The Department of Transportation launched a new data sharing initiative to speed up delivery times in the supply chain, reduce delays and lower costs for consumers, GCaptain reports.

“Called Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW), the information sharing initiative will pilot a key freight information exchange—a sort of national freight data platform—between various participants in the ‘ship to shelf’ supply chain,” writes GCaptain’s Mike Schuler.  “The initiave is being launched with eighteen initial participants including public entities, like the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and leading private businesses in trucking, warehousing, logistics, and ocean shipping.”

Participants will work with the Biden administration to develop an information exchange that eases supply chain congestion and speeds up the movement of goods, according to the Transportation Department.

“Participants acknowledged the current system is underperforming and needs greater investment and more collaboration in creating ship to shelf visibility into the primarily private-sector owned supply chain,” the White House said in a statement. “A more reliable, predictable, and accurate information exchange about goods movement is the hallmark of a globally competitive 21st century goods movement chain and is especially important for small- and medium-sized businesses who lack visibility into the current system.”

Participants highlighted that this type of digital infrastructure was more important than ever in the face of supply chain disruptions caused by global events like the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the nationwide supply chain data visibility effort “will support system resiliency, improve our trade competitiveness and empower American businesses to get products to market with greater consistency and reduced cost.”

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s top container shipping line, is one of two ocean carriers represented in the initial set of participants, along with CMA CGM.

The initiative is expected to propose recommendations for common data standards used by international shipping companies, as well as access policies and protocols that would streamline information sharing across the ocean supply chain.

Initial findings from the initiative are expected to be presented at a Maritime Data Summit in June 2022.