Public Funding for Rockshore Ltd

FreightArranger is a first to the web application for multi-modal freight. FreightArranger is a cloud-based brokerage which allows enquirers to search for, book and track containerised freight consignments by rail while simultaneously organising the road shunts at each end of the rail transit. The main benefits which flow from FreightArranger are that: • Rail freight operating companies are able to fill spare capacity on intermodal freight trains more easily, • Rail freight operating companies are able to interact more cost-effectively with small volume consignment requests, • Consignors are able to access rail freight with less staff effort and a simplified search and quote process, • All parties are able to benefit from access to real-time location information, • Modal shift to rail is enabled, leading to lower carbon emissions and reduced road congestion. Officially titled Intelligent Multimodal Logistics Control and Brokerage Centre, the Project has decided to call itself FreightArranger. The initial concept for the Project was that there were a number of customer-facing problems within the intermodal rail freight industry which existed for valid reasons, but nonetheless acted as barriers to accessing rail freight, with road transit being an easier option. The Project’s aim is to remove those barriers through the application of technology so that more consignors are able to access the benefits of rail freight, and that freight operating companies are able to fill empty slots on block trains and have an additional sales channel for open access trains. The FreightArranger Project lasts for three years. It started in July 2010 with a research phase where extensive interviews were conducted with shipping lines, freight forwarding companies, rail terminals and rail freight operating companies, followed by a software requirements specification and high level software design. At present the software is in a development phase prior to user acceptance testing. An operational trial with live freight bookings is planned for the period April to August 2013 on the following routes: Barking to Daventry, Daventry to Coatbridge, Daventry to Grangemouth, and a further route from Barking/Tilbury. After completion of the trial, FreightArranger will enter commercial operation in September 2013 and plans to extend its services over all rail routes in the UK and Europe. During the research phase, a number of further enhancements and features were identified which will be added to the software through additional investment.