While there are fewer carriers in the LTL universe and the top 25 handle over 90% of the market, the complexity of moving LTL freight means that digitization in this part of the logistics industry has been more challenging than truckload,” Greg West, Vice President for LTL at C.H. Robinson, said in a release. “With truckload freight, there’s generally one origin and one destination and a customer has exclusive use of the trailer. With LTL, you can have up to 30 customers’ freight on a trailer, with 30 destinations and 30 sets of paperwork. That makes it so valuable to have a common eBOL everyone can use.”

According to C.H. Robinson, eliminating the manual work of tracking shipments with paper and stickers allows users to lower administrative costs, cut down on errors, and increase efficiency at every shipper’s dock. It also gives shippers true real-time visibility and earlier tracking updates, allowing for detection and avoidance of disruptions along the route and enhancing predictive estimated time of arrival (ETA) stats.

"C.H. Robinson's adoption of the electronic bill of lading (eBOL) stands as a landmark achievement in the digitization of the industry,” Paul Dugent, Executive Director of NMFTA’s Digital LTL Council, said in a release. “Their pioneering collaboration with leading LTL carriers and embrace of the Council’s standards showcase a firm commitment to modernizing logistics for enhanced efficiency and real-time visibility. This visionary approach will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for broader industry adoption, ultimately benefiting both shippers and carriers alike."


 

 

ArticleTransportationTechnologyTech & InfrastructureTrucking
c.h. robinsonnmfta
ArticleTransportationTechnologyTech & InfrastructureTrucking
c.h. robinsonnmfta

Recent

An image of the cover page for the white paper "The threat of resiliency and sustainability in global supply chain management: Expectations for 2025."
Plan

CSCMP releases new white paper looking at potential supply chain impact of incoming Trump administration

minority woman with charts of business progress
Procure

Study: Inclusive procurement can fuel economic growth

More Stories

image of laptop against an orange background

Companies need to plan for top five supply chain risks of 2025

The five most likely supply chain events that will impact business operations this year include climate change/weather, geopolitical instability, cybercrime, rare metals/minerals, and the crackdown on forced labor, according to a report from supply chain risk analytics provider Everstream Analytics.

“The past year has been unprecedented, with extreme weather events, heightened geopolitical tension and cybercrime destabilizing supply chains throughout the world. Navigating this year’s looming risks to build a secure supply network has never been more critical,” Corey Rhodes, CEO of Everstream Analytics, said in the firm’s “2025 Annual Risk Report.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

aerial photo of port of Miami
Move

East and Gulf coast strike averted with 11th-hour agreement

cargo ships at port

Strike threat lingers at ports as January 15 deadline nears

Retailers and manufacturers across the country are keeping a watchful eye on negotiations starting tomorrow to draft a new contract for dockworkers at East coast and Gulf coast ports, as the clock ticks down to a potential strike beginning at midnight on January 15.

Representatives from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) last spoke in October, when they agreed to end a three-day strike by striking a tentative deal on a wage hike for workers, and delayed debate over the thornier issue of port operators’ desire to add increased automation to port operations.

Keep ReadingShow less
image of earth from space

Maersk offers 5 steps to make your supply chain “antifragile”

Companies worldwide faced waves of business disruptions throughout the past year, but as 2025 is predicted to be just as complex as 2024, global cargo carrier Maersk has listed five steps for making supply chains “antifragile.”

Maersk’s overall view of the coming year is that the global economy is expected to grow modestly, with the possibility of higher inflation caused by lingering supply chain issues, continued geopolitical tensions, and fiscal policies such as new tariffs. Geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions could threaten global stability, climate change action will continue to shape international cooperation, and the ongoing security issue in the Red Sea is expected to continue into 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. and China flags with a photo overlay of Ashray Lavsi

What happens to global supply chains if China attacks Taiwan?

For an island measuring a little less than 14,000 square miles (or about the size of Belgium), Taiwan plays a crucial role in global supply chains, making geopolitical concerns associated with it of keen interest to most major corporations.

Taiwan has essentially acted as an independent nation since 1949, when the nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island following the communist takeover of mainland China. Yet China has made no secret of the fact that it wants to bring Taiwan back under its authority—ambitions that were brought to the fore in October when China launched military drills that simulated an attack on the island.

Keep ReadingShow less

Six logistics trends to watch

As we look toward 2025, the logistics and transportation industry stands on the cusp of transformation. At the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), we’re committed to helping industry leaders navigate these changes with insight and strategy. Here are six trends that we believe will form the competitive landscape of tomorrow.

1. Digital transformation and data integration: Technology continues to reshape every facet of logistics. Advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are becoming increasingly integrated into supply chain operations, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling proactive decision-making.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2025.