Cargo portals are Internet-based protected websites that enable partners in a transportation community to query maritime vessel operators or air cargo carriers for real-time space availability and pricing, to book shipments and to track the status of en-route cargo. The portals provide an expanded planning horizon and enable fast, corrective action when shipment milestones aren’t met. Today, cargo portals are mode-specific, and, in some environments, such as ocean transportation, multiple portal providers cover only a fraction of the carriers in the market.