Overview
ISO/TS 24533:2012 - Intelligent transport systems - Electronic information exchange to facilitate the movement of freight and its intermodal transfer - Road transport information exchange methodology - defines data concepts and message structures to support electronic information exchange for freight movement, with emphasis on the road transport component of intermodal supply chains. The Technical Specification focuses on a single “thread” of the end-to-end supply chain and specifies information entities (data elements), aggregated entities (groups of data elements) and messages exchanged at transport interfaces from consignor to consignee.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Data modelling for freight movement: Defines core information entities (ABIE/BBIE concepts) required to describe consignments, transport events, assets and parties.
- Message and document structures: Recommends document assembly models and message types for transport information exchanges, including a representative ITS transportation status document.
- UBL / XML application: Adopts and customizes OASIS Universal Business Language (UBL) and provides guidance on creating ITS transportation XML schemas and document assembly models.
- Use cases and operational scenarios: Includes business domain descriptions and elaborated use cases (e.g., initiate consignment, export/import, inbound transport, conclude consignment) to guide implementation.
- Code lists and schemas: Specifies code list usage and ITS-specific transportation status code lists to ensure semantic interoperability.
- Governance and conformance: Informative annexes cover governance for intermodal electronic exchange and core component types; conformance criteria relate to implementation adherence.
- Intermodal focus: Addresses interfaces between road transport and other modes (air, sea, rail) and includes data elements commonly required by customs and regulatory authorities (without constraining their legal requirements).
Applications and practical value
- Facilitates interoperability among carriers, freight forwarders, terminals, customs authorities, logistics platforms and ITS vendors by standardizing transport data.
- Supports tracking and status reporting, automated hand-offs at intermodal transfer points, and early sharing of customs-relevant information to reduce border delays.
- Enables many-to-many information sharing models (preferred over point-to-point bespoke integrations), lowering integration costs and improving scalability across global supply chains.
- Useful for implementing electronic consignment tracking, transport management systems (TMS), terminal operating systems, and API-based integrations between modes.
Who should use this standard
- Road carriers, freight forwarders, logistics integrators, port and terminal operators
- ITS solution developers, software vendors and system integrators implementing UBL/XML messaging
- Customs authorities and regulatory bodies interested in transport data elements and interoperability
- Standards bodies and project teams coordinating intermodal data exchange
Related standards
- OASIS Universal Business Language (UBL) - for document and component reuse
- Other ISO TC204 ITS standards and relevant trade facilitation/WCO documentation for customs data requirements
Keywords: ISO/TS 24533:2012, intelligent transport systems, intermodal freight, electronic information exchange, road transport information exchange, UBL, XML, transport data, consignment, supply chain.
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