Gruber Logistics manages Italy’s first paperless freight transport
Screenshot from the artcile on the American Journal of Transportation
In mid-October 2025, Gruber Logistics, in collaboration with Circle Group and under the framework of two EU-funded initiatives, eFTI4EU and KEYSTONE, carried out a pilot test of a paperless freight transport operation at the Port of La Spezia, marking a major milestone in the digitalisation of European logistics.
The pilot on October 15, 2025, involved transporting a container of goods from La Spezia, the Ligurian port, to Bologna Freight Village, fully managed by Gruber Logistics. During the testing phase several aspects were validated, including the automatic transmission of ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) data from Gruber Logistics’ TMS system to the KEYSTONE platform, the generation and sharing of the electronic consignment note (e-CMR), and the reliance exclusively on electronic data exchanges between logistics operators, public platforms, and control authorities. The pilot confirmed seamless interoperability between the KEYSTONE web application and the eFTI platform, the eFTI Gate Italy node, and the Port Community System (PCS) of La Spezia, allowing data to flow automatically, reducing manual input and redundancies, and enabling control authorities to carry out faster, simpler digital checks.
This was the first time in Italy that the entire transport process was conducted without any paper documentation. The electronic consignment note (e-CMR) was generated, signed, shared and verified digitally, while the police and customs authorities performed checks using secure QR codes and digital connections via the national eFTI platform.
A step forward for European digital logistics
The test is part of the validation activities of the two EU-funded initiatives, eFTI4EU and KEYSTONE projects, two EU initiatives, working towards the creation of a European network of interoperable platforms for data exchange between logistics and transport operators and enforcement authorities.
Both initiatives emphasise the importance of digital solutions for harmonised legislation, integrated platforms, and secure data-sharing frameworks to accelerate digital transformation in the transport and logistics sector, while supporting the European Union's environmental and sustainability objectives.
Prof. Mauro Dell’Amico, Project Coordinator of KEYSTONE, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia:
“As coordinators of the KEYSTONE project, we are proud to see the results of our joint efforts with industrial and institutional partners becoming tangible. This pilot demonstrates how research and innovation can directly contribute to a smarter, greener, and more interoperable European logistics system. The success of this test marks an important step towards the real implementation of digital freight transport, showing that collaboration across projects like KEYSTONE and eFTI4EU can turn the vision of seamless, paperless logistics into reality.””
“The trial we carried out is an initiative of exceptional value within the European context, its strongly innovative nature sets it apart: the use of advanced technologies and the digitalisation of operational processes made it possible to develop a cutting-edge model, fully integrated with the KEYSTONE platform. This achievement demonstrates a concrete commitment to modernising systems and strengthening public-private cooperation in a digital direction, and as ACCUDIRE, we are proud and pleased to be part of it.””