FreightUtils MCP Server

Freight Emissions Calculator

emissions_calculator

Read-onlyIdempotent

Estimate freight transport greenhouse-gas emissions (kgCO2e) for a shipment leg, per ISO 14083:2023 / GLEC Framework v3.2: emissions = mass x distance x a published emission-intensity factor (kgCO2e/tonne-km).

Provide mass + distance_km + mode (road | rail | sea | air | inland_waterway); optionally choose sub_mode, region/authority (uk = DEFRA, us = EPA, fr = ADEME) and basis (wtw default, or ttw). IMPORTANT: pass ACTUAL GROSS MASS, not chargeable/volumetric weight (a common air-freight mistake — see mass_basis in the result). Distance must be provided — this tool does NOT route, geocode, or compute distances.

Behavior: deterministic given the same factor edition; the fleet-average factor already includes average empty running (see empty_running) — do NOT add your own empty-return leg; sea and air are low-representativeness generic defaults (real emissions vary materially by vessel/aircraft, load factor and routing — see representativeness and the result summary). An unknown mode/sub_mode/region returns available:false with the covered options, never a fabricated factor. Rate-limited (anonymous use: 25 requests/day per IP): a 429 error body carries retry_after_seconds and a Retry-After header — back off and retry, or call get_subscribe_link for higher limits.

Returns: well-to-wheel AND tank-to-wheel emissions where the factor has both, the exact factor used (value, authority, edition), the tonne-km activity and a per-result _source citing BOTH the ISO method and the specific open factor, all under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope).

Limitations: best-effort reference estimate from open factors (DEFRA / EPA / ADEME) — NOT a verified or audited carbon report.

Related: distinct from cbm_calculator / ldm_calculator / chargeable_weight_calculator (those size or bill a shipment; this one estimates its CO2e).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`mass`	Yes	Shipment mass, expressed in mass_unit. Example: 1000
`mode`	Yes	Transport mode
`basis`	No	Emissions basis: wtw = well-to-wheel incl. upstream energy (default), ttw = tank-to-wheel / operation only
`region`	No	Factor source/region: uk = DEFRA, us = EPA, fr = ADEME. Default is per-mode.
`sub_mode`	No	Optional sub-mode / vehicle class (e.g. "articulated", "container ship", "long-haul"). Omit for the representative default; an unknown value returns available:false with the covered list.
`mass_unit`	No	Unit for mass (default: kg)
`distance_km`	Yes	Transport distance in kilometres — you provide it; the tool does not route or compute distance

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`ok`	Yes
`result`	Yes
`_source`	Yes
`citation`	Yes
`validity`	No
`warnings`	No
`confidence`	Yes
`blocking_errors`	No
`envelope_version`	Yes
`normalized_input`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

