EDITEL
+ LKW WALTER

Organising transport operations across Europe involves moving not only goods but also a considerable amount of information and documentation. LKW WALTER Internationale Transportorganisation AG, with locations in Wiener Neudorf and Kufstein, organises full truckload transports by road and combined transport throughout Europe. Fast and reliable documentation of individual transports is therefore essential.

However, the traditional CMR consignment note is becoming increasingly incompatible with highly digitalised transport processes. Where paper documents have to be manually processed, forwarded and archived, additional time and effort, disruptions in digital workflows and potential errors arise. For LKW WALTER, it was therefore clear that the consignment note should not simply be digitised but integrated into the existing transport process. This enables automated and scalable workflows as well as faster access to relevant information.. Das ermöglicht automatisierte, skalierbare Abläufe und einen rascheren Zugang zu wichtigen Informationen.

The solution: eCMR becomes part of the transport process

Together with EDITEL, LKW WALTER is implementing the electronic consignment note (eCMR). The solution is based on FreightLogs, EDITEL's platform for eCMR and other digital freight documents. It enables the digital consignment note to be integrated into LKW WALTER's existing transport processes.

The process begins directly in LKW WALTER's Transport Management System (TMS): When an eCMR is used for a transport, the TMS automatically creates and distributes it. The required signatures can be obtained digitally, for example using sign-on-glass or eSeal. Accompanying documents can also be uploaded and, if necessary, confirmed by the driver.

What matters most, however, is what happens to the information afterwards. FreightLogs sends events from the transport process back to the TMS, such as completed loading and unloading operations, damage or shortages. Information can also be shared at the relevant events along the process chain.

This allows the eCMR to be linked to other workflows, creating opportunities for automation beyond the consignment note itself, for example when preparing customs documents or settling accounts with transport partners. Manual steps can thus be reduced to those activities that are legally required or explicitly requested by the customer.

With eCMR, LKW WALTER integrates digital freight documents directly into its own operations. New customers can be connected more easily, integration efforts are reduced and documents are automatically archived. At the same time, the available information can be incorporated into downstream processes, helping to speed up activities such as settlement with transport partners.

However, practical experience also shows that a successful eCMR process is not solely a matter of technology. Complete driver data, a simple user journey and the involvement of drivers and employees at loading and unloading points are equally important. In addition, different requirements must be considered for road, intermodal and multi-stage transports, for example when drivers or tractor units change.

LKW WALTER is taking a step-by-step approach to eCMR: Additional customers, transport routes and transport partners are to be integrated, while the digital consignment note will be more closely linked to the company's own TMS and driver processes. At the same time, interoperability with other solutions is to be further strengthened.

In addition, LKW WALTER and EDITEL are both members of the Open Logistics Foundation (OLF), where they are committed to open and interoperable approaches to digital transport processes. Another key focus is eFTI compliance: EDITEL will continue developing FreightLogs to ensure that the platform meets future regulatory requirements. This will allow eCMR to evolve from a single digital document into an increasingly integral part of a seamless flow of information throughout the transport chain.

• Customer: LKW WALTER Internationale Transportorganisation AG
• Solution: Digital consignment note (eCMR) with FreightLogs
• Integration: Connection to LKW WALTER's Transport Management System (TMS)
• Digital Processes: Creation and distribution of eCMR, digital signatures, accompanying documents, reporting of transport events and integration of downstream processes
• Benefits: Less manual document handling, greater transparency, faster document availability, reduced integration and administrative effort, and additional opportunities for automation.