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Shipment Status Glossary: What Each Status Means

Written by Shipwell Help

Understanding Shipment Statuses in Shipwell

Each shipment in Shipwell moves through a series of statuses that reflect where it is in its lifecycle. Here is what each status means.

Status Lifecycle

Draft → Quoting → Quoted → Carrier Confirmed → Dispatched → In Transit → At Pickup → At Delivery → Delivered → Reconciled

Cancelled is a terminal status that can occur at most stages.

Open indicates that a shipment still has unresolved work remaining from a business or financial perspective—even if the freight has already been physically delivered.

A shipment is considered Open when one or more of the following have not yet been completed:

  • Financials are not settled — invoices have not been received, approved, matched, or reconciled

  • The shipment has not reached Reconciled status — Delivered → Reconciled is the final step that closes out the shipment lifecycle

  • Outstanding documents or approvals — a missing Proof of Delivery (POD), pending carrier invoice, or other open action items

A shipment is considered Open when one or more of the following have not yet been completed:

  • Financials are not settled — invoices have not been received, approved, matched, or reconciled

  • The shipment has not reached Reconciled status — Delivered → Reconciled is the final step that closes out the shipment lifecycle

  • Outstanding documents or approvals — a missing Proof of Delivery (POD), pending carrier invoice, or other open action items

When Does the "Open" Flag Go Away?

The "Open" flag clears once the shipment is moved to Reconciled status — the final status after Delivered. Reconciled means delivery is confirmed and all financials have been settled.

Why Does It Matter?

The "Open" flag is a quick visual signal on the dashboard that helps you prioritize which delivered shipments still require attention. A Delivered shipment without the Open flag is fully closed out. A Delivered shipment with the Open flag still has work to do — typically in the settlements or invoicing workflow.

Status Definitions

Status

What It Means

Draft

The shipment has been created but not yet submitted for quoting or carrier assignment.

Quoting

The shipment is actively requesting rates from carriers or the load board.

Quoted

Rates have been received but a carrier has not yet been selected.

Tendered

A formal offer has been sent to a specific carrier via EDI or the platform. The carrier has not yet responded. The ball is in the carrier's court.

Carrier Confirmed

The carrier has accepted the tender or been manually confirmed on the shipment.

Dispatched

The shipment has been officially dispatched and the carrier has been notified to pick it up.

In Transit

The carrier has picked up the freight and is en route to the delivery location.

At Pickup

The carrier has arrived at the pickup location and is in the process of loading.

At Delivery

The carrier has arrived at the delivery location and is in the process of unloading.

Delivered

The freight has been successfully delivered. Check-in and check-out times have been recorded at the delivery stop.

Reconciled

The shipment is fully closed out — delivery confirmed and financials settled. This is the final state before archiving.

Cancelled

The shipment has been cancelled. This is a terminal state.

Tender vs. Carrier Confirmed — What's the Difference?

"Tendered" means the offer was sent but not yet accepted. "Carrier Confirmed" means the carrier has accepted. If a carrier rejects a tender, the shipment will return to an earlier stage so you can assign a different carrier.

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