FAQs: LTL Dispatch
What fields are required when submitting a dispatch request for an LTL shipment?
The following fields are required for project44’s LTL dispatch API:
- Capacity provider account group code
- Origin address and contact information
- Destination address and contact information
- Requester address and contact information
- Package dimensions
- Hazmat details (if shipment contains hazardous materials)
- Pickup window
- Delivery window
- Emergency contact (if shipment contains hazardous materials)
How long does it take for a vendor to respond to a dispatch request?
Dispatch timeout with vendors is 60 seconds max. This means we will wait up to 60 seconds for each carrier to respond to a dispatch request. Customers should configure their own timeouts to be 61 seconds or more, to ensure they do not miss responses from carriers.
Will my LTL shipment start tracking after I submit it for dispatch?
If your dispatch was done through project44, you do not need to initialize tracking. project44 will implicitly start tracking based on the data provided in the dispatch.
If I already ran a rate with an accessorial, do I need to add the accessorial again for dispatch?
Yes, adding the accessorial to your dispatch request even after including it in your rate request ensures the carrier sees the accessorial. Please note, not all carriers accept or require all accessorials, depending on what is supported by their API.
How do I get the PRO number for my shipment?
The PRO number will be returned in the API response to the POST: Create a shipment API request if the carrier has a BOL API that generates an electronic PRO. This PRO Number should be used on your physical Bill of Lading in order to track with it. See POST: Create a shipment API request for an example of what the response will look like.
Note: if the carrier does not have a BOL API to provide an electronically generated PRO Number at dispatch, the PRO will be returned in the first successful tracking update once tracking begins. The PRO Number will be assigned once the shipment is picked up. If you do receive a PRO via the dispatch API, you should use this PRO on your physical BOL and when stickering your shipment. If this is not done, the driver will likely assign a new PRO at pickup. See POST: Start tracking an LTL shipment for an example of what the response will look like.
You can also generate a PRO number by using the POST: Generate a ProNumber for specific vendor request.
What is the ID returned in a shipment dispatch response, and should I store it?
The ID returned in the shipment dispatch response is the project44-generated ID of the dispatched LTL shipment. This ID should be saved because you can use it to cancel a dispatched shipment (POST: Cancel a dispatched shipment by id), return the status of an LTL shipment (GET: Returns the status of an LTL shipment by unique system ID), update a shipment (PUT: Updates an LTL shipment), and delete a shipment (DELETE: Delete shipment by ID).