News / CargoWise outage reignites debate over software quality, support and updates 

WiseTech Global has attributed Tuesday’s CargoWise outage to a faulty data update, but the incident has reopened the wider debate among customers over software quality, support responsiveness and the company’s approach to product releases. 

In a statement provided to The Loadstar, WiseTech said: “At approximately 3pm Sydney time on 17 June 2026, CargoWise experienced an outage that prevented some users from being able to access the system. 

“We focused on restoring services for our customers and full functionality was restored between 5pm and 7pm. We are working through a small number of associated customer-specific issues created by the outage.” 

The company said customers had been kept informed through its MyAccount portal and eRequests system and confirmed the issue was caused by a software-related update. 

“Our team identified that the outage was caused by a data update, which has since been rolled back. WiseTech apologises for the inconvenience to customers and we are committed to implementing mechanisms and safeguards to prevent this or similar issues occurring.” 

The company declined to answer how many customers had been impacted. 

The explanation broadly aligns with information provided by customers following the incident. 

Several users told The Loadstar that a reference data update generated login exceptions across the platform, preventing access to CargoWise and disrupting messaging services. Customers running both WiseCloud and self-hosted deployments reported being affected. 

While WiseTech’s statement referred to users being unable to access the system, some customers said the effects extended beyond logins. 

One Australian user reported continuing workflow problems after services were restored. 

“I don’t think the front end went down for us in Australia, however messaging received errors and now all our workflow that uses FLD action triggers have failed,” the customer said. 

The user added: “It’s not only FLD actions. It’s NTF and DOC action delivery as well.” 

Several customers also reported having to restart process controllers and manually reprocess workflows once services resumed. 

However, some customers also praised WiseTech’s handling of the situation.  

Anton Gunter, managing director of UK forwarder Global Freight Services, said he contacted CargoWise chief executive Zubin Appoo directly after becoming aware of the outage and received confirmation that the issue was being addressed. 

Despite wider criticism of CargoWise in recent months, Mr Gunter said he remained strongly supportive of the platform. 

“The introduction of the Value Packs saw a lot of heartache till we understood what was going on,” he told The Loadstar. “Don’t get me wrong, the rollout was not the best, but to be fair to the CEO he stood up when many thought he would hide away and fronted up to a lot of questions from me. 

“Haters will always hate. Too expensive, no support, complicated etc… is what I have heard from some haters. In fact whilst the costs might be elevated, the database is constantly evolving and that carries a cost.” 

He added: “Support can be better if not quicker. Support is based on a self-help basis, and this sometimes is my criticism of the system, so hopefully that will change but if our onboarding all those years ago is still the same for new companies, they will get taught everything they need to know. A bi-yearly exam means you get a discount for having some knowledge. 

“There is no doubt that the support of CargoWise has changed. At times they are reactive and at times they are proactive. [But] we have always been able to get support.” 

However, other customers said the outage had reinforced concerns they already had about the platform. 

One customer told The Loadstar the incident itself was less concerning than what they viewed as a deterioration in software quality over recent months. 

“The build quality of the software updates in the last month has gone completely downhill, with random errors and issues for things that were never a problem in the past, and their support responsiveness is almost non-existent,” the customer said. 

Others pointed to growing frustration with CargoWise’s release cadence following the rollout of CargoWise Value Packs. 

Several users claimed WiseTech was now deploying updates more frequently and with less advance notice than under previous release cycles, creating challenges for customers managing integrations and downstream systems. 

One customer cited a recent incident in which a CargoWise update reportedly interrupted the transmission of accounts payable invoices from CargoWise into an external finance system at a large US logistics provider. 

“Despite the price hikes, service issues, and outages, WiseTech is still winning medium and large forwarders. No one is yet making a dent in their dominance. Sure a few small companies are leaving, and DSV, but they won’t miss earnings in August,” he said. 

The incident comes at a sensitive time for WiseTech. 

The company has faced criticism from some customers over the rollout of CargoWise Value Packs, while DSV has confirmed plans to migrate away from CargoWise following its acquisition of DB Schenker, opting instead to standardise Schenker’s Tango platform over time. 

At the same time, many forwarders are becoming increasingly dependent on the software. 

Australian forwarder Neolink recently told The Loadstar that workflow automation and AI tools built on CargoWise had enabled it to almost double shipment volumes and profitability over the past three years without a corresponding increase in headcount. Such reliance means even relatively short disruptions can have significant operational consequences. 

The differing reactions to Tuesday’s outage highlight CargoWise’s unique position in the forwarding industry. While many customers remain committed to the platform and see no viable alternative, others are increasingly questioning whether WiseTech is maintaining the balance between innovation, software stability and customer support. 

WiseTech has not commented further on the incident.