Carriers

Logistics Server can include any number of carriers. On the Carriers page you have the tabs: Carrier, Accounts, Rate Groups, Third Parties, International Defaults, Consolidation Defaults, Carrier Permissions , Routing Conditions, Routing Rules , Code Translations. Each tab lists its items in a table, and with the exclusion of the Carrier tab, includes an + ADD button to add new ones. Individual items (rows) can be edited, and again with the exclusion of carriers, deleted.

Carrier

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You can use this tab to onboard carriers by manually filling in the required detail. However, if supported for your carrier, you can also be guided by Setup My System on the Home page. See Use Setup My System.

When editing, carrier detail is organized across the tabs: Carrier Details, Service Details, Package Types, Carrier Rates, Security Credentials, and Special Services. Below the image, we only document key points.

Accounts

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Typically, accounts are created as part of carrier onboarding, and include details such as account numbers and shipping keys. Much of the detail is supplied by the carrier. Click + ADD ACCOUNT to add a new account, or select a row and click Edit. Below the image, we only document key points.

Rate Groups

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Rate groups are pools of carrier services that rates are selected from. Click + ADD RATE GROUP to add a new rate group, or select a row and click Edit. Below the image, we only document key points. See Rates for more detailed content on rate groups, carrier rates, and Custom Rate Engines in Transtream.

Third Parties

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Third parties are Broker, Importer of Record or Return To contacts. Click + ADD THIRD PARTY to add a new one, or select a row and click Edit. Below the image, we only document key points.

International Defaults

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You can have sets of defaults for export shipments. Click + ADD DEFAULT to add a new set of defaults, or select a row, and click Edit. Below the image, we only document key points.

Consolidation Defaults

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You can have sets of defaults for consolidated shipments. Click + ADD DEFAULT to add a new set of defaults, or select a row and click Edit. Below the image, we only document key points.

Carrier Permissions

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Carrier permissions define how a carrier can be used and the credentials for using it. Carrier permissions are a central resource configurable here and, because they can be assigned to users and profiles, under those Administration App pages too. Click + ADD CARRIER PERMISSION to add a new one, or select a row and click Edit. See Carrier Permissions for general information about the role of carrier permissions and their configuration.

Routing Conditions and Rules

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Use the Routing Conditions and Routing Rules tabs to configure criteria-based routing rules. The rules specify optimal combinations of carrier, carrier service, rate shops and billing detail that will be applied to shipments that match certain conditions. You can use routing rules to optimize the shipping process of regular transactions.

Shipments must match all criteria outlined by a condition before a routing rule is activated; once all conditions are satisfied, your chosen details specified as the rule are applied as a route. Criteria can include elements such as destination, weight and shipments processed in certain time windows.

To utilize the routing rules functionality, you must modify your App in Designer to make a Route request, and handle any returned routes. See Applying Routing Rules for detail on the modifications required.

Routing Conditions

To operate with routing rules, you must first create the routing conditions. On the Routing Conditions, select + ADD CONDITION. In the popup, enter all details that must be met when shipping before the rule is triggered and route applied. The route is applied when data entered into the App, and passed in a request, matches the detail specified in a routing condition.

Carrier page - Routing Conditions tab - New/Edit popup - Key points

• Use the Enabled checkbox to enable the condition.
• Set the Origin Location the transaction must be shipped from. The condition will only be met if the location specified in the condition matches the logged in user's shipping location.
• Use the Destination field to apply conditions based on the Ship To State field.
• Use the Customer Identifier field to apply conditions based on the Ship To Attention field.
• The Parameter fields are used to define additional shipments parameters as required. For example, relevant reference detail from Reference One field.
• In the Scheduling Details section when selecting days, the product automatically populates the From and To fields with the values 00.00 and 23.59, indicating the entire day.
• Day and time-specific conditions are applied using the Ship Date and Ship After Time fields from the dropdown of the carrier selection section. See Carrier Selection for detail.

Routing Rules

Once routing conditions have been created, use the Routing Rules tab to define the rules that will be executed once all related conditions are met. Select + ADD RULE, and enter the relevant information.

Carrier page - Routing Rules tab - New/Edit popup - Key points

• Use the Default checkbox to make a rule the default. This does not impact the application of the rule, but if checked, the rule is used when no conditions are met.
• Use the Condition field to select the relevant condition.
• Specify a rate group using the Rate Group field, and choose from available groups. See Rate Groups for detail.
• In the Acccount Details section, specify the Bill Payer Type and Bill Account.
• The Carrier and Carrier Service fields are disabled if the Use For All Carriers option is selected. Choose Use For Specific Carrier to activate them.
• Return Parameter is used to return additional information in the Route response when the route is applied.
• Use the Notes field to provide notes to accompany the shipment.
• The Insurance indicates whether shipments that meet the rule conditions should be insured.

Operating with multiple rules

Applied rules are specified as unique routes in the Route response, meaning you can operate with multiple rules in effect. For example, combining carrier-specific routes with those that apply other attributes, such as insurance.

Code Translations

Use the Code Translations tab to define and manage any custom codes. Custom codes are internal codes that are used to determine how a transaction is to be shipped. When loaded into a Shipping App, the fields defined during configuration populate the associated fields in the App. See Carrier Selection - Custom Codes for detail.

Click + ADD CODE TRANSLATION to add a new one, or select a row and click Edit. The following elements can be defined when configuring custom codes:

• Carrier.
• Service.
• Special Service. Limited to Saturday Delivery, COD - Any and COD - Guaranteed Funds.
• Package Type.
• Payer Type.
• Residential.

Carrier page - Code Translations tab - New/Edit popup - Key points

• Only Custom Code and Carrier are mandatory.
• The Service and Package fields enable when the Carrier field is populated.