WATERLOO, Ontario, Dec. 1, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a federated global logistics network, announced today that Con-way Freight, a leading North American less-than-truckload carrier, is joining the pilot phase launch of the Advance Commercial Information (ACI) Highway electronic filings with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Con-way Freight, a subsidiary of Con-way, Inc. (NYSE:CNW), has been a leading advocate of the ACI program as an active member of Descartes' Americas Customs Working Group, which supports the CBSA requirements outlined in the CBSA's Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document (ECCRD). Con-way Freight's leadership laid the groundwork for the development of the pilot at Descartes and provides an industry-proven framework for other carriers to join the pilot, which is designed to validate operational aspects of this emerging requirement and quantify the benefits from a streamlined, electronic filing process for imports in advance of the formal regulation mandate.
"We are pleased to be participating with Descartes and the working group members to improve and validate this platform as the standard for electronic trade security filings enabling more efficient cross-border trade between the U.S. and Canada," said Melissa Mathew, manager of customs compliance for Con-way Freight.
"Descartes brings proven expertise and experience to this important initiative, and has been instrumental in helping Con-way Freight ensure compliance with existing and emerging e-commerce trade security requirements," she noted. "We're confident this pilot will validate opportunities to optimize our operations, improve service to our customers, and smoothly address this important new government security initiative as it is implemented and enforced."
On November 10th, the CBSA finalized its initial regulation ECCRD for EDI Highway Cargo and Conveyance. This ACI e-Manifest initiative mandates that CBSA receive advance electronic notification of cargo shipments arriving in Canada by highway.
Already a leading service provider for reporting cargo data for air and marine shipments entering Canada and the United States, Descartes has extended its Global Logistics Network Compliance service to help the international carrier community comply with this e-Manifest initiative.
"We work with our clients and working groups to ensure that our compliance solutions not only adhere to the requirements, but that they leverage existing operational data partnerships through our federated Global Logistics Network using standards we help to establish between trading partners," said Jonathan Wasserman, Senior Vice President Product Strategy for Global Trade Compliance at Descartes. "When the CBSA released its interim requirements early, we were able to go live with the CBSA testing facilities in a matter of days. We anticipate continuing to work closely with the CBSA, our customers and the ACI Highway Working Sub-Group of our America Working Group to fine-tune our offering between now and the mandate of the regulation in 2010."
Descartes' ACI Highway solutions are part of Descartes' GLN Customs Filing & Compliance suite. The GLN helps automate, manage and streamline the end-to-end shipment process, from source to consumer, with ongoing real-time visibility. Descartes' customs filing and compliance services help companies meet regulatory requirements for international shipments for both international customs agencies and security initiatives.
For more information on the Descartes ACI Highway Working Group and Readiness program, visit www.descartes.com. Also, Descartes will be hosting regular web seminar sessions to help organizations be prepared for ACI Highway and understand what is needed to comply with the regulations, how to get started and the latest developments on the regulations. The first web seminar will be held on Wednesday January 20th at 10:00 a.m. eastern standard time. Organizations can sign up for the web seminar by visiting Descartes' website at www.descartes.com/aci, emailing info@descartes.com or calling 1-416-741-2838 ext 298.
About Descartes
Descartes (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. As a federated platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based 'nano' sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pickup and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 400 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.
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About Con-way Freight
Con-way Freight is the industry's leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service through a single, unified network of more than 300 service centers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way Freight offers LTL freight delivery across North America, as well as delivery in the United States for international less-than-container (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia through its OceanGuaranteed(r) service; and expedited U.S. delivery for inbound international cargoes from Europe through an exclusive alliance with TNT. Con-way Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is C-TPAT/PIP, ACE- and CSA-certified. Con-way Freight is a unit of Con-way Inc. (NYSE:CNW), a $4.3 billion diversified transportation and logistics company based in San Mateo, Calif. USA.
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; Descartes' ability to help customers comply with emerging compliance initiatives and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the structure or deployment of compliance initiatives and the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.