Changed5 schema fields changedAug 11, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / authority_current_edition
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / checked_at
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / dataset_edition
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / envelope_version / const
```
Removed value: -"1"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / envelope_version / enum
```
Added value: +[
+  "1",
+  "1.1"
+]
```

Changed37 schema fields changedJul 9, 2026

removedOutput schema / properties / _source / description

Removed value: -"Citability envelope: ISO method + the specific open factor used (authority, edition, value, basis, last_verified date, source, licence)"

addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / checked
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
removedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / computed_by
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / factor

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "properties": {
-    "authority": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "basis": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "edition": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "last_verified": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "licence": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "source_url": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "unit": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "value": {
-      "type": "number"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "authority",
-    "edition",
-    "value",
-    "unit",
-    "basis",
-    "last_verified",
-    "source_url",
-    "licence"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / name
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / provenance_status

Added value: +{
+  "enum": [
+    "verified",
+    "pending-verification",
+    "computed",
+    "live"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / reference
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```
removedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / standard
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```
removedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / type
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```

changedOutput schema / properties / _source / required

Previous value: -[
-  "type",
-  "standard",
-  "reference",
-  "source_url",
-  "computed_by",
-  "factor"
-]New value: +[
+  "name",
+  "checked",
+  "provenance_status"
+]

removedOutput schema / properties / available

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "True if a factor matched and emissions were computed; false if the combination is not covered",
-  "type": "boolean"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / available_for

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "description": "Present when available:false — the covered modes/regions/sub-modes",
-  "properties": {
-    "modes": {
-      "items": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "type": "array"
-    },
-    "regions_for_mode": {
-      "items": {
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "type": "array"
-    },
-    "sub_modes": {
-      "items": {
-        "additionalProperties": false,
-        "properties": {
-          "id": {
-            "type": "string"
-          },
-          "region": {
-            "type": "string"
-          },
-          "sub_mode": {
-            "type": "string"
-          }
-        },
-        "required": [
-          "region",
-          "id",
-          "sub_mode"
-        ],
-        "type": "object"
-      },
-      "type": "array"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "modes",
-    "regions_for_mode",
-    "sub_modes"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / blocking_errors

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "code": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "message": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "recovery": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "action": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "params": {
+            "additionalProperties": {},
+            "propertyNames": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "tool": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "action"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "code",
+      "message",
+      "recovery"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / citation

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "qualifier": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "text": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "text"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / confidence / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

removedOutput schema / properties / confidence / description

Removed value: -"Human-readable confidence label for representativeness"

addedOutput schema / properties / confidence / properties

Added value: +{
+  "basis": {
+    "enum": [
+      "deterministic",
+      "provenance",
+      "match_quality",
+      "freshness"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "level": {
+    "enum": [
+      "high",
+      "medium",
+      "low"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "score": {
+    "maximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  }
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / confidence / required
```
Added value: +[
+  "level",
+  "basis"
+]
```
changedOutput schema / properties / confidence / type
```
Previous value: -"string"New value: +"object"
```

removedOutput schema / properties / disclaimer

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Best-effort estimate; not a verified carbon report",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / emissions

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "description": "Computed emissions: WTW + TTW where available, plus the primary value per basis",
-  "properties": {
-    "basis_used": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "primary_kgco2e": {
-      "type": "number"
-    },
-    "ttw_kgco2e": {
-      "anyOf": [
-        {
-          "type": "number"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "null"
-        }
-      ]
-    },
-    "wtw_kgco2e": {
-      "anyOf": [
-        {
-          "type": "number"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "null"
-        }
-      ]
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "wtw_kgco2e",
-    "ttw_kgco2e",
-    "primary_kgco2e",
-    "basis_used"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / empty_running

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Whether the fleet-average factor already embeds average empty running (\"sector_average_included\" → do NOT add your own empty-return leg) or the source does not state it (\"see_source\")",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / envelope_version

Added value: +{
+  "const": "1",
+  "type": "string"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / factor

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "description": "The exact emission-intensity factor used",
-  "properties": {
-    "authority": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "edition": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "id": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "mode": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "region": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "sub_mode": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "ttw": {
-      "anyOf": [
-        {
-          "type": "number"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "null"
-        }
-      ]
-    },
-    "unit": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "wtw": {
-      "anyOf": [
-        {
-          "type": "number"
-        },
-        {
-          "type": "null"
-        }
-      ]
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "id",
-    "mode",
-    "sub_mode",
-    "authority",
-    "edition",
-    "region",
-    "unit",
-    "wtw",
-    "ttw"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / inputs

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": false,
-  "description": "Echo of the resolved inputs (incl. defaults applied)",
-  "properties": {
-    "basis": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "distance_km": {
-      "type": "number"
-    },
-    "mass": {
-      "type": "number"
-    },
-    "mass_tonnes": {
-      "type": "number"
-    },
-    "mass_unit": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "mode": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "region": {
