Notification rules for Ocean transports now include a Schedule and cluster option. You can still get an email the moment a container matches your rule — or you can schedule a digest that groups matching ocean shipments into one email.
This frequency setting is available when you create a Custom filters notification rule with transport mode Ocean. It is the same sharing-of-attention idea as other Trimble Freight Visibility alerts: you stay informed, without filling the inbox with one message per container.
🌟 Why is this feature valuable?
Less noise: Ocean operations often have many containers matching the same rule. Clustering them avoids one email per shipment.
One overview: Recipients get a single digest of every ocean transport that matched the rule in that period.
Easier follow-up: Scheduled emails include a spreadsheet attachment you can open, filter and share internally.
Still real-time when you need it: Instant remains available for exceptions that should be acted on immediately.
Table of contents
Instant vs Schedule
How to set up schedule and cluster for Ocean
What you receive
When to use Instant vs Schedule
Frequently asked questions
Instant vs Schedule
When you create an Ocean Custom filters rule, choose how often notifications are sent:
Frequency | What happens | Best for |
Instant | An email is sent as soon as a transport matches the rule. Each email is about one ocean transport. | Time-critical exceptions — for example a delay or status change you must act on immediately. |
Schedule | Matching transports are clustered and sent together at the interval you choose (for example hourly, daily, weekly or monthly). Recipients get one email covering all matches in that period, plus a spreadsheet attachment. | A regular overview of a customer, carrier, lane or status — without an email for every container. |
💡 Schedule does not change which ocean transports match the rule. Your filters still decide the set. Frequency only changes when those matches are sent, and whether they are grouped.
How to set up schedule and cluster for Ocean
Follow these steps to add frequency to an Ocean notification rule:
Go to Notification rules in the left menu and click Add notification rule.
Select Ocean as the transport mode.
Select Custom filters as the notification type.
Add filters that define which ocean transports should be included — for example carrier, booking / B/L / container reference, locations and milestones (POL, POD), tracking status, date range, or a custom field such as a customer code.
Add one or more recipients and choose the notification language for each.
Choose the Frequency:
Instant — send one email per matching transport, as soon as the rule is matched.
Schedule — cluster matching transports and send them at the interval you select (hourly, daily, weekly or monthly).
Add a clear rule name, for example Daily POD Rotterdam — Carrier ABC.
Click Save.
You can change the frequency later: open the rule, edit Frequency, and save. Only Admin users can edit rules created by someone else.
What you receive
Instant
One email per matching ocean transport, sent as soon as the conditions are met.
The email includes ocean identifiers such as container number, booking number, bill of lading and carrier, plus a link to the transport.
If the same transport later stops matching the filters and then matches them again, another Instant notification can be sent.
Schedule (clustered)
One email at the interval you chose, covering all ocean transports that matched the rule in that period.
Matching shipments are grouped in the email so recipients can scan the set at a glance.
A spreadsheet attachment (Excel) lists the clustered transports, so the digest can be used as a working report without opening Trimble Freight Visibility for every container.
⚠️ Notifications are not sent for transports that already match the rule at the moment you create it. Only transports that match after the rule is saved are included — the same behaviour as other notification rules.
When to use Instant vs Schedule
Use Instant when… | Use Schedule when… |
Someone must react as soon as a container changes status. | A planner or customer needs a regular list of matching ocean shipments. |
The rule is narrow (one carrier, one exception type, few expected matches). | The rule is broader (a customer, a POD, a lane) and would otherwise generate many emails. |
The recipient is on call or handling exceptions in real time. | The recipient works from a daily or weekly report. |
💡 Keep each rule focused. A very broad Ocean filter combined with Instant frequency can generate a large number of emails. If that happens, switch the same rule to Schedule, or narrow the filters.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this available for Road transports?
Is this available for Road transports?
No. Frequency — Instant vs Schedule — is available for Ocean and Air Custom filters rules. Road notification types keep their existing real-time behaviour.
Does Schedule change which containers I am notified about?
Does Schedule change which containers I am notified about?
No. The filters on the rule still decide which ocean transports match. Schedule only groups those matches and sends them at the interval you chose.
What is in the clustered email attachment?
What is in the clustered email attachment?
Scheduled Ocean notifications include an Excel attachment with the matching transports. The default columns include identifiers such as container number, booking number, bill of lading and carrier. Recipients can download the file from the email and work with the full set at once.
Can I use Schedule and Instant on the same rule?
Can I use Schedule and Instant on the same rule?
No. Each rule has one frequency. If you need both a real-time alert and a digest, create two rules with the same (or similar) filters — one Instant, one Schedule — and different names.
Who can create or edit these rules?
Who can create or edit these rules?
You can create notification rules for your company. You can edit or delete rules you created. Admin users can edit or delete any notification rule.
Where can I learn more about notification rules?
Where can I learn more about notification rules?
See Notification Rules: Stay informed about important transport exceptions or milestones for the overall setup, and Notification rule: Custom filters for how Ocean filters work.
📩 Still have questions? Contact Trimble Freight Visibility support from the product. If you open the conversation from a transport view, the transport details are attached to your ticket automatically.