Bol.ai

Most logistics teams have a hidden tax on every shipment: someone re-enters the same twenty fields from a carrier PDF into whatever system the freight is actually managed in. Bol.ai targets that specific task. The workflow is three steps: upload a B/L as a PDF, scan, or phone photo; receive structured JSON or CSV covering B/L number, booking number, SCAC, carrier, vessel, voyage, shipper and consignee with addresses, notify party, ports, container details, seal numbers, package descriptions, gross weight, volume, Incoterms, freight terms, and date of issue; then route that output to a TMS, ERP, spreadsheet, or customs declaration system via download, API call, or webhook.

The differentiating feature is verification, not just extraction. Container numbers are checked against ISO 6346 check digits. Dates and weights run through plausibility rules. Where the data is suspect, the field is flagged — the vendor explicitly states the design choice is to flag rather than return silently wrong values. The cross-document matching layer extends this: upload a B/L alongside a commercial invoice and packing list and Bol.ai links them, then surfaces weight discrepancies, consignee name mismatches, and package count differences before they cause customs holds or demurrage charges.

The tool fits freight forwarders converting carrier master B/Ls to house B/L data, customs brokers pulling consignee and goods details into declaration workflows, and importers or 3PLs feeding arrival and warehouse systems from carrier documents. It does not cover document types outside B/Ls, commercial invoices, packing lists, and CMR waybills — teams whose workflows depend on other freight document formats will hit that boundary quickly. There is no self-hosted option, so teams with data-residency requirements outside the EU should note that storage is EU-only by architecture, which resolves GDPR concerns for European operators but does not serve teams requiring data to remain in other jurisdictions.

The API accepts documents up to 10 MB and returns JSON directly; CSV download is available for spreadsheet or ERP import workflows. Webhooks allow extracted data to be pushed to downstream systems without polling. The tool is accessible as a progressive web app, meaning warehouse or dock staff can photograph paper B/Ls on a phone and trigger the same extraction without installing anything from an app store.