Trade intelligence technology provider, IQAX, has launched a pilot with Tianjin Consol International Co., Ltd., a North China–based less-than-container-load (LCL) freight forwarder and non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC), through its partnership with EZShipping.
Under the pilot, Tianjin Consol is using IQAX’s blockchain-based electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) and IQAX One, which combines digital documentation, data and workflow orchestration to improve operations.
The initiative shows how integrated digital documentation can reduce friction, strengthen cargo control, as well as deliver practical efficiency and risk-management gains in high-volume LCL operations.
The pilot reflects broader challenges in LCL shipping, where high shipment volumes, multiple counterparties and tight timelines make documentation complex and costly.
Paper bills of lading remain slow, while alternatives such as telex release and seaway bills often require trade-offs between speed and cargo control.
Addressing these long-standing pain points, the pilot integrates IQAX eBL into Tianjin Consol’s day-to-day workflows as a web-based service, requiring no system integration or changes to existing IT setups.
It enables fast online invitation of shippers, consignees and partners to join the bill of lading process, accelerating document circulation, improving coordination and supporting faster, more secure cargo release.
These capabilities are supported by IQAX One, designed to unify digital documentation, data and workflow orchestration around real‑world user needs and is currently being tested in a pilot ahead of its official launch.
In the announcement, IQAX said by combining EZShipping’s AI-driven document processing with IQAX’s secure eBL issuance, Tianjin Consol achieves a fully digital, end-to-end documentation flow, from initial data submission to final bill of lading issuance and transfer.
This not only enhances efficiency in high-volume LCL environments but also sets the foundation for scalable, standardised digital workflows across the broader logistics ecosystem.
Beyond operational gains, the pilot highlights the broader importance of eBL adoption for LCL shipping and the wider industry.
It noted that LCL has historically lagged full-container-load segments in digital documentation because of fragmented stakeholders and coordination complexity. Demonstrating that eBLs can work at scale in LCL marks an important step towards standardizing digital documentation, reducing paper-related risk and laying the groundwork for wider interoperability across trade and logistics ecosystems.
“Electronic bills of lading are moving from industry aspiration to practical necessity, particularly in complex segments such as LCL,” said George Guo, CEO of IQAX.
“This pilot with Tianjin Consol, enabled through our partnership with EZShipping, shows how eBLs can deliver both efficiency and control in high-frequency, multi-party environments. By integrating eBLs into workflows and flexible commercial models that minimise cost and complexity, we are accelerating adoption while building a durable digital foundation for global trade.”
Emma Guo, group president of Tianjin Consol, noted that asan LCL-focused forwarder, the company processes large volume of bills of lading every day.
“Through this pilot, we can offer customers lower documentation costs, stronger cargo control than seaway bills, and smoother coordination across counterparties. Taking a proactive approach to eBL adoption helps us improve service quality today while preparing for the future of digital trade.”
Edward Ma, CEO of EZShipping added, “LCL forwarders and their customers continue to face significant friction in document handling. By integrating our digital and AI-driven document processing capabilities with IQAX’s eBL solution, this pilot shows how data submission, validation and bill of lading issuance can be streamlined into a single digital flow.”
“We see this as an important step in making eBL adoption accessible to a broader segment of the logistics market,” Ma added.
