Exim Vessel Schedules Module

Owned by Karthik
Aug 22, 2024
4 min read

Introduction

The Vessel Schedule Module is a provides detailed vessel schedules from various shipping lines. It is designed to help users plan their logistics operations, make informed decisions about ocean freight, and integrate vessel schedules into their own systems through a GET API. The platform's flexible search options, multi-carrier support, and user-friendly interface make it a valuable tool for any business involved in ocean freight logistics. This documentation explains the platform's core functionality, how it works, key value propositions, and differentiators.

Key Features

1. Comprehensive Vessel Schedules

The platform aggregates vessel schedules from various shipping lines, allowing users to find and compare voyages based on their specific requirements. The schedules contain detailed information, including:

  • Transport Information: Transport name, type (e.g., ship or truck), and service name.

  • Route Information: Departure and arrival dates, cities, countries, terminals, and transit duration.

  • Transshipment Indicator: Indicates if a leg involves a transshipment (transfer between vessels).

2. Flexible Search Options

Users can enter key details to search for vessel schedules, including:

  • Origin and Destination Ports: The platform supports searches by specific ports, with an option to include nearby ports.

  • Date and Weeks Out: Users can search by specific dates or by a range of weeks, allowing them to plan ahead.

  • Departure or Arrival: Users can specify whether they want schedules by departure or arrival, giving them more flexibility in planning.

3. Carrier Information

The platform provides information about various shipping carriers involved in the schedules, such as Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC, Evergreen, and others. Each carrier entry contains:

  • Carrier Details: Carrier name, ID, and SCAC code.

  • Logo and Tracking Status: The logo URL and whether tracking is enabled.

  • Type of Transport: Indicates the type of transport, usually "SEA."

4. Port Information

The platform includes detailed port information for key locations in the schedules, providing insights into:

  • Port Type: Usually "WET," indicating a sea port.

  • Location Information: Latitude, longitude, city, and country details.

  • Additional Information: Standard time from port to port, applicable spot, terminal details, and linked codes.

5. GET API for Vessel Schedules

In addition to the user interface, the platform offers a GET API for retrieving vessel schedules programmatically. This allows users to integrate vessel schedule data into their own systems or applications, enabling automation and custom workflows.

How It Works

Searching for Vessel Schedules

To find vessel schedules, users enter the following details:

  • Origin and Destination Ports: Specify the origin and destination ports. Users can also choose to include schedules from nearby ports.

  • Date and Weeks Out: Define the time frame for the search, either by specific date or by weeks out.

  • Departure or Arrival: Indicate whether the search is based on departure or arrival.

The system then fetches the relevant vessel schedules from various shipping lines and displays them to the user.

Viewing Shipping Schedules

The platform provides a detailed view of the vessel schedules, including:

  • Schedule Overview: A summary of the entire voyage, showing all legs, transshipment indicators, and key route information.

  • Schedule Details: Detailed information for each leg, including transport type, route, dates, cities, terminals, transit duration, and transshipment details.

  • Carrier and Port Information: Comprehensive data on the carriers involved in the schedules and the ports used during the voyage.

Accessing Vessel Schedules via GET API

The platform provides a GET API that allows users to fetch vessel schedules programmatically. This feature is ideal for users who want to integrate vessel schedule data into their existing systems, automate workflows, or create custom applications.

The below example summarizes the main elements of the API response, including schedules, ports, carriers, and overall status. (Example given is for Mundra to Hamburg shipping lane)

Shipping Schedules

  • Schedule Overview: The response contains multiple schedules, each representing a voyage with several legs (segments). Each leg includes details like:

    • Transport Information: Transport name, type (e.g., ship or truck), and service name.

    • Route Information: Departure and arrival dates, cities, countries, terminals, and transit duration.

    • Transshipment Indicator: Specifies whether the leg involves a transshipment (transfer between vessels).

  • Schedule Details:

    • Schedule 1: The voyage begins in Mundra, India, on May 12, 2022, and ends in Hamburg, Germany, on June 26, 2022. It has three legs: the first within India, the second to Tanger Med, Morocco, and the third to Hamburg, Germany.

    • Schedule 2: This voyage begins in Mundra, India, on May 3, 2022, and ends in Hamburg, Germany, on June 15, 2022. It has two legs: from India to Morocco, then from Morocco to Germany.

    • Schedule 3: This voyage also starts in Mundra, India, on May 10, 2022, and ends in Hamburg, Germany, on June 30, 2022. It has three legs, involving transshipment in Morocco.

    • Schedule 4: Begins in Mundra, India, on May 5, 2022, and ends in Hamburg, Germany, on June 30, 2022. It has three legs, with the last leg departing from Morocco.

Port Information

The response also includes a map of key ports involved in these schedules:

  • INMUN: Mundra, India.

  • MAPTM: Tanger Med, Morocco.

  • DEHAM: Hamburg, Germany.

Each port has detailed attributes, including:

  • Port Type: Usually "WET," indicating a sea port.

  • Location Information: Latitude, longitude, city, and country details.

  • Additional Information: Standard time from port to port, applicable spot, terminal details, and linked codes.

Carrier Information

The API response provides information about various shipping carriers involved in these schedules:

  • MAERSK: The main carrier in these schedules.

  • Additional Carriers: Various carriers, such as CMA CGM, MSC, Evergreen, and others.

Each carrier entry contains:

  • Carrier Details: Carrier name, ID, and SCAC code.

  • Logo and Tracking Status: The logo URL and whether tracking is enabled.

  • Type of Transport: Usually "SEA" for these carriers.

Key Value Propositions

  • Comprehensive Vessel Schedules: Access a wide range of vessel schedules from various shipping lines, allowing users to make informed decisions about their logistics operations.

  • Flexible Search Options: Users can search by origin and destination ports, date, weeks out, and departure or arrival, providing flexibility in planning.

  • Multi-Carrier Support: The platform supports multiple carriers, allowing users to compare schedules from different shipping lines in a single place.

  • GET API for Integration: The GET API allows users to integrate vessel schedule data into their own systems, facilitating automation and custom workflows.