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New GS1 Scan4Transport Pilot Report details learning and recommendations from pilots conducted in 2021

The new Scan4Transport standards – ratified in 2020 – now in pilots around the globe

Scan4Transport is a global Working Group which has developed GS1 standard for encoding the minimum data required by parties across the supply chain to enable the freight transport process onto a barcode on the logistics label. The standards support companies across the transport process including first mile, sortation and last mile activities and enables them to keep pace with the growing needs of their customers. The standards are technology agnostic, so they can be incorporated into existing systems across the supply chain to enable everyone to speak a common language, which makes it easier and more cost effective for business to adopt technology to connect with each other.

Delivery Man

The new Scan4Transport standards developed and piloted are a “global language” for encoding the minimum data required by parties into a 2D barcode to support the supply chain and enable the freight transport process. This information includes:

The team worked tirelessly over the past nine months on the pilots and incorporating the learnings in the guideline – a special thanks to all the GS1 MOs and industry partners for participating in the pilots involving shippers, logistic service providers and solution providers across Australia/New Zealand, Europe and the US. And a special thanks to the core team leading this effort: Dan Mullen, Jaco Voorspuij, John Ryu, Mark Harrison, Michiel Ruighaver, Heide Buhl, Eigen Sehorz, Oliver Puthe and Thierry Grumiaux.

  • A globally unique freight unit identifier (Serial Shipping Container Code – SSCC)
  • Ship-to information (e.g., company, contact, address, phone number, etc.)
  • Handling information (e.g., routing codes, service descriptions, authority to leave the freight at the delivery point if no one is available to receipt the goods, etc.)
  • Return-to information (e.g., company, contact, address, phone number, etc.)

Pilot findings

Recently we released the new Scan4Transport Pilot Report detailing findings and recommendations from seven pilots across three continents over the past nine months. The pilots aimed to validate the new standards and demonstrate how they support improvements in efficiency, interoperability, connectivity and visibility across the freight & logistics industry. The pilots also included the Digital Link standard and have been used to refine the Scan4Transport Implementation Guideline.

Key learnings from the pilots:

  • GS1 Identification keys, new 4300 series and existing AIs enabled the minimum data required to support the transport process to be encoded within the Scan4Transport 2D barcode
  • The rich data in the Scan4Transport approach enables more efficient processes (e.g., reduced administration) for LSPs outweighing the effort to implement
  • The comprehensive data available via the Scan4Transport approach has created opportunities for more innovation within solution providers’ solutions
  • The Scan4Transport barcodes tested had a 100% scan rate on conveyers running at 1-2 metres per second (common range used in industry)

“Scan4Transport ‘makes freight talk’. The rich information that can be embedded in the labels enables the freight to travel through a logistic network with a high level of both efficiency and redundancy. GS1 Digital Link adds to that by enabling it to ‘talk real time information’.”

Mark Chaston, National Innovation Manager, Border Express

The team worked tirelessly over the past nine months on the pilots and incorporating the learnings in the guideline – a special thanks to all the GS1 MOs and industry partners for participating in the pilots involving shippers, logistic service providers and solution providers across Australia/New Zealand, Europe and the US. And a special thanks to the core team leading this effort: Dan Mullen, Jaco Voorspuij, John Ryu, Mark Harrison, Michiel Ruighaver, Heide Buhl, Eigen Sehorz, Oliver Puthe and Thierry Grumiaux.

The road ahead

Some of the pilot participants have already moved the pilot into production, with New Zealand Post starting their journey by migrating to the SSCC as their standard transport unit identifier, and VT Freight Express implementing the new standards with 230 of their customers (shippers) to date in Australia.

The Scan4Transport guideline has also been included in the Data Standards section of the Australian Government’s National Freight Data Hub website.

“Just like retailers collaborated and innovated 50 years ago to implement a standard barcode to transform the retail industry, it’s time for freight transport industry to do the same”

Michiel Ruighaver, T&L Manager – Scan4Transport Centre of Excellence

The Scan4Transport team shares the following recommendations for GS1 MOs, shippers, logistic service providers and solution providers based on the pilot learnings:

1. Promote S4T standards and pilot results within industry

To maximize the benefit of the Scan4Transport standards, pilot participants are looking forward to wider adoption of the standards. We ask GS1 MOs and industry actively promote the standards and pilot report to create awareness of the benefits and encourage adoption.

2. Profile implementations

To drive adoption of the Scan4Transport standards, it is important to profile logistic service providers and shippers that have adopted the standards. Promoting Logistic Service Providers who have adopted the standards may encourage other shippers using the same Logistic Service Provider to adopt the standards. Similarly, promoting key shippers who have adopted the standard can lead to Logistic Service Providers servicing the shipper to adopt the standards. GS1 MOs are encouraged to communicate pilots and adoption with the Scan4Transport Team, enabling them to be profiled on the Scan4Transport web page. MOs are also encouraged to profile them via local social media channels, newsletters and case studies.

3. Promote compliant solutions

In addition to increasing awareness of the Scan4Transport standards, profiling solution providers that support the standards can encourage users of the solution (i.e., shippers and/or logistic service providers) to pilot and/or adopt the standards.

For any questions about the new guideline or to get involved in this important initiative, reach out to

Michiel Ruighaver or John Ryu.

If you would like to dive deeper into the standards, contact Dan Mullen or Mark Harrison.