GLX CARGO’s new Freight and Vessel Management module brings voyage planning, live vessel tracking, freight contract lifecycle management and enhanced port intelligence together in one place.
LNG shipping schedules are becoming increasingly complex, with tighter loading windows, shifting cargo programs, and fluctuating vessel and port availability affecting fleet deployment. To manage these challenges effectively, teams need a single system that centralises data, schedules, vessel activity, and documentation – not a collection of disparate spreadsheets and scattered communication threads.
GLX CARGO’s new Freight and Vessel Management module – which will begin to roll out from release 2.4 (March) – delivers a unified workspace that brings voyage logic, vessel performance data, port requirements, and contractual obligations together in one place. Instead of navigating multiple tools, operators gain a single environment where freight decisions are supported by consistent, consolidated real time data.
SMARTER VOYAGE PLANNING AND ROUTE MODELLING
At the heart of the module is significantly expanded voyage planning functionality, purpose built for today’s LNG scheduling challenges. Users can construct complete voyage plans – linking voyages, legs, and charter contracts – directly inside the platform.
Bulk editing tools make it possible to update, reassign, and delete multiple voyages in seconds, enabling fast adjustments to fleet programs while reducing administrative load. This results in quicker plan revisions and fewer manual errors.
REAL‑TIME VESSEL VISIBILITY AND OPERATIONAL AWARENESS
The module’s new Navigation Hub Map will display live AIS data, giving freight and operations teams a continuously updated view of vessel locations, movements, and voyage status. Users can import or create routes, compare alternatives, analyse ETAs, and access key voyage metrics. This helps teams understand how schedule changes will ripple across the fleet.
Two viewing modes tailor insights to each team’s needs:
1. Freight View highlights vessel particulars, high‑level voyage context, and AIS data (location, speed, draught, course, status and last update), giving schedulers and commercial teams clarity on fleet readiness.
2. Operational View surfaces cargo and commercial details for active voyages, including pricing and load/discharge details, buy/sell leg positions and contract references, supporting the day‑to‑day decisions that keep ships on schedule while minimising risk and avoiding contractual breaches.
Additional vessel data – including LNG boil‑off rates, fuel consumption behaviour, and vessel dimensions – feeds directly into the platform, providing a more accurate foundation for cost estimation and routing decisions.
INTEGRATED VOYAGE ECONOMICS AND PERFORMANCE MODELLING
As LNG freight economics become more complex, operators need cost and performance tools embedded directly into their freight management system, not managed across offline spreadsheets.
The new module brings these capabilities together in one consolidated environment. Vessel‑specific performance metrics – including fuel curves, boil‑off rates, and other time‑based factors – feed directly into voyage plans to support accurate cost estimations and Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) calculations.
For port related exposure, an enhanced Statement of Facts framework captures detailed, timestamped events across the entire port stay, including NOR tendering, cargo operations, delays, and hose connection activities.
Supporting documentation, such as SOFs, NORs, and contracts, is stored directly within the platform, ensuring all teams work from one verified source of truth. These tools give operators a comprehensive view of voyage economics, from at‑sea performance to port‑stay exposure.
INTEGRATED FREIGHT CONTRACT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
The module also enables full contract lifecycle management. Freight and vessel agreements can be drafted, reviewed, approved, tracked and executed inside GLX CARGO while remaining directly linked to the voyages and vessels they govern.
This unified structure gives operators a clear, real‑time view of exposure across the voyage timeline and a single source for comprehensive reporting. Teams can filter contracts by vessel and export them for external review, reducing administrative burden and strengthening auditability.
ENHANCED PORT AND TERMINAL INTELLIGENCE
The module also consolidates port and terminal intelligence alongside vessel and voyage data.
Key port attributes — such as draft limits, operating windows, restrictions, and handling costs — can be captured and referenced during planning. Ship‑shore compatibility fields allow teams to document berth requirements, mooring arrangements, and equipment details, making it easier to validate feasibility before committing to any port call.
By centralising port intelligence, operators gain a single source of truth for operational planning and compliance.
A UNIFIED DATA FRAMEWORK FOR FREIGHT AND CARGO TEAMS
Underpinning the entire module is a connected data structure. Voyages, legs, positions, vessels, and contracts are linked throughout the platform, ensuring that all users – commercial or operational – work from consistent, real‑time data, wherever they are.
As LNG shipping becomes more data‑heavy and time‑critical, systems like this are no longer “nice to have”. They’re the infrastructure that supports operational continuity, transparency, and commercial optimisation across the entire freight lifecycle.
LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
If you’d like to see how the new Freight and Vessel Management module can support your team, get in touch to arrange a tailored demo with the GLX Digital team.
