Introduction

Navigation

Creating a New Load

Creating Splits and Stops

Splits

Extra Stops

Trailer and Load Drops

Additional Tabs

Accessorials

Route

Support

Events

Load Documents

Load Exceptions

Additional Information

Load/ Driver Sheet

Canceling Loads

The ability to create and dispatch loads is a key feature of LoadStop. Using our Dispatch Module, you can create loads for your drivers, add stops and splits, and dispatch load details to your team. This article will explain the steps to create a new load on LoadStop. For more information on dispatching loads refer to the article "How to Dispatch a Load".

To find the Loads page, locate the “Dispatch” header at the top of the LoadStop page and click on the subheader “Loads”. This is the main Loads and Dispatch page where you can create and dispatch loads, and send completed loads to be processed by the Invoice module.

On the main page of the module, create a new load by selecting the button on the top right labeled “Create new load”.

A popup will appear to enter various load details. At the top of the popup, you will be able to enter details such as customer name, primary fees (which could be either flat or per mile), your booking authority, etc. Any information with a red asterisk is mandatory and must be filled.

Note: Some load settings are configurable from the main settings page of LoadStop.

On the bottom half of the screen, you will be able to add the pickup and delivery details. Furthermore, you can also specify a time frame stretched across multiple days in the fields for tender dates. This lets you set an extended window of time for your trips that last more than a day.

Multiple pickups and deliveries can be added by clicking on the plus sign at the bottom right hand side.

Once all the details relating to the load are filled out, hit 'Save' on the bottom right.

If you wish to transfer a load from one driver to the next, you will need to create a “split” at the transer location. To add a split, navigate to the bottom of the left-hand “Stops” column where you will see a box labeled “Split Load”. Here, you can enter the location where the split transfer will take place prior to delivery. If the split occurs after delivery (in the case of LTL trips), it can be added at the bottom of the right hand delivery column.

If you wish to add more than one pick up or delivery location (due to LTL loads or load transfers), there are buttons underneath the Dispatch Info row for you to do so.

Another important feature is the "Drop at Yard" button right where all other buttons appear under the dispatch information:

In trips with multiple stops, choose between a "Trailer drop" and "Load drop" option. If you select Load Drop, you may select the new trailer from a dropdown menu, which will then automatically be assigned to the next split upon dispatch (unless the load is brokered).

You can also view the Trailer Drop and Yard Drop details on the Load list and Load workflow pages.

After saving the load details, a popup page will appear with additional tabs that cover load accessorials, route overviews, support contact information, events and milestones, load documents, load exceptions, and any additional information.

Under the Accessorial tab, you can create accessorials (additional fees) for the load, such as lumper fees, detention fees, or any other additional fees. You can choose from a set category of accessorial fees from a drop down list that appears while creating an accessorial. In order to create a new accessorial fee, click on 'Create new load accessorial'.

Further information about the accessorial, such as comments and amounts, can also be added. Once everything is added, click 'Save' at the bottom right hand side. Be mindful that whatever accessorials created will reflect on the customer invoice as you bill accessorials to them.

The Route tab will provide the miles covered within each jurisdiction, as well as the hours of service (HOS) for the driver and the stops between the origin and destination point. These hours of service would come from your ELD. Furthermore, the “View Route” button under the Dispatch Info column can be used to see the shortest route, the most practical route, and the fastest route for your driver.

If you’d like to send milestones and location updates to your customers, then you can do so through the Support tab of each individual load. All you need to do is add the contact information and enable “Send updates”. Intervals for the automatic updates can be set by clicking on Settings → Loads → Load Tracking Update Information. This will send updates to your customers depending on the interval. Otherwise, manual updates will have to be sent manually. Once all the details are added, don’t forget to hit the 'Save' button on the bottom right hand side.

The Events tab will log the lifecycle of a shipment, starting from the pick up, to stops, to the end destination. You can always create an event manually if you prefer. It would provide all the details relating to the load, such as a load being late. It further provides fleet information, as well as when the load reaches its final destination. In order to create a new event click on the blue button. Note: the event timestamp data will be based on the time zone you are in.

All documents relating to the load can be added under the Load Docs tab. You can click on “Create new document” and upload the file. Possible documents can be anything, from Bills of Lading (BOL), to confirmation forms, receipts, etc.

However, it is important to note that you can also directly upload the BOL or confirmation document by clicking on the buttons on the top right hand side of the Load Details pop up. This is a short cut.

You can choose to export the existing documents by clicking on the excel sheet button. Once you have uploaded a document, you will have further options to access by clicking on the 'Actions' button located to the left of the document name. This button will let you edit, delete, view, and download documents.

The Load Exceptions tab displays irregularities in your load details. Load exceptions are automatically checked by LoadStop, and can include overlapping loads, high empty miles, or hours of service available to the driver. This tab will also show you the details of why an exception has been detected, like if a pickup or delivery has been delayed.

The “Additional info” tab contains any additional information relating to the load, such as special instructions. Furthermore, load reference types can be created under this tab. These are for your internal reference.

The "Load/Driver Sheet” button allows you to view the load/ driver sheet details as a PDF, and either email it to the driver or print it out for your own records. In your default settings, you have the option to see rate details while viewing the load sheet. By enabling the toggle, you will be given additional options to view the actual rate, the driver's rate, or both. Then, you will see the selected rate on the Load/Driver sheet.

Finally, your loads can be canceled from the top right hand side. However if you have any dependencies, such as dispatch information, then that would have to be deleted first.