The GeoPort application was designed to provide commercial shippers a means to electronically capture and report in (real-time) vessel information; including vessel name, origin and destination data, name of waterway used, alternate routes taken, port/dock usage and cargo data (commodities and tonnage).
The aforementioned data is traditionally captured manually using a standardized paper form known as the Vessel Operations Report (VOR); which is populated by the captain of each ship upon loading and unloading of cargo at each port and/or dock visited. The paper reports are collected by each shipping company, compiled and submitted to the USACE’s Waterborne Commerce Statists Center (WCSC) monthly for further recording and processing.
As with any paper based data capture and reporting process, paperwork is subject to damage and/or loss. A paper process also requires a manual compile process where each paper record is collected, compiled and reviewed prior to submitting the data to the USACE’s Waterborne Commerce Statics Center.
The GeoPort application streamlines the data collection and reporting process using an Apple iPad as the input/data collection device. The iPad equipped with Wi-Fi or Cellular service in turn can transmit each Vessel Operating Report to a back-end server; where the records are electronically stored and secured prior to submittal to the WCSC. Each shipping company’s records are uniquely named and available for review and reporting via an encrypted password which allows authorized users access to their input devices (iPad) and/or the GeoPort portal website where each shipping record is hosted.
The GeoPort application’s (Value Proposition) to commercial shipping companies is the introduction of an electronic data capture and transmission procedure that assures the timely collection, storage and submission of data required by the USACE, assuring compliance with the River & Harbor Act of 1922 (Amended and codified in 33 U.S.C. 555).