The Freight Forward - January 2026

The Manifest

A message from Zencargo Co-founder & CEO, Richard Fattal

Welcome to the first edition of The Freight Forward, a new quarterly update exploring how the Zencargo platform is evolving to automate the supply chain end-to-end – and help teams make better decisions earlier.

At the heart of this evolution is Luca, your AI-powered supply chain co-pilot. Built directly into the platform, Luca connects your data, systems and partners to reduce manual work, surface risk sooner, and coordinate activity across the full journey of a shipment, from planning and booking through to execution and clearance.

In each edition of The Freight Forward, we’ll highlight Luca’s latest capabilities and how you can start using them to simplify your workflows.

Our first issue focuses on visibility and data intelligence. You’ll see how Luca is already helping teams move faster by automating key moments across the shipment lifecycle, including:

• Automating document and email processing to remove manual steps across bookings, data capture, and supplier communication
• Improving the accuracy and reliability of Cargo Ready Dates through automated supplier follow-ups
• Providing live, end-to-end visibility into vessel and container movements so changes can be spotted and planned for sooner

…and more! And this is just the beginning. We’ve started by automating some of the most time-consuming and error-prone parts of the supply chain, and we’ll continue to build from there. Our latest changes are already delivering real value in day-to-day usage, helping teams reduce manual work and operate with greater confidence.

We’re especially grateful to the customers in our Beta Programme who help shape what comes next. If you’d like to be involved in future platform testing and influence our roadmap, we’d love to hear from you. You can sign up to join the programme or speak to your Customer Success Manager to learn more.

We hope you enjoy this first issue of The Freight Forward and we welcome any feedback and suggestions for future editions. Please feel free to email me at richard.fattal@zencargo.com to share your thoughts. Happy reading!

Richard

CEO & Co-founder, Zencargo

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Update 1:

Luca: Your new teammate for 2026

Luca is your 24/7 supply chain analyst and operator. Built directly into the Zencargo platform, Luca is the intelligence layer that connects your data, systems and partners, helping your team move faster and stay ahead. Luca predicts delays and disruptions, delivers instant answers and presentation-ready insights, and automates time-consuming work, from supplier follow-ups and document processing to bookings.

Powered by your real supply chain data, our latest AI enhancements expand Luca’s reach by parsing documents and emails, proactively flagging exceptions, making smart suggestions and automating next steps to keep freight moving smoothly. Our AI and Automation Product Manager, Josh, explains more:

To learn more about how you can start using Luca, speak with your Customer Success Manager. We’d also love to welcome you to our Beta programme where you can try new platform enhancements and shape our product roadmap for 2026.

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Update 2:

More accurate CRDs, up 21 days earlier

Earlier visibility means better decisions – and fewer surprises.

Cargo Ready Dates are one of the hardest milestones to manage. Supplier delays, shifting timelines, and fragmented communication make CRDs difficult to trust and time-consuming to maintain. 

Luca Scout removes that friction by automating PO tracking and supplier follow-ups in multiple languages. It sends reminders, captures responses, and continuously updates Confirmed Ready dates, delivering reliable CRDs up to 21 days in advance. The result is earlier intervention, fewer delays, and clearer performance tracking across your supply chain. See Luca Scout in action:

To try Luca Scout for yourself, click here or speak to your Customer Success Manager.

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Update 3:

Live container map tracking

See exactly where your cargo is, in real time, so you can stay informed, spot changes early, and plan ahead with confidence. Live Container Map Tracking is now available directly in the Route and Cargo details section of the platform. Simply click on View map for any tracked ocean shipment and access a fully interactive global view showing:

• Live vessel and container location
• Ideal vs. actual route comparisons
• Port of Loading (POL) and Port of Discharge (POD) markers
• Route incidents, including reason codes and days of impact
• Zoom and pan controls for end-to-end visibility

The result: clearer insight into what’s happening on the water, and fewer surprises when plans change. Speak with your Customer Success Manager for more information.

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Update 4:

Automated customs compliance

Reduce risk at clearance by catching issues before submission and keep goods moving without delay. The new Customs CSV tool uses AI to cross-check your Bill of Lading, Packing List, and invoices, instantly flagging discrepancies such as weight mismatches. In seconds, you receive a clean, government-ready file, giving your shipment a clearer path through customs and helping to avoid costly delays.

Automated Customs Compliance is available now for the UK and the Netherlands, with additional regions coming soon. To learn more, speak with your Customer Success Manager.

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Sometimes it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference to your day. Here are a few recent improvements designed to make everyday work easier:

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If you’d like to go a little deeper in the world of AI in supply chain, these reads and watches are well worth the detour:

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Bon voyage

That’s all for this update. We’d love your feedback on our update or any of the features we’ve shared. Email us at richard.fattal@zencargo.com to share your thoughts or speak with your Customer Success Manager.

Consider yourself an early adopter? Join our Beta Programme to test new features early and help shape what we build next. Sign up here.

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