For some carriers, Shipwell offers a direct API connection to the carrier that support various functions including Rating, Dispatching, Tracking, and Document retrieval. Customers have the ability to set up and configure the system on their own in order to enable the direct API connection for supported carriers.
If there is a direct API connection for a carrier, the Carrier Profile will display an Accounts tab on the left margin. Clicking the Accounts tab will bring you to the Accounts page where you can set up your carrier’s direct API connection.
Account Configuration
To set up your direct API connection, first click the Add Account button to start the account creation process.
Account Name (Required) - Enter a meaningful name for the account. You can set up multiple accounts for the carrier if necessary. This Account Name will also be displayed on the Rate Results page next to the Carrier.
Account Credentials (Required) - Each carrier has unique credentials that are required in order for you to connect with their API’s. These may include your shipper account code, user name, password, API Key, secret code, or some other value required by their API to validate your account. The specific data required by each carrier will be displayed in the Account Credentials section, and will vary from carrier to carrier.
Origins - If you are setting up multiple accounts for the carrier, you can indicate a specific shipment origin where the account will be used. For example, if you have 2 shipping locations that use different carrier accounts, you can create 2 accounts and put the shipping location address in the origin field for each account. You can enter multiple locations in the Origins field if this account is used by multiple shipping locations. The system will automatically use the account that matches the Origin with the Pickup location on the shipment. If you will only have 1 carrier account, leave this field blank so the account applies to any Pickup location.
Destinations- If you are setting up multiple accounts for the carrier, you can indicate a specific shipment destination where the account will be used. For example, if you have 2 receiving locations that use different carrier accounts, you can create 2 accounts and put the receiving location address in the destination field for each account. You can enter multiple locations in the Destinations field if this account is used by multiple receiving locations. The system will automatically use the account that matches the Destination with the Delivery location on the shipment. If you will only have 1 carrier account, leave this field blank so the account applies to any Delivery location.
Modes (Required) - If the carrier supports multiple modes, indicate the modes that relate to this carrier account.
Bill To Terms
When setting up a carrier account in the carrier profile, the user will have the option to set the Bill To terms and Bill To information when ever this carrier account is used during the dispatch process. These fields include:
Bill To Terms - Drop list to choose Blank, Prepaid, Collect, 3rd Party
Company Name
Address
Email Address
Phone Number
If the Bill To Terms are set to a value other than Blank, then all of the Bill To fields will be required.
If the shipment already contained Bill To terms prior to dispatch, the shipment will retain this existing Bill To information, and will not be changed based on the carrier account Bill To information.
If the carrier account does contain Bill To information, when a shipment is dispatched using this account, and the Bill To terms on the shipment are blank, the Bill To information on the carrier account will be assigned to the shipment. If the shipment is successfully dispatched, the shipment Bill To information should be populated on the shipment. If the dispatch fails, the shipment Bill To information should remain unchanged as it was.
If both the shipment Bill To is blank, and the carrier account Bill To information is blank, the system will assign the Bill To information from the Company Profile at the time of dispatch.
Is Rate Share Provider - If this carrier is actually a Rate Share Provider or Broker that will be providing rates for multiple different carriers, select this check box. If the carrier is the actual carrier that will be picking up the freight with their equipment, leave this unchecked.
Allow PRO # Assignment From Carrier - Checking this box will enable the system to request a PRO number from an LTL carrier at the time of dispatch. The PRO number will be automatically populated on the the Shipment when this feature is enabled.
Carriers will need to scan this PRO number when picking up the freight in order to properly record it in their systems for tracking purposes. There are 2 methods for printing out the bar coded PRO number on a shipment. First, if a PRO exists on the shipment the Bill of Lading will automatically print a bar coded PRO number on the document. Second, users can print shipping labels for the shipment that will print the bar coded PRO number on the palled labels.
Note: if the bar coded PRO number is not available to be scanned when the driver picks up the freight, the driver may assign their own PRO number sticker which would result in a failure for the system to properly receive tracking information for the shipment from the carrier.
Account Notes - These are internal notes to describe how this carrier account is used.
Once the account has been configured, you will see rate results for the account on the Instant Rates Results screen, with the Account Name displayed underneath the carrier logo. For Rate Share Providers such as CH Robinson, you will see the actual carrier logos, but the Account Name of the Rate Share Provider will be displayed. During the dispatch process, the actual carrier will be assigned as the carrier on the shipment, not the Rate Share Provider.
