Bulk cargo operations are under increasing pressure to reduce inefficiencies, improve data visibility, and deliver seamless customer interactions. Port operators around the world have been calling for smarter, more integrated IT solutions that are purpose-built for bulk logistics.
CommTrac, TBA’s bulk and general cargo TOS, has evolved to meet these demands by listening to our customers. CommTrac has been further developed recently to provide functionality for midstream stevedoring and berth coordination.
Responding to the midstream challenge
Midstream stevedoring, particularly in major river systems like the Mississippi, presents a unique set of challenges. High-throughput operations must manage multiple cranes, barge arrivals, and hatch plans with precision, often in dynamic environments where real-time adaptability is crucial.
CommTrac’s new functionality addresses this by providing:
- Live crane and barge telemetry: Real-time capture of cycle counts, grab weights, idle times, and slew data allows for instant performance monitoring.
- Predictive job planning: Automated scheduling tools adapt dynamically to changing river conditions, barge queues, and crane availability—eliminating spreadsheet-driven guesswork.
- Single-touch traceability: Digitised tally logs, cargo sampling, and barge status reporting enable high-integrity traceability throughout the transfer process.
- Midstream dashboards: Visual interfaces show live operational KPIs, estimated job completion times, and staging progress, empowering shore-based teams with instant insights.
This functionality eliminates the need for post-event data logging, freeing up operators’ time, improving accountability, and enabling faster decision-making in complex midstream scenarios.
Transforming berth planning across multi-customer ports
In multi-user port environments, competition for berth access often leads to inefficiency, conflict, and miscommunication. Traditional coordination tools such as emails, phone calls and spreadsheets, cannot scale with growing customer bases or increasingly time-sensitive schedules.
To solve this, CommTrac introduced its Berth Planning Module, a self-service digital platform that enables:
- Real-time berth scheduling: Operators can publish availability and blackout windows while port users request and confirm slots within the system.
- Transparent collaboration: All stakeholders gain visibility into berth allocations, vessel ETAs, and scheduled maintenance, reducing conflicts and enabling smoother planning.
- Customer empowerment: The web-based interface allows customers to manage berth requests, view job progress, and track cargo movements, creating a proactive planning ecosystem.
This module has revolutionised berth management by fostering collaboration, reducing manual overhead, and increasing berth utilisation.
Customisation and integration: meeting complex bulk needs
So many of CommTrac’s core functionality has been developed based on a combination of customer requirements and our team’s huge experience in the sector:
- Rake-level rail tracking: For inland ports managing long rail arrivals, CommTrac enables tracking and reporting at the individual “rake” level, capturing granular movement and sampling data.
- SCADA integration: Direct connections to industrial systems ensure real-time feedback from conveyors, loaders, and weighbridges for precise operational control.
- Job control module: A centralised module to monitor stock movements, allocate equipment, and track loading activities, improving throughput and accountability.
- Finance & ERP readiness: Built-in financial modules and open APIs support seamless integration with ERP, EAM, and invoicing systems, eliminating revenue leakage and ensuring traceability.
Industry impact and measurable benefits
Across multiple deployments in both river and seaborne terminals, CommTrac regularly delivers:
- Up to 50% reduction in administrative time through automation of reporting and planning
- Improved vessel turnaround times via predictive job tracking and resource allocation
- Enhanced customer satisfaction through shared platforms for visibility and interaction
- Greater compliance and audit readiness with full traceability on cargo movement, sampling, and tallying
Built for the bulk community
TBA’s investment in CommTrac’s evolution is a direct response to feedback from the global bulk cargo community. Operators, shippers, and stevedores have called for:
- Flexibility to adapt to river, rail, and berth environments
- Tools that enable collaboration, not just control
- Modern cloud architecture and mobile functionality
CommTrac has delivered on these needs, creating a platform that supports not just operations, but digital maturity across the supply chain.
Whether improving midstream barge stevedoring on inland waterways or resolving berth scheduling conflicts at multi-customer ports, CommTrac stands out as a solution shaped by and for the bulk cargo industry.
“We’ve continued to listen closely to the bulk community and developed tools that meet their evolving needs,” says Chris Hicks, Managing Director, TBA Doncaster. “We hear time and time again from our customers that CommTrac isn’t just a TOS, it’s a catalyst for operational transformation.”
