CargoWise AI integration for freight forwarders

Quick answer. Nexcade works alongside CargoWise. When that access is part of the deployment, Nexcade's agents read quote requests from the shared inbox, gather rates from the forwarder's connected sources, apply the house pricing policy and hold each quote for the team to review. Once approved, Nexcade writes the quote into CargoWise, so CargoWise remains the official record.

What does the CargoWise connection do?

Reads quote requests and attachments from the shared inbox, including PDFs and spreadsheets.
Gathers rates from the forwarder's connected sources. These can include CargoWise itself, rate platforms, carrier APIs and portals, tariff files and replies from overseas agents. The exact source access depends on the forwarder's deployment.
Writes released quotes and bookings back to CargoWise.
Keeps CargoWise the system of record: the agents log in where the desk logs in, and existing systems stay in place.

How does a quote move from Outlook to CargoWise?

A quote request can start in a shared Outlook mailbox when that access is part of the deployment. Nexcade reads the message and its attachments, including PDFs and spreadsheets, then extracts the shipment details needed for the quote. The request stays connected to the work as it moves through rate gathering, pricing and review.

Nexcade gathers rates from the sources the forwarder already trusts. One deployment can use CargoWise and other TMS platforms, multiple rate platforms, carrier APIs and carrier portals, tariff files, spreadsheets and replies from overseas agents or broker desks. When a needed rate is missing, the agent can prepare a rate request and track the reply. The exact source access depends on the deployment.

The quotation agent compares the available options, applies the forwarder's pricing policy and drafts the quote. Consequential work waits at a review gate. Once the team approves and releases the quote, Nexcade writes it into CargoWise and prepares the customer reply. CargoWise retains the approved quote as the official record.

What happens after a quote is accepted?

Accepted quotes can move into the booking workflow. Nexcade prepares the booking from the quote, checks schedules and drafts the shipping instructions. The TMS writeback waits for the forwarder's team to review the booking and instructions. Once released, the records are written back to CargoWise and the customer confirmation is prepared.

The same control applies when execution changes. If a booking moves after instructions are drafted, the booking agent can redraft them against the new schedule, flag what changed and hold the revised TMS writeback for operations to review. The team can take over at any point.

How do the review gates work?

Every desk starts at Level 1, where the team approves everything that matters. Quotes wait before they are sent. Bookings and shipping instructions wait before they are written back. Every action is logged, every approval stays with the forwarder's team and takeover remains available.

Further autonomy is earned on the forwarder's live traffic. At Level 2, routine legwork can run while outputs still wait for review. At Level 3, standard work can run within rules set by the forwarder and exceptions escalate to people. The forwarder chooses when to advance.

What should a team prepare for the connection?

Bring representative quote requests, supplier replies, rate sheets, pricing rules, SOPs and customer quote templates. CargoWise screenshots and API notes help define mailbox access, source access and writeback. Start with one mode and representative lanes, agree the review gates and measure the workflow before expanding it. This makes the deployment boundary clear: which inbox, sources, rules and records the agents can use.

What stays in CargoWise?

Jobs, quotes and bookings live in CargoWise, as they do today. Nexcade prepares the work around the TMS and writes the reviewed result back after release. CargoWise remains the place where the operational record is stored, audited and carried into the next stage of the shipment.

Nexcade also keeps the forwarder's existing rate sources and working systems in place. The agents run across the inbox, CargoWise, rate platforms, carrier sources, files and operating procedures selected for the deployment. Source access and writeback are agreed as part of that deployment.

Common questions

How does Nexcade handle a freight quote from Outlook to CargoWise?

When that access is part of the deployment, Nexcade reads the request and attachments from a shared Outlook mailbox, gathers rates from the forwarder's connected sources and applies its pricing policy. The proposed quote waits for the forwarder's team to review it. Once approved, Nexcade writes the quote into CargoWise so the TMS remains the official record.

What happens after a freight quote is accepted?

Does Nexcade replace CargoWise?

No. CargoWise remains the forwarder's system of record. Nexcade prepares the work: it reads the request, gathers rates and drafts the quote, and the reviewed quote is written into CargoWise.

Where can Nexcade gather freight rates from?

Nexcade works with the sources a forwarder already uses. These can include CargoWise and other TMS platforms; multiple rate platforms, such as Freightify, CargoSphere, WebCargo, cargo.one and CargoAi; carrier APIs and carrier portals; tariff files, spreadsheets and replies from overseas agents or broker desks. Source access depends on the deployment.

What does the team review before anything reaches CargoWise?

Every consequential draft waits for review: quotes before they are sent, bookings and instructions before they are written back. Each further autonomy level is earned on the forwarder's live traffic, and the forwarder chooses when to advance.

The Nexcade product page describes the quotation agent, its controls and the other agents that carry accepted work into booking. For the wider software landscape, see the field guide to AI quoting tools for freight forwarders.