Australian logistics giant Qube Global has shifted its freight forwarding business to an AI-first operating model following an 18-week technology deployment with Sydney-based Clear.ai.
The project has removed manual data entry across Qube’s forwarding operations with artificial intelligence now handling routine work across freight processing, customs and billing.
The companies announced the completed rollout at the Australia & New Zealand Shipping & Logistics Conference hosted by Freight & Trade Alliance, the Australian Peak Shippers Association and the New Zealand Cargo Owners Council.
Clear.ai worked with Qube to redesign its freight forwarding workflows rather than simply migrate existing processes to a new platform.
AI agents are now embedded into day-to-day operations with Qube staff focusing on exceptions, commercial decisions and customer relationships.
The platform automatically processes incoming customer and carrier communications along with documents including commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and bills of lading.
It also provides port, vessel and container tracking while integrating work-in-progress, accruals, multi-currency accounting and other financial functions with shipment processing.
Integration with the Australian Border Force Integrated Cargo System allows licensed customs brokers to lodge customs entries through the same platform.
Qube Holdings logistics and infrastructure director John Digney says the deployment has fundamentally changed the work carried out by its forwarding teams.
“True digital transformation isn’t about giving people better tools to do the same old tasks — it’s about fundamentally changing what work gets done.
“In our forwarding business, we have completely removed data entry. That entire category of manual work is gone,” Digney says.
“Our people no longer spend their days rekeying data from emails and PDFs. Instead, they lead on high-value commercial decisions, proactive customer engagement, and complex exception management.
“What Clear.ai allowed us to do was build an operation that is AI-first by design, giving Qube an unparalleled speed and accuracy advantage in the market. Our dedicated team have fundamentally transformed the way we operate and interact with our global customers.”
Clear.ai founder Anthony Wan says Qube approached the project as a wider redesign of its forwarding operation.
“Qube didn’t come to us looking to make its existing operation a little faster. They came with the vision to rebuild their entire freight forwarding operations around AI,” Wan says.
“Enterprise migrations of this scale can take many months or even years. Qube completed the transition to Clear.ai in just 18 weeks across a complex, high-volume operation, while radically increasing the capacity of its team.
“They saw early what autonomous agents could make possible and had the conviction to redesign the business around them.
“We believe the future of freight forwarding is AI-native. Clear.ai exists to help freight companies get there.”
