In the world of container logistics, speed is no longer the only success factor. Customers today expect reliability, sustainability, and full transparency. For freight forwarders and 4PLs, this means operational efficiency is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a strategic must.

By digitising processes and adopting a data-driven approach, many forwarders are making significant strides in improving productivity, response times, and customer satisfaction. Tools like Routescanner are central to this shift, minimising manual work while unlocking insights that were previously out of reach.

The challenge: manual work slows you down

Route planning, carrier selection, and tender preparation have traditionally relied on spreadsheets, scattered data sources, and countless emails or phone calls. This manual process is:

•    Time-consuming
•    Error-prone
•    Difficult to scale across multiple trade lanes

As customer demands grow and supply chains become more complex, the cost of inefficiency increases.

The solution: smarter workflows through digital tools

Routescanner provides a single platform where forwarders and 4PLs can access all relevant information about intermodal container transport. Whether it’s transit times, CO₂ emissions, carrier coverage or connectivity data. Everything is available in one clear interface.

Key benefits include:

•    Time savings: Replace 10–15 minutes of manual research with instant results.
•    Decision support: Compare routes by cost, CO₂ emissions, reliability, and speed.
•    Consistency: Avoid human error and ensure quality regardless of who's doing the work.
•    Scalability: Efficiently manage large-scale tenders and daily shipment planning alike.

Tendering: from reactive to proactive

Tendering is a strategic moment for differentiation. Forwarders who rely on static or outdated data risk offering suboptimal proposals. With Routescanner, they can:

•    Identify all carriers per route across all modalities
•    Compare service options side-by-side (transit time, CO₂, reliability, etc.)
•    Present backup options to increase resilience
•    Support every proposal with transparent, data-backed insights

This enables faster tender turnaround times and strengthens commercial positioning.

4PLs: from execution to intelligence

For 4PL providers, digitalisation delivers value beyond operational execution. With a platform like Routescanner, they can:

•    Support customers with tailored insights and strategic recommendations
•    Respond to RFQs or rerouting requests within minutes, not hours
•    Identify patterns across trade lanes and optimise over time
•    Drive CO₂ reductions through data-supported routing choices

Example:

A 4PL working on a global tender leveraged Routescanner to evaluate modal alternatives across multiple corridors. By uncovering a rail and barge combination, they reduced CO₂ emissions by more than 50% while maintaining service reliability. This data driven proposal positioned the 4PL as a trusted strategic advisor, transforming the tender from a transactional process into a showcase of innovation and sustainability.

Why this matters more than ever

The pressure on logistics teams is intensifying:

•    ETS2 is expected to raise diesel costs by up to 30 cents per litre.
•    Customers demand transparency in routing and sustainability.
•    Operational resources are tight, especially in driver availability and planning capacity.

In this context, efficiency isn’t just about speed. It’s about resilience, profitability, and long-term competitiveness.

Operational benefits at a glance

Final thoughts

The future of freight forwarding is digital, data-driven, and customer-focused. Freight forwarders and 4PLs who embrace tools like Routescanner can reduce inefficiencies, win more business, and strengthen relationships through transparency and speed. No more digging through spreadsheets. No more guesswork. Just better routing decisions, made faster.