The WACO System (WACO), the independent global network of freight forwarders, and cargo.one, the leading digital air freight procurement platform, today unveiled an industry-first initiative that sees WACO members upgraded to state-of-the art digital infrastructure. WACO’s members can now digitalize vital procurement and sales processes including capacity discovery, quoting and booking, including member to member bookings.
WACO is the leading non-profit global network for independent freight management companies, connecting and nurturing its membership base to evolve and thrive. WACO works hard to develop frameworks and systems to support its forwarders in 118 countries to raise efficiency, resilience and competitive edge. In clear synergy with cargo.one’s industry mission, WACO is guiding its members to digitally connect and transact globally with each other and so realize valuable gains from digital freight.
Building upon the collaborative power of the WACO network, the cargo.one WACO Module enables members to book with one another, as well as book live air capacity rates. Users can discover and procure each others’ rates, including local charges and trucking, to create door-to-door quotations effortlessly and in real-time using one centralized, user-friendly platform. WACO member forwarders are digitally connected with each other and can also opt to access non-member agents using cargo.one. An online shopfront for each member company enables the buying and selling of services digitally around the clock.
Built around forwarders’ existing workflows, the ability to discover, quote, and book rates in seconds with cargo.one saves forwarders thousands of emails and hundreds of team hours per month. With cargo.one, WACO members can be confident that they are quoting door-to-door with the most competitive market rates while fully aware of all available options within the WACO network.
Richard Charles, CEO of The WACO System, commented, “We are always looking for ways to strengthen our global network, and digital solutions play a vital role in this. By partnering with cargo.one, we are equipping WACO members with the tools to enhance and streamline their operations digitally. And with better digital connectivity, our network will be more robust, productive, and rewarding than ever before.”
Moritz Claussen, Founder & Co-CEO of cargo.one, added, “Our exciting collaboration with WACO brings together the powerful benefits of its network with the powerful impacts of digital collaboration. Leveraging seamless and efficient digital workflows with cargo.one, forwarders can work quicker, compete better and reinvest significant time savings into developing their WACO relationships.”
One of the first WACO members to benefit from the new functionality is UK-based Trans Global Freight Management Ltd. As an IATA top 20 UK freight forwarder for over 40 years, Trans Global applies its global reach and local expertise to deliver a substantial global air forwarding operation. Trans Global teams now use cargo.one WACO Module for digital quoting and booking and have reported positive impacts.
Simon Rawlinson, Operations Director at Trans Global, explained, “For years, WACO membership has provided us with an effective way to connect with other members to buy and sell services. After adopting capacity search, quoting and booking with cargo.one, the network effect now feels supercharged – we are quoting and winning shipments faster.”
As part of its long-term strategy, WACO continues to strengthen its network worldwide and pursue the best digital initiatives for the benefit of its members. The global partnership will see WACO and cargo.one teams combining efforts to continually bring WACO members cutting-edge digital options to optimize and grow their operations.
