OOCL FreightSmart Celebrates Five Years of Driving Customer-Focused Digital Logistics Innovation
OOCL is proud to mark the fifth anniversary of OOCL FreightSmart, its digital ocean freight quotation and booking platform that has steadily transformed the way customers manage global logistics. Since its launch in January 2021, FreightSmart has evolved from an innovative digital initiative into a comprehensive, customer-centric ecosystem designed to simplify ocean freight booking, enhance transparency, and empower businesses of all sizes to operate with greater efficiency in an increasingly complex shipping landscape.
From the outset, FreightSmart was created with a clear mission: to make global logistics smarter, faster, and more connected. At a time when digital transformation was reshaping industries worldwide, OOCL recognized the need for a streamlined, transparent alternative to traditional ocean freight booking processes. Shippers—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—often faced fragmented communication, lengthy quotation procedures, and limited visibility into shipment status and pricing structures. FreightSmart was designed to address these challenges directly.
Over the past five years, the platform has matured significantly, responding to customer feedback and adapting to shifting market dynamics. What began as a digital spot-rate quotation and booking tool has grown into a robust multi-service platform that supports end-to-end shipment planning and execution. Through continuous innovation, FreightSmart has strengthened its position as a trusted digital gateway for customers seeking flexibility, speed, and control in global shipping operations.
Eveline Chan, General Manager of OOCL’s E-Commerce Department, emphasized the platform’s purpose and long-term value: “OOCL FreightSmart supports customers, especially SMEs, by addressing the challenges that smaller players often face in the traditional ocean freight landscape.” Her remarks reflect the guiding philosophy behind the platform’s development—putting customers first and ensuring that digital solutions translate into tangible operational benefits.
Driving Simplicity and Transparency in Ocean Freight
The traditional ocean freight booking process can be complex, often involving multiple exchanges of emails, rate negotiations, manual confirmations, and coordination across various stakeholders. For SMEs with limited logistics resources, these processes can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. FreightSmart was introduced as a user-friendly, intuitive platform that centralizes these functions within a single digital workflow.
Through FreightSmart, customers can search for available sailings, compare rates, secure bookings, and manage shipments with significantly reduced administrative friction. The platform provides greater transparency in pricing, improved turnaround times, and enhanced shipment visibility. By digitizing what was once a largely manual process, OOCL has enabled customers to respond more quickly to market demands and make informed shipping decisions.
The platform’s growth over five years demonstrates not only technological advancement but also a sustained commitment to listening to customers and refining digital solutions accordingly.
E-Spot: Instant Quotations with Guaranteed Space
At the core of OOCL FreightSmart lies E-Spot, the platform’s digital spot-rate quotation and booking channel. E-Spot represents a fundamental shift away from conventional rate request processes by offering immediate quotations and confirmed space availability.
Through E-Spot, customers benefit from instant, transparent spot-rate quotations for specific OOCL sailings. Rather than waiting for manual confirmations or negotiating rates over extended communication cycles, users receive real-time pricing that enables quicker decision-making. This capability is particularly valuable in volatile freight markets, where rates and space availability can change rapidly.
One of the defining features of E-Spot is guaranteed space with prioritized container access. By securing space at the time of booking, customers gain greater certainty for time-sensitive shipments. This reliability is critical for industries operating under tight production schedules or seasonal demand pressures.
The platform also delivers a seamless end-to-end booking experience within a single digital environment. Freight rates and most surcharges are fixed at the time of quotation, minimizing unexpected cost adjustments and enhancing pricing transparency. The streamlined workflow reduces communication steps, accelerates turnaround times, and allows customers to manage bookings with greater confidence.
Over the past five years, E-Spot has become a cornerstone of FreightSmart’s value proposition, reinforcing OOCL’s commitment to efficiency and service reliability.
Key Milestones in FreightSmart’s Evolution
FreightSmart’s journey since January 2021 has been marked by continuous enhancement and service expansion. Each milestone reflects OOCL’s strategic approach to building a comprehensive digital logistics ecosystem.
In January 2021, OOCL officially launched FreightSmart E-Spot, introducing customers to instant digital spot-rate quotations and booking functionality. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in OOCL’s digital transformation efforts.
By June 2021, E-Spot capabilities were expanded to support end-to-end shipment booking, allowing customers to complete the entire booking process within the platform. This development significantly reduced administrative complexity and strengthened the platform’s usability.
In September 2022, OOCL introduced E-Quote, an online rate sheet quotation service. While E-Spot focuses on spot-rate bookings with guaranteed space, E-Quote offers customers access to rate sheet quotations for broader planning needs. Together, E-Spot and E-Quote provide flexible quotation modes tailored to different shipping strategies.
November 2023 marked the launch of “Ask Fin,” the platform’s digital customer service assistant. Designed to enhance user support, Ask Fin provides instant responses to customer inquiries, helping users navigate platform features and access information more efficiently. This addition reflects OOCL’s commitment to combining automation with responsive customer service.
Between 2023 and 2025, FreightSmart continued to expand its value-added services portfolio. These enhancements transformed the platform from a quotation and booking tool into a holistic logistics management solution. Newly integrated services include:
- E Customs Solution, supporting smoother customs-related processes
- OOCL Green, enabling customers to explore more sustainable shipping options
- Concierge Service, offering tailored support for complex logistics requirements
- Container Re-Use Service, promoting resource efficiency
- Delay in Transit solutions, providing proactive support when disruptions occur
Through these additions, FreightSmart now functions as a one-stop digital solution for shipment planning, booking, monitoring, and supplementary logistics services.
Building a Customer-Centric Digital Ecosystem
The expansion of FreightSmart over five years underscores OOCL’s broader digital strategy: integrating innovation with practical functionality. Rather than digitizing processes in isolation, the platform has been designed to create a connected experience across the shipment lifecycle.
Customers today operate in a global environment characterized by fluctuating freight rates, supply chain disruptions, regulatory complexities, and sustainability pressures. FreightSmart addresses these realities by delivering visibility, flexibility, and operational control.
The platform’s intuitive interface simplifies decision-making while its real-time capabilities enable faster responses to changing market conditions. By centralizing booking, quotation, and value-added services in a unified environment, FreightSmart reduces fragmentation and enhances supply chain coordination.
Importantly, SMEs—often underserved in traditional freight processes—have gained improved access to reliable space, transparent pricing, and digital efficiency. By lowering administrative barriers, FreightSmart empowers smaller businesses to compete more effectively in global markets.
PlumSmart: Recognising Customer Loyalty
Complementing FreightSmart’s digital innovation is the PlumSmart Loyalty Programme, which reinforces OOCL’s customer-first philosophy. PlumSmart recognizes and rewards customers for their continued engagement with the platform.
Through transparent membership tiers, exclusive privileges, and special offers, PlumSmart provides tangible benefits that enhance long-term partnerships. The programme not only incentivizes platform usage but also strengthens customer relationships by demonstrating appreciation for sustained support.
By integrating loyalty recognition into the FreightSmart ecosystem, OOCL further aligns digital transformation with relationship-building—a balance that remains essential in global shipping.
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