When should I submit the POST to create my shipment?  

This can be done at any time before shipment starts. Please note, if sent in advance, the PUT API can be used to update any relevant details before the shipment changes. If a shipment is created after the first appointment window has ended, we will start tracking the shipment immediately and will not be able to retrieve any historical details.   

Do I need an equipment identifier, like a vehicle ID or license plate, in order to create a shipment? 

The shipment will not track until an equipment identifier is applied. 

project44 admin can enable a setting to make this optional in your request. That will allow you to create a shipment without the truck number or license plate, and then you can add those in once they’ve been acquired.  If the tenant has the flag TRUCKLOAD_PENDING_SHIPMENT_TRACKING_ENABLED set to TRUE, shipments can be created without an equipment identifier.  

How do I determine which equipment or shipment identifiers to submit in order to track my shipment?  

Utilize the GET Tracking Method API to determine which tracking method a carrier is using to track your shipment. The tracking method will determine which equipment identifier(s) are necessary to track your shipment. 

Can I submit multiple license plates for a single shipment (e.g. truck + trailer plates)?  

Tracking by license plate is specific to EU customers. 

Yes, the Equipment Identifier part of our API is an array which accepts multiple plates. If more than one is submitted, project44 will intelligently select which one to track based on the likelihood of tracking. If all plates are equally valid, the first license plate in the array is prioritized. For most use cases, we recommend trailers to be the top priority. 

What fields are required when creating a Truckload shipment?  

This depends on the tracking method, but you will always need to include: 

• a shipmentIdentifier 
• carrierIdentifier 
• at least 2 stops (location, date, appointment window).  

If the carrier is tracked via ELD you will need to submit a LICENSE_PLATE (EU tracking) or VEHICLE_ID (NA tracking) as the equipment identifier.  

If the carrier is tracking via mobile, you will need to submit a mobile phone number. 

Can I submit my own internal SCAC for a carrier to start tracking?  

No, the SCAC submitted must be the official SCAC of the carrier. You can also utilize DOT Number or MC Number instead.   

Do I have to submit Capacity Provider Account Group and Code with every shipment?   

No – this is only required for PULL API carriers. 

How do I know if an API carrier is a PULL carrier?  

This can be determined by the information about the carrier that is stored in the project44 portal. 

Do the appointment windows on my shipment need to be sequential?  

Yes, shipment appointment windows must be sequential. At least one appointment windows must be in the future. 

Here are examples of appointment windows overlapping possibilities: 

I don’t have a range for my appointment windows – just a set time. Can I submit the same value in both appointment window start and end times?  

The appointment window range is used to calculate Early, Late, and On Time indications. A few options are listed below for the appointment windows:  

• If there are ranges in your system, send the range (e.g., 10am – 12pm)  
• If there is one set time, send the set time for both (e.g., 10am-10am)  
  • Please note you’ll most likely never receive an On-Time indication if this is utilized unless we receive a geo-coordinate ping at the exact time of the appointment window. 
  • If you have one time a truck must arrive by, you can hard code the appointment window range in the API call to start one hour before the time (e.g., 9am – 10am for instance). 

What time zone will be used if I don’t provide a time zone for the appointment windows in my request?  

The time zone of the stop location will be used if one is not specified. 

If I submit geo-coordinates and a full address for a stop, which one takes priority?  

Geo-coordinates.

Can you attempt to track by multiple identifiers if I send BOL + order number (or similar)?  

Each shipment can have one BOL and one order number associated at the shipment level. However, we do support custom attributes and additional BOLs and order numbers can be stored as a custom attribute. Additionally, our Order Inventory service supports multiple order numbers. Contact your project44 Executive or Customer Service Manager for more information and to see if this option is a fit for your organization. 

Are any of the settings for shipment creation configurable for all my loads (e.g., tracking end date / time logic)?   

The settings that can be configured for all loads are: 

• Tracking start time:  
  • Default is 90 minutes before appointment window – this can be configured as a tenant wide setting, but it is not recommended to go above 3 hours before the appointment window.  
• Types of geofences:  
  • Default is to utilize the time based geofences for all shipments. This can be adjusted to distance based geofences for all shipments.   
  • The time or distance can be configured (default is 15 minutes or 4000 meters).  
  • Individual locations can also have custom geofences, overriding default settings.  
• Arrived Final Stop Configuration  
• Default is to complete tracking on a shipment 3 hours after truck arrives at final stop.  
• The time can be adjusted. 

What Mexican state codes can I use for my shipment?  

When creating or updating a shipment, the TL tracking system does not validate on the state field. This means that any state value can be used, and the shipment should track if a city and zip code are provided. 

How does project44 match trucks to shipments?  

Via truck number, the unique identifier that indicates which truck in a carrier's fleet is moving a particular shipment. Truck number is defined within the carrier’s online ELD portal and must match exactly what is in the ELD. The carrier must have their ELD’s correctly mapped to the truck numbers.