AI Agent to Fix Ocean Shipping Snags

The problem of "rolled containers" is a significant and costly issue in global logistics, with data from May 2021 showing that 39% of all shipments at major ports were affected by this disruption. This occurs when a container is not loaded onto its scheduled vessel for reasons ranging from overbooking and vessel weight issues to customs problems and mechanical failures. The consequences for businesses include extended transit times, which can range from a few days to several weeks, and increased costs such as storage, demurrage, and detention fees. At major transshipment hubs, the situation has been even more acute, with some ports seeing between a third and a fifth of all cargo being rolled over. For instance, in December 2020, the average rollover rate at 20 of the world's major ports surged to 37%, with some facilities in Malaysia and Sri Lanka seeing more than half of their cargo delayed. Even the world's largest hubs, like Singapore and Shanghai, experienced rollover rates of over 30%. The financial and operational ripple effects of a single rolled container can be substantial. Beyond the immediate fees, which can sometimes exceed the cost of the ocean freight itself, companies face disrupted production schedules and damage to customer relationships. A recent survey indicated that since early May 2024, nearly 70% of shippers with long-term contracts have had their containers rolled or moved to the more expensive spot market. Project44's AI agent operates on a massive dataset, processing information from over 259,000 carriers and 1.5 billion annual shipments. This extensive data allows the AI to identify roll risks earlier than traditional methods, which often rely on static carrier updates. By automating the detection and presenting alternative shipping options, the system can reduce the hours of manual work required to resolve these exceptions to just a few minutes.