rst noord

Barge and road transport at RST North will also pre-notify via Portbase

From 21 October 2019 8:00 road hauliers and barge operators can pre notify all their visits and containers to Rotterdam Short Sea Terminals North via the Portbase services Hinterland Container Notification Road (web and API interface), Road Planning (EDI) and Barge Planning (from autumn 2019 Hinterland Container Notification). Once you have submitted a pre-notification, you will automatically receive status information. Each visit can be planned optimally and the truck driver can finish his terminal visit much faster.

The pre notification via Portbase is part of the implementation of a new Terminal Operating System of RST North. With this introduction and the complete transition to Portbase’s chain solutions, RST North wants to serve its customers even better in the future. You can read more information on this flyer and on the RST website.

Please note: in the course of 2020, pre-notification of containers will also be possible for RST South.

Pre-notification of Customs documents via Portbase as well
Also the pre notification of Customs documents at RST Noord will be completely submitted via Portbase from 21 October 2019. This is done via the Portbase services Notification Import Documentation and Notification Export Documentation. From the end of October it is no longer possible to pre-notify customs documents via the RST website.

Additional note: On 21 October, it will become possible to prenotify Customs documents at RST South as well.

Further information
If you have any questions, our Service Desk will be pleased to help. You can contact them on 0031 88-625 2525 or servicedesk@portbase.com.

Portbase officially service provider of iSHARE

Portbase has officially assumed the position of service provider of iSHARE. After 2 years of collaborating, developing, building, testing and co-writing on the iSHARE concept and the associated system of agreements, director Iwan van der Wolf has signed the official contract with the iSHARE Foundation.

With the signing, Portbase makes it possible for the port community to organise data sharing in an easily accessible and secure manner, also for parties that are not Portbase customers. The first transactions via iSHARE will be made in practice soon. Van der Wolf: “With this innovative vision in mind, we started 3 years ago as a launching partner of iSHARE. Data sharing should become easier and more accessible for our existing customers, especially also in relation to parties ‘further down’ the chain – without the need for these parties to also be Portbase customers. After many sessions with other leading parties, we can now say that this is the case. Our participation as a service provider confirms the belief in the potential that iSHARE offers.”

Data sharing to the next level
Clarity about which party is allowed to do what with which data is a pre-requisite for parties within the port community in order to raise data sharing to the next level. Furthermore, the current, often bilateral mutual agreements on identity, rights and authorisations regarding data are inefficient and properly arranging this is a highly time-consuming process for companies. The implementation of iSHARE makes this a thing of the past, because all parties with an iSHARE contract are aware of each other’s rights and obligations, meaning fewer agreements need to be made. From now on, it is possible to indicate at the individual asset level that a party actually has a task to fulfil in the chain and that it is therefore important that said party be allowed to receive specific information. This speeds up processes and ensures chain optimisation.

Smarter ports
The implementation of iSHARE in current and future services allows Portbase, its community and affiliated companies to exchange more information throughout the entire chain and enables the Dutch ports to operate more smartly. It constitutes a unique, secure and controlled solution for providing access to data. And this does not only benefit the ports themselves, but also the competitive position of the Netherlands on the whole.

On the photo: Iwan van der Wolf of Portbase (l) and Douwe Lycklama of Stichting iSHARE (r)

A no-deal Brexit on 31 October? Never fear: you’ll be prepared!

You will receive instructional material on using your Portbase services after the summer

A new deadline by which the United Kingdom will leave the European Union has been established: 31 October 2019. Now that Boris Johnson is set to become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the no-deal Brexit scenario has become a very real possibility. In that case, customs obligations will immediately go into effect for transport in and out of the Dutch ports. But never fear: you will be well prepared before then! That’s because you signed up for the chain-wide ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ solution earlier this year. In doing so, you also registered for participation in one or more Portbase services.

We will assist you via instructional materials
It will be vital, of course, that you and your employees are well-informed on the best
way to use the Portbase services following the Brexit. That’s why we will send you instructional materials on how the services work well in advance of 31 October. These materials will walk you through the various services, step by step. You will see exactly which information you need to submit and what details you will receive in return. If you have any remaining questions, please consult the FAQs on our Support pages or contact our Service Desk via servicedesk@portbase.com.

For your convenience, here are the service pages for all our Brexit services:
• Notification Import Documentation
• Notification Export Documentation and Track & Trace
• Import Status
Additional instructional materials will be added to these pages in the coming period.