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "sub_mode": {
-      "type": "string"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "mass",
-    "mass_unit",
-    "mass_tonnes",
-    "distance_km",
-    "mode",
-    "sub_mode",
-    "region",
-    "basis"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / mass_basis

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Mass basis the factor expects: always \"actual_gross_mass\" — NOT chargeable/volumetric weight (a common air-freight mistake)",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / message

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Present when available:false — why no factor matched",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / methodology

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "ISO 14083:2023 / GLEC Framework v3.2",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / normalized_input

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "propertyNames": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / ok
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / representativeness

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "How representative the generic default factor is: \"low\" for sea/air (varies materially by vessel/aircraft type, load, routing), \"medium\" for road/rail/inland",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / result

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "propertyNames": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / summary

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Primary human-readable one-line result — carries the empty-running + actual-gross-mass notes and, for sea/air, a high-variance warning. Surface this to the user, do not drop it.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / tonne_km

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Transport activity = mass (tonnes) × distance (km)",
-  "type": "number"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / validity

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "as_of": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "effective_from": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "effective_to": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "as_of"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / warnings

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "code": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "details": {
+        "additionalProperties": {},
+        "propertyNames": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "message": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "code",
+      "message"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "available",
-  "methodology",
-  "disclaimer"
-]New value: +[
+  "envelope_version",
+  "ok",
+  "result",
+  "confidence",
+  "_source",
+  "citation"
+]

Changed8 schema fields changedJun 27, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / _source / description

Previous value: -"Citability envelope: ISO method + the specific open factor used (authority, edition, value, basis, source, licence)"New value: +"Citability envelope: ISO method + the specific open factor used (authority, edition, value, basis, last_verified date, source, licence)"

addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / factor / properties / last_verified
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

changedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / factor / required

Previous value: -[
-  "authority",
-  "edition",
-  "value",
-  "unit",
-  "basis",
-  "source_url",
-  "licence"
-]New value: +[
+  "authority",
+  "edition",
+  "value",
+  "unit",
+  "basis",
+  "last_verified",
+  "source_url",
+  "licence"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / confidence

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Human-readable confidence label for representativeness",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / empty_running

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Whether the fleet-average factor already embeds average empty running (\"sector_average_included\" → do NOT add your own empty-return leg) or the source does not state it (\"see_source\")",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / mass_basis

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Mass basis the factor expects: always \"actual_gross_mass\" — NOT chargeable/volumetric weight (a common air-freight mistake)",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / representativeness

Added value: +{
+  "description": "How representative the generic default factor is: \"low\" for sea/air (varies materially by vessel/aircraft type, load, routing), \"medium\" for road/rail/inland",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / summary

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Primary human-readable one-line result — carries the empty-running + actual-gross-mass notes and, for sea/air, a high-variance warning. Surface this to the user, do not drop it.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

AddedJun 23, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Given readOnlyHint/idempotentHint, the description adds substantive context: deterministic results, inclusion of empty running, low representativeness for sea/air, available:false behavior for unknown values, rate-limit and 429 retry semantics, and a caveat that this is not an audited carbon report. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Description is long but well-structured with scannable sections (usage, behavior, returns, limitations, related). Every sentence conveys a distinct constraint or fact; no filler. However, the length is somewhat high, so not a perfect 5.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With extensive context and a rich output schema, the description covers input requirements, edge cases, rate limiting, return envelope, and limitations. It leaves no critical operational gap for an agent selecting or invoking the tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema covers all 7 params with descriptions (100%), satisfying the baseline of 3. The description elevates this by clarifying that mass means actual gross mass (not chargeable/volumetric), distance must be user-provided (no routing), and unknown sub_mode/region behavior. This adds cautionary semantics beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a specific verb-object-scope ('Estimate freight transport greenhouse-gas emissions (kgCO2e) for a shipment leg'), includes the calculation formula, and explicitly distinguishes itself from sibling volume/weight calculators. This makes the tool's role unmistakable.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit when-to-use instructions: prerequisites (mass, distance_km, mode), what NOT to do (don't pass chargeable weight, don't add empty-return leg), and names alternatives (cbm_calculator, ldm_calculator, chargeable_weight_calculator) in the 'Related' section. Also mentions rate-limit fallback (get_subscribe_link).

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All FreightUtils MCP Server tools Inspect

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TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Disambiguation3/5

The tools cluster into clear domains and the descriptions are detailed, but there are several overlapping pairs: consignment_calculator vs shipment_summary, cbm_calculator vs unit_converter, and validate vs resolve_reference all have fuzzy boundaries. An agent could plausibly mis-select between the composite calculators or between identifier-handling tools despite the helpful cross-references.

Naming Consistency4/5

Naming is mostly consistent: reference tools use *_lookup, calculation tools use *_calculator, and checks use *_check. Exceptions like validate, resolve_reference, nearest_airport, and shipment_summary break the dominant pattern slightly, but all names are snake_case and generally predictable.

Tool Count3/5

At 25 tools, this sits at the heavy end of the range for an MCP server. The broad freight/logistics scope justifies many of them, but several single-purpose calculators could have been consolidated or grouped, making the surface feel larger and more redundant than necessary.

Completeness4/5

The server covers ADR dangerous-goods rules, multi-modal freight calculations, equipment lookups, identifier validation, customs/trade data, and emissions estimation. Minor gaps exist—no routing/geocoding, no SCAC/BIC coverage, no customs filing—but core freight-reference and calculation workflows are well supported.

Freight Emissions Calculator

Input Schema

Output Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Glama MCP Gateway

TDQS

Resources