Australian logistics industry peak bodies and major carriers have launched a collaborative initiative to develop standardised API specifications for shipper integration.

Initiative Overview

Participating Organisations

Australian Logistics Council (coordinating)
Major carriers: Australia Post, Toll, StarTrack, Aramex, CouriersPlease
Technology providers
Shipper representatives

Scope

Initial focus areas:

Consignment creation and booking
Label generation formats
Tracking and visibility events
Proof of delivery data

Problem Statement

Current Challenges

Shippers face:

Unique integration for each carrier
Inconsistent data formats
Different authentication approaches
Varying capability sets

Cost Impact

Integration challenges create:

Significant development costs
Ongoing maintenance burden
Barrier to carrier diversification
Limited small shipper options

Proposed Standards

Technical Approach

Initiative exploring:

RESTful API conventions
Standardised data schemas
Common authentication framework
Consistent error handling

Implementation Model

Proposed phased approach:

Core booking and tracking standards
Enhanced visibility and events
Value-added service integration
International extension

Industry stakeholders express cautious optimism about the initiative’s potential to reduce integration friction.