More Portbase services post-Brexit
In addition to the chain-wide ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ solution, Portbase offers even more services that will streamline your post-Brexit customs formalities considerably. For instance: the service Declaration Food and Consumer Products for declaring veterinary cargoes. Following the Brexit, it will be possible to use this service for cargoes transported both by container and trailer. Other options that can be used for container transport are: the service Transit Declaration for follow-up declarations, Inspections Portal for comprehensive oversight of potential customs inspections, Notification Local Clearance for making use of streamlined customs procedures and Cargo Information for direct access to your own Bills of Lading (B/L’s) on board the ships.

Further details on each service can be found on the service pages of our website. You can sign up to participate straight away via the website as well.

Joining of forces for optimum flow container barges in port of Rotterdam

What does the cooperation between Nextlogic and Portbase mean for you as a barge operator?

Nextlogic and Portbase are working together to ensure an efficient and reliable handling of container barges in the port of Rotterdam. Both organisations will each offer a new service that will be made available to the inland shipping sector via one single window. Soon, the optimal exchange of data about ship and cargo via Portbase will go hand in hand with an integrated planning for each barge call by Nextlogic. As a result, the flow of inland vessels in the port of Rotterdam will significantly improve. Deepsea terminals, depots and barge operators alike are able to operate more efficiently. Thus, inland navigation will become an even more attractive mode of transport for sustainable, reliable hinterland transport.

What does the collaboration mean in concrete terms?
As is currently the case, every barge operator will pre-notify both his cargo information and call and rotation data via Portbase in the future. This will commence via the new Portbase service Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) Barge, which will replace the current service Barge Planning.

Nextlogic will next automatically receive the required information from HCN Barge to make an integrated planning for every visiting inland vessel. An optimised call sequence is created for all scheduled terminals and depots in Rotterdam (provided that these are participants in Nextlogic). Furthermore, Nextlogic constantly improves and updates the planning.

To allow for integrated planning, barge operators consequently do not (as was originally intended) need to separately provide Nextlogic with data related to the call and cargo. Barge operators are however requested to directly notify Nextlogic of specific settings such as fixed windows, Sunday rest, etc. via the internet. Nextlogic and Portbase are still assessing how this functionality can be integrated in HCN Barge after it has gone live. In addition, skippers are able to view the current sailing plan 24/7 in Nextlogic via separate skipper screens.

Collaboration Nextlogic and Portbase gives the barge operator one single window for day-to-day operations

What action do we require from you as a barge operator?
Towards Portbase:
As a barge operator, you start preparing as soon as possible to (in consultation with your software supplier) switch from the current Portbase service Barge Planning to the new service HCN Barge. This service requires a switch from EDI to API, the new standard in IT for data exchange. The sooner you connect, the sooner you will be able to optimally benefit. Establish a realistic timetable for this with your software supplier.

In situations where it is not possible for barge operators to make the switch in time, Portbase will temporarily offer an API converter from the launch date of HCN Barge. The use of this API converter is free of charge for the first year. Via the API converter, Portbase converts the cargo data supplied by you in EDI to API. As a result, as many parties as possible are able to use the integrated planning right from the start. Portbase will send you additional information on this via a separate mailing. The new web screens of HCN Barge will automatically be available to everyone immediately from the launch date. No additional actions are required on your part for this. As is currently the case in Barge Planning, you can enter your call and rotation data in these web screens during the transition phase to your actual connection to HCN Barge API. To ensure proper use of the web screens, you will receive the necessary instructional materials in due time.

Toward Nextlogic:
To benefit from an integrated planning, you also need to register as a participant in Nextlogic in your capacity as a barge operator. By doing so, you grant Portbase permission to share the cargo information and call and rotation data that you provide with Nextlogic via HCN Barge. Nextlogic uses this data to draw up the integrated planning. Nextlogic will pro-actively approach the barge operators for participation.

What should you do if you already have a connection via the Nextlogic information platform?
A number of barge operators are acting as frontrunners and are currently already providing cargo information and call and rotation data to the Nextlogic information platform. This is essential input for being able to intensively test the integrated planning procedure in the coming period. At present, no action is required from these companies. Their connections will remain in place for the time being. In time, these parties will be ‘silently’ transferred from Nextlogic to the Portbase service HCN Barge.

What is the current situation?
Improving the flow of container barge shipping in the port of Rotterdam is a long-term task which comprises many different facets. The collaboration between Nextlogic and Portbase is a major step forward in this regard. In the coming months, we will regularly inform you via different channels about the progress. All parties will need to get used to integrated planning and this will improve step by step from the date of introduction. To a great extent, the success depends on the commitment of as many barge operators, deepsea terminals and depots as possible.

Which terminals and depots are participating?
Nextlogic and Portbase are working together to properly connect the deepsea terminals and depots that are currently already participating in Barge Planning/HCN Barge and in Nextlogic in the new situation.

