Platform now interoperably authenticates each freight pickup, relay and delivery against a specific load and the persons and equipment handling it, producing a trusted custody execution record from dispatch to proof-of-delivery (PoD).
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / October 12, 2026 / Aquatio Software, an AI-powered freight execution platform, today announced the expansion of its platform beyond electronic bills of lading (eBoL) and shipping workflows into a full digital chain of custody. Shippers, third-party logistics providers, brokers and carriers can now record who took custody of a load, when, and at which handoff, and hold that evidence in a single record that follows the shipment to delivery.
The expansion arrives as cargo crime becomes more targeted. Verisk CargoNet recorded 158 fictitious pickup incidents in the second quarter of 2026, nearly flat from 165 a year earlier, even as overall theft events fell. Estimated losses for the quarter more than doubled to $304.6 million, and the average reported loss reached $564,009. CargoNet also expects criminal networks to shift their focus across the full shipment lifecycle as controls at the point of tender improve.
Most dock controls inspect what a visitor brings: a license, a bill of lading, a plate. Few bind the person at the gate to the specific load being collected, and fewer carry that evidence to the delivery end. Aquatio was built to close that gap.
What the expanded platform does
Blind Pickups. Brokers can now dispatch drivers for blind pickups without an initiating transaction, enabling the driver to digitize the paper BoL on the spot and trigger the chain of custody workflow.
Signature without an app. Authenticated drivers, shippers and consignees interoperably execute shared workflows and sign for pickups and deliveries from their own phone, no mobile apps downloaded.
Custody through delivery. The record follows the load to the far end rather than stopping at the pickup dock. Built-in workflow orchestration facilitates interoperable, multi-party field ops engagement, so exceptions are handled at the handoff.
One trusted custody execution record. Documents, signatures, receipts, images, handoffs and exceptions come together in a single auditable record for disputes, claims and compliance. The custody record continues to evolve as freight is executed and made available to authenticated stakeholders.
Coverage across modes. Truckload, point-to-point and LTL, connected to the WMS/TMS/ERP systems customers already run.
Custody across every leg
Loads often change hands more than once before they arrive. Aquatio relays carry custody across multi leg moves, recording each handoff between drivers, carriers and facilities so the chain stays unbroken from origin to destination.
Authenticated drivers, enforced at every handoff
A signature alone does not prove who took the load. Aquatio requires the driver to authenticate against the specific load before custody transfers, using one-time passcodes, QR handshakes and geofenced location checks. The handoff is enforced as a step in the workflow, not left to a clipboard, so every transfer in the record shows who took custody, where and when.
“When we launched in 2024, the job was getting paper out of the shipping process,” said Juan Cora, Founder and CEO of Aquatio Software. “Prospects kept telling us the harder question comes later, when a load goes missing or a delivery is disputed and nobody can say with certainty who had it. A bill of lading shows what was supposed to happen. A chain of custody shows what did. That is the custody record we now build, from dispatch to driver taking load, through every handoff, to the moment PoD is secured on the other end.”
The custody record also supports food shippers preparing for the FDA Food Traceability Rule under FSMA Section 204, which requires records of shipping and receiving events for listed foods. The compliance date is July 20, 2028.
About Aquatio Software
Aquatio Software is an AI-powered freight execution platform built around digital chain of custody. Based in Atlanta, Aquatio helps shippers, 3PLs, brokers and carriers authenticate freight handoffs, digitize shipping documentation and resolve disputes with a complete, auditable record of every shipment. Its patent-pending technology works without requiring field operations to install mobile apps.
Learn more at aquatiosoft.com.
Media contact
Juan Cora | Founder & CEO | juan@aquatiosoft.com
SOURCE: Aquatio Software
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