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Multiple Order Stop Consolidation Strategy

We've improved how Shipwell consolidates orders into shipments when those orders share the same pickup and delivery addresses but have different scheduled dates or times.

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Written by Shipwell TMS Support
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Previously, adding multiple orders with different dates to a single shipment would create duplicate stops when the pickup or delivery times were different for each order, even when the
addresses were identical. For example, 3 orders all going from Warehouse X to Store Y would result in 6 stops instead of 2, causing confusion for dispatchers, drivers, and carriers.

Scenario:

  • Customer has 3 orders (Order A, B, C)

  • All orders: Pickup from Warehouse X, Deliver to Store Y

  • Order A: Pickup date 2026-01-22

  • Order B: Pickup date 2026-01-23

  • Order C: Pickup date 2026-01-24

Current Result (Problematic):

  1. Shipment #12345:

  2. Stop 1: Warehouse X (Pickup) - 2026-01-22 [Order A]

  3. Stop 2: Warehouse X (Pickup) - 2026-01-23 [Order B] <- DUPLICATE ADDRESS

  4. Stop 3: Warehouse X (Pickup) - 2026-01-24 [Order C] <- DUPLICATE ADDRESS

  5. Stop 4: Store Y (Delivery) - 2026-01-22 [Order A]

  6. Stop 5: Store Y (Delivery) - 2026-01-23 [Order B] <- DUPLICATE ADDRESS

  7. Stop 6: Store Y (Delivery) - 2026-01-24 [Order C] <- DUPLICATE ADDRESS

Consolidation Strategy Latest Turned On:

  1. Shipment #12345:

  2. Stop 1: Warehouse X (Pickup) - 2026-01-24 [Order A, B, C] <- Consolidated orders/stops

  3. Stop 2: Store Y (Delivery) - 2026-01-24 [Order A, B, C] <- Consolidated orders/stops

Stop Consolidation Strategy - Three Options

Customers can now choose how orders with the same address but different date/times are handled when creating a shipment manually:

  1. SEPARATE (Default): Orders with different date/times create separate stops. This is the existing behavior and remains the default.

  2. LATEST: All orders at the same address are consolidated into a single stop using the latest scheduled date/time across those orders.

  3. EARLIEST: All orders at the same address are consolidated into a single stop using the earliest scheduled date/time across those orders.

How to Setup

Admins can now configure a default Stop Consolidation Strategy at the company/tenant level via Company Preferences. This setting applies automatically whenever orders are consolidated into shipments, eliminating the need to manually select a strategy each time.

  • New field: stop_consolidation_strategy in Company Preferences

  • Available via the Company Preferences API (read/update)

  • Default for all existing companies: SEPARATE (no change
    to current behavior)

To configure your company's default stop consolidation strategy:

  1. Navigate to Company Preferences (Admin settings)

2.Locate the "Stop Consolidation Strategy" field

3.Select SEPARATE, LATEST, or EARLIEST

4. Save changes

The consolidation strategy selector has been added to all relevant order management screens :

  • Create Shipment Flow: A consolidation strategy selector (LATEST / EARLIEST / SEPARATE) is now shown when creating a shipment from orders. It defaults to the company setting.

  • Update Order Flow: Changing an order on a shipment re-runs consolidation logic using the company default strategy.

  • Remove Order Flow: Removing an order re-runs consolidation logic using the company default strategy.

  • Modify Orders Screen: The consolidation strategy field is now available when modifying orders on an existing shipment.

BENEFIT TO CUSTOMERS

  • Eliminates duplicate stops on shipments when consolidating orders that share the same locations but have different dates.

  • Reduces operational confusion for dispatchers and drivers.

  • Gives companies the flexibility to set a default consolidation behavior that matches their operational workflows.

Notes

  • Existing companies default to SEPARATE - no change in behavior until the setting is explicitly updated.

  • This setting is configurable per company/tenant and can be updated via the Company Preferences API.

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