More information
Do you have any questions about the solutions of Nextlogic and Portbase or about what the collaboration means for you? At Nextlogic, you can contact Wouter Groen, +31 (0)6 53 91 44 53, w.groen@nextlogic.nl. At Portbase, please contact Remmert Braat, +31 (06) 24 67 70 08, r.braat@portbase.com.

Port of Rotterdam, Nextlogic, Portbase

Send an e-mail to

Vessel Notification becoming more and more user-friendly

From 10 July, the service Vessel Notification has been expanded to include the electronic registration of outgoing and repeat voyages. As a result, you no longer need to call in under normal circumstances. You can send your registration to the Harbour Master, and to the requested service providers, instantly – with just a single press of a button. All the details are available here (only available in dutch).

The electronic registration of outgoing and repeat vessel voyages marks the next step in our efforts to simplify notifications to the Harbour Master. To that end, many previous steps have also been taken in Vessel Notification over the recent period. An overview of the recent updates:

New version with additional functions
In spring 2019, a new version of Vessel Notification – featuring various additional functions and improvements – was rolled out for all clients. These updates included:

  • The mobile version of Vessel Notification is now fully identical to the desktop version.
    In other words, you can now make proper use of all functions via a smartphone or tablet. The URL for the service is portvisit.pcs.portbase.com.
  • Improved search function: you can look up a ship based on (the first three letters of) the vessel name, the call reference number or the client reference.
  • When you search for a vessel and filter the results by date, there is no longer a limit for quantity.
  • Required fields are now marked with an asterisk.
  • The new ‘Report issue’ button allows you to easily notify the Service Desk when there is a problem. A screenshot will automatically be sent along with the report.

Detailed vessel information
As of now, you can easily pull up the details for a given vessel in Vessel Notification by clicking the ‘i’ icon at the top left of the screen.


Extra checks of ETA and ETD
Due to requirements from the European SafeSeaNet, two additional bits of information in your vessel notification will now be checked automatically in the service Vessel Notification:
• The ETD for the port of call must be smaller (earlier in time) than the ETA at the subsequent port;
• The ETA at a given port of call must be smaller (earlier in time) than the ETD for that same port of call.

This prevents the times from being rejected.

Create all visits in current version Vessel notification
From now on, in order to notify cargoes to Customs in the ports below, you will create the vessel visits in the current version of Vessel Notification (2.0). It is no longer necessary to use the old version of Vessel Notification for this purpose. The vessel visits in question will be displayed in the overview of visits as well.
• Anchorage Zeeland
• Breskens
• Den Helder
• Hansweert
• Lauwersoog
• Oudeschild
• Stellendam
• Terneuzen
• Vlissingen
• West-Terschelling

Ability to send updates to the Harbour Master at any point
It’s now possible to send updates on the vessel visit to the Harbour Master at any point. There is no longer any need to wait for a response from the Customs system. This means, for instance, that when there is a disruption in their system you will be able to continue working as usual.

ATAs always up to date
When the Harbour Master issued an ATA for a berth, this ATA will automatically be entered in the right field in Vessel Notification. Even if you have indicated a different ATA, or have not given one at all. This way, the information in Vessel Notification is always identical to that in the Harbour Master’s HaMIS.

Overview of costs per vessel visit
Following requests from many shipbrokers and agents, in late 2018 it became possible to download a separate cost overview (confirmation of purchase) for each vessel visit in two of our services. This currently applies to the services Notification Ship’s Stores and Notification Crew and Passengers. The possibility of providing a similar confirmation of purchase in other services is being explored.

Further information
Any questions? Our Service Desk will be happy to assist you. You can contact them on
+31 (0)88 625 2525 or servicedesk@portbase.com.

Send an e-mail to

APMT MVII to provide advance status information on your container

Imagine being able to conveniently request the current status of a container before you have even submitted the prenotification or asked for a time slot (TAR). With the service Hinterland Container Notification – Road, you can, and the service is now available for APM Terminals Maasvlakte II (APMT MVII). You will no longer need to pay a separate visit to the terminal website for these details.

Hauliers can request advance status information in Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) – Road both in the online version and via an API-based system interface (for those who have one).

How it works
Once you have indicated in HCN Road that you wish to pick up or drop off a new container at APMT MVII, a button marked “Request status information” will appear at the lower left of the screen.

When you click this button, the status of the container – whether it is present, if documents are in order, etc. – is requested directly from APMT MVII. The relevant status will then be displayed in your HCN Road overview screen, allowing you to closely monitor any status updates. You will be able to track the container 24/7. And if all signs are go, you will be able to submit a reliable prenotification and request a TAR. You can do so using the previously submitted information, meaning there’s no need to manually re-enter the details.

