Dive Brief:

• CMA CGM has become the first shipping line listed on Freightos' platform after the carrier and marketplace signed a pilot agreement, CMA CGM announced Wednesday. 
• Shippers can view instant pricing and routing information and book online with guaranteed capacity through Freightos on CMA CGM's China-U.S. trade lanes. The carrier plans to add additional lanes to the platform "in the near future."
• "With CMA CGM selling on Freightos, smaller shippers now have direct access to a major carrier with competitive pricing," Zvi Schreiber, CEO and founder of Freightos, said in CMA CGM's press release. 

Dive Insight:

Online quotes and booking systems vary among carriers, each with a different level of transparency. An analysis conducted by Supply Chain Dive in August 2018 found of the six major carriers, only Hapag-Lloyd was able to provide an instant quote for customers.

Since then, Maersk Line announced instant booking on its website, changing the previous process of customers having to wait for a follow-up call or email. 

Now CMA CGM is joining the transparency movement, offering instant rates and booking on Freightos on China-U.S. routes. Schreiber told Lloyd’s Loading List he expects the pilot will transition into a long-term partnership next year and a launch of Asia-Europe routes on the platform in early 2019. 

A sample search on Freightos indeed yields results for available CMA CGM routes, along with the ability to see a rate and price breakdown and proceed to book directly through Freightos. 

Instant rates and booking provide a more streamlined load booking process for shippers, avoiding back and forth negotiations between shippers and carriers. The platform also guarantees capacity, eliminating problems with cargo rollover. "Through this agreement, CMA CGM ... takes yet another step towards its customer-centric strategy," the carrier said. 

CMA CGM's partnership may prove especially beneficial for smaller shippers lacking the negotiating or bargaining power of large businesses. "Shippers of all sizes will have access to guaranteed prices and capacity," Schreiber said.