Further information
Any questions? Our Service Desk will be happy to assist you. They can be reached at
+31(0)88 625 25 25 or servicedesk@portbase.com.

 

Send an e-mail to

Prenotification possible at newly connected terminals

Now – at a large number of container terminals (both deepsea and shortsea), ferry terminals, inland terminals and an increasing number of depots in the Netherlands – shippers, forwarders, Customs agents and hauliers can easily submit prenotification of a cargo, visit and/or the accompanying Customs documentation. Portbase is the single, central point of entry for these notifications.

Newly connected terminals
From now on, you can also prenotify your Customs documents at: Broekman Distriport, Kloosterboer and TMA Amsterdam. This enables the terminal to optimally prepare for the arrival of your containers. The overview below shows the services for which this applies.

Notification Import Documentation 2.0
• Broekman Distriport*
• Kloosterboer
• TMA Amsterdam

Notification Export Documentation
• Broekman Distriport*
• Kloosterboer (was already possible)
• TMA Amsterdam

*“Pre-notification to Broekman is currently only possible for container cargo. Pre-notification of break bulk, trailers and cargo via SeaCargo is not yet possible. “.

Important! In the service Notification Import Documentation 2.0, the aforementioned terminals have been added to the selection list. If you are unable to select these terminals, it means you (still) need to sign a terminal contract with these terminals.

Such a terminal contract can be obtained using our application form for current clients. Next, to sign one of these contracts, you will select (in the form) only the additional terminals to which you are not yet able to submit prenotifications. Once you have completed and submitted the application form, these terminals will be activated for your use. If you have any questions, please contact sales@portbase.com.

In-house system
We have now informed all the software suppliers about the newly connected terminals. If you are developing an EDI link yourself, click here for the summary of the required terminal-specific message codes.

View our terminal selector for a complete overview of all terminals connected to Portbase.

Further information
Further information on how our services work can be found on the Portbase website. Questions? Our Sales department will be pleased to help. You can contact them on
+31 (0)88 – 625 25 34 or at sales@portbase.com.

Update on Brexit service Import Status

This spring, Portbase introduced the free service Import Status in connection with the impending Brexit. This service allows the transporter to easily check the Customs status of the cargo scheduled for pick up, before the driver heads out to visit the terminal. This prevents unnecessary trips and therefore congestion and queues at the terminals affected by the Brexit, the so-called ‘Brexit terminals’.

Information for participating transporters
As of now, the Brexit hasn’t happened yet. Within the Port Community System, however, Import Status has already been activated for your benefit. Various shortsea terminals have already implemented Import Status for the purpose of checking the Customs status of cargoes from countries outside the European Union. This means you can already use Import Status prior to your visit. Visit the Portbase website any time, night or day, to see the most up-to-date overview of ‘Brexit terminals’ where Import Status has been implemented. Following the potential no-deal Brexit on 31 October 2019, Import Status will be activated for all ferry terminals as well.

Information for terminals
The service Import Status is part of ‘Get Ready for Brexit’: the Dutch chain solution aimed at maintaining quick transport of cargoes to and from the United Kingdom, even after the Brexit. Shortsea and ferry terminals that take part in this Brexit solution can offer the service Import Status to ensure a smooth hand-off to transporters. All other terminals can use the service Hinterland Container Notification to allow transporters to check the Customs status of cargoes. Import Status is being offered temporarily in connection with the Brexit. In the long run, our goal is to integrate this service into a broader package of functionalities, such as Hinterland Container Notification.

Get Ready for Brexit
A new deadline by which the United Kingdom will leave the European Union has been established:
31 October 2019. The UK’s departure will create unavoidable Customs obligations in connection with the flow of goods through the Dutch ports. In the likely case of a no-deal Brexit, these obligations will enter into force immediately at the moment the United Kingdom leaves the EU. For this reason, the parties cooperating in the Get Ready for Brexit initiative continue to urge businesses in the Netherlands and abroad to sign up for the Portbase service as soon as possible. Participation in Import Status and the other Brexit services will allow these businesses to be well prepared for the Customs obligations that will apply in Dutch ports following the Brexit. Together, we can avoid unnecessary delays!

Further information
For more information on Import Status and the other Brexit services, please visit the Portbase website and www.getreadyforbrexit.eu.

Send an e-mail to

New data service Discharge Confirmation to speed up your logistical process

Imagine that your in-house system could receive immediate notification the moment a container was unloaded from the sea-going vessel on which it arrived.
It can, when you integrate our new data service Discharge Confirmation.
This enables you, in turn, to automatically confirm your preliminary declaration to Customs or submit the follow-up declaration, all from within your in-house system. Customs can then process these messages straight away, without you having to do anything else. And your container can quickly re-enter the logistic chain.

This new Portbase service was created in response to Customs’ introduction of the Container Release Message in 2019. Following the introduction of the Message (and unlike in the current situation), it will be possible to submit or finalise follow-up declarations only after a vessel has actually arrived in the port. The moment at which the container is discharged is the most reliable point in the process to use as a trigger for further action.

Data service
Discharge Confirmation is what is known as a data service. It involves combining specific fields from existing Portbase services into a single dataset. You can then implement these within your own in-house system as you see fit. Access to the data in Portbase’s system is arranged using APIs.

Max Wiertz from Customs forwarder SGS Maco:
“As a Customs forwarder, we took part in the pilot for the data service Discharge Confirmation. While on its face, the service is fairly straightforward, it’s proving to be extremely useful. We are plugging the data set directly into our own Customs software. This enables us to automatically submit the entry of goods declaration to Customs at the instant the containers arrive. Which makes it possible for our clients to pick up their containers from the terminal much faster, too.”

Benefits of the data service Discharge Confirmation
The data service Discharge Confirmation provides you with reliable, real-time discharge information straight from the source. This eliminates the need for your employees to call or email the terminal, or closely monitor the terminal website, in order to find out the time of discharge. You can adjust the settings of your in-house system to automatically launch follow-up actions. In that way, the preliminary declaration can be confirmed or a follow-up declaration submitted without any further intervention on your part. That means no one at your company will need to work at the weekends (or outside regular hours).

More information
Further information on how the data service Discharge Confirmation works – and how to connect to the service – can be found on our website.
Any questions? Our Sales department will be pleased to help. You can contact them on +31 (0)88 625 25 34 or at sales@portbase.com.

Send an e-mail to

Nextlogic and Portbase to cooperate on optimal service provision for container barge shipping

Nextlogic and Portbase will cooperate to improve the handling of container barges in the port of Rotterdam. This is announced by both parties today. The cooperation is aimed at increasing efficiency, lowering costs and improving service levels for all parties involved in the logistics process.

Strengthening of gateway position to Western Europe
The port of Rotterdam is a major hub for transport to and from the hinterland. This hinterland extends from the Netherlands beyond Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. However, the transport chain suffers from inefficiency and delays due to peak loads as a result of increased call sizes and a lack of insight because calls and unloading moments take place at multiple terminals. Portbase director Iwan van der Wolf: “Increased and improved insight into the transport from and to terminals and empty depots is an essential prerequisite for retaining our position of gateway to and from Western Europe in the future.” The cooperation between both organisations leads to an optimal coordination of new and existing services.

Ease of doing business
One single window and one single way of working are important for the position of inland shipping in hinterland transport. Emile Hoogsteden, Director Containers, Breakbulk & Logistics of the Port of Rotterdam Authority: “This is what the cooperation aims to achieve. It will benefit all parties involved in the process. In the long term, a uniform standard for inland shipping has to be achieved. Requirements in this respect are that costs savings must be realised and that the ‘ease of doing business’ in the port of Rotterdam increases.”

Working towards one standard
From the summer of 2019, Nextlogic will receive the required data directly or via the service Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) Barge from Portbase. Shortly thereafter, all data will be processed through Portbase. In this way, Portbase remains the central entry point for data exchange for terminals and barge operators. The national coverage and the existing connections of Portbase will then ensure maximum coverage for the service provision of Nextlogic.
Wouter Groen, ultimately responsible at Nextlogic: “The integral planning of Nextlogic will commence in November 2019. From that moment on, we aim to direct 70% of the inland shipping volumes through Nextlogic.” Both organisations are drawing up a joint planning and will coordinate their data in the coming months so that a uniform message standard is created. Groen continues: “In the coming months, Nextlogic will continue to make preparations, including the testing of the integral planning with the forerunners. Portbase and Nextlogic will ensure a good and correct transition for these parties.”

Advantages
The cooperation between both organisations is a logical step and yields various advantages. For example, optimum use is made of the existing Portbase infrastructure, the business community has one central window for the automated exchange of data and the reuse of data for other notifications and declarations at subsequent stages in the logistics process is guaranteed. This is cost-effective for all parties; in this way, only one infrastructure needs to be managed and maintained. With this collaboration, Nextlogic and Portbase are taking the next step towards a future-proof solution for the inland shipping sector.

Port of Rotterdam, Nextlogic, Portbase

Send an e-mail to