LTL & VLTL FAQ's
LTL & VLTL shipments in the VOC
Why are shipments not showing up in the VOC for a specific carrier?
Potential Reason: If a shipment was not successfully initialized to project44, it will not be visible within the VOC.
Solution: Verify the shipment was created. If the shipment was not correctly initialized, add shipment again.
Can I delete LTL & VLTL shipments in the VOC?
No, you cannot delete LTL & VLTL shipments in the VOC. You can, however, delete LTL & VLTL shipments with the following API: DELETE: Delete shipment by ID.
Why is there no tracking showing for the shipment in the VOC?
There could be an issue on the project44 side. Contact Customer Support at project44 to resolve this for you.
How do I add carriers in the VOC?
See the section Managing Capacity Providers in the VOC in the Less Than Truckload and Volume Less Than Truckload Product & Services User Guide for more information on how to add, update, and manage carriers in the VOC.
How do I know what services each carrier supports?
On the Capacity Providers page of the Carrier Portal, you can quickly identify the services a carrier supports (rating, dispatch, tracking, and/or image retrieval) based on the icons listed in the Services column of each capacity provider profile.
What is the default timeout for rating responses in the VOC?
Once the rating API request has been sent, project44 will wait the default time of 10 seconds for the capacity provider to respond before sending the response back to you.
Can I delete an LTL or VLTL shipment in the VOC?
No, you cannot delete an LTL or VLTL shipment in the VOC.
How do I access shipment documents in the VOC?
To access documents for a specific shipment in the VOC, go to its Shipment Details page and scroll down to the section titled “Documents.” There, you can find images of the Bill of Lading, Delivery Receipt, Weight Certificate, Invoice, Inspection Certificate, Letter of Authorization, Lumber Certificate, and/or the Packing Slip as they become available.
LTL Rating
Do I need to use certain units when passing length and width of my load to be compatible with the capacity provider?
When the API Configuration enable unit conversion field (apiConfiguration.enableUnitConvsersion) is set to “true,” you can pass in any weight/length unit you currently use and it will be automatically converted to the unit the capacity provider requires. If the field is set to “false,” and units are not what the capacity provider requires, the request will fail capacity provider validation and error will be returned. Work with your project44 implementation team to get this set up.
Do I need to enter a capacity account group code when requesting a quote for rates or transit times?
You only need to enter a value for capacityAccountGroupCode.accounts.code in a POST: Query for rate quotes or a POST: Query for transit time quotes if you want a quote from a specific capacity provider. If you want quotes for rate and transit times from multiple capacity providers, create a rating request with either no capacity provider specified in the accounts array or with multiple capacity providers specified in the accounts array of the POST request. If no capacity provider is specified, project44 will use all capacity providers in the specified account group. If multiple capacity providers are specified, project44 will rate only those capacity providers. project44 will take the stored credentials for those capacity providers and the account group combination to send a request to each capacity provider.
How do I compare rate and transit time quotes from multiple carriers/capacity providers?
When you submit an API request for rate or transit time quotes (POST: Query for rate quotes or a POST: Query for transit time quotes, respectively), you can either:
- Not enter anything for the field capacityAccountGroupCode.account.code, or
- Specify multiple providers for the field capacityAccountGroupCode.account.code
If no capacity provider is specified, project44 will use all capacity providers in the specified account group. If multiple capacity providers are specified, project44 will rate only those capacity providers.
What fields are required when submitting a request for a quote?
When submitting a quote request, you will need the following information:
- For POST: Query for rate quotes:
- Postal code of the origin address
- Postal code of the destination address
- Package dimensions (length, width, height)
- For POST: Query for transit time quotes:
- Postal code of the origin address
- Postal code of the destination address
How quickly will I receive responses for my quote request?
Ten seconds. The API configuration timeout parameter determines how long to wait for all LTL capacity providers to respond before sending the response back to you. The default for this is 10 seconds. For example: if a rate is requested for an account group containing 6 capacity providers, 5 respond within 10 seconds, and 1 capacity provider responds at the 12 second mark – the response sent back to you will contain 5 rate response and 1 error message stating the vendor timed out in sending a response to us.
While many capacity providers will respond within the 2-5 second range, we wait the full timeout length for every carrier for every carrier to respond. If one carrier is taking longer, will wait for them to respond before sending all rate responses to you or your TMS. Therefore, when requesting rates for multiple carriers the response time will only be as fast as the slowest carrier to respond.
Am I able to adjust the timeout for rating?
You can adjust the timeout for rating only if you are using project44’s API. In your POST: Query for rate quotes or POST: Query for transit time quotes, you can change the number of seconds to wait for a capacity provider to return a transit time quote in the apiConfiguration.time field. The default is 10 seconds.
You cannot adjust the timeout for rating in the VOC.
Why are my rates taking longer than usual to return?
We wait the full timeout length for every carrier to respond. If one carrier is taking longer, we will wait for them to respond before sending all rate responses to you or your TMS. Therefore, when requesting rates for multiple carriers the response time will only be as fast as the slowest carrier to respond.
What carriers do you support?
You can confirm whether project44 supports specific carriers based on your ability to add a carrier to the Capacity Providers Page in the Carriers Portal. To add carriers, please see the Managing Capacity Providers in the VOC section of the LTL and VLTL Products & Services User Guide.
Why am I not seeing all LTL rates being returned?
When running rates, only valid rates will be returned initially. The system filters out invalid results that show error messages. To see these, check the box “Show Error Messages Returned” to return all rates including those with error messages.
VLTL Rating
What fields are required when submitting a rating API request for a VLTL shipment?
The POST: Query for volume LTL rate quotes API request requires the following shipment information:
- Postal code of the origin address
- Postal code of the destination address
- Package weight and dimensions (length, width, and height)
- The total linear feet that the shipment will take up in a trailer. Customers who have enabled our Volume Visualizer product may submit rate requests without providing a value for total linear feet.
Do I have to enter total linear feet for a VLTL shipment rate request?
When dispatching a VLTL shipment in the VOC, you can either manually enter the total linear feet for a shipment or you can utilize the Volume Visualizer Tool to automatically calculate the total linear feet of your shipment. However, we do recommend manually adding total linear feet whenever possible. If you choose to utilize the Volume Visualizer Tool, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
Am I able to adjust the timeout for rating?
You can adjust the timeout for rating only if you are using project44’s API. In your POST: Query for volume LTL rate quotes, you can change the number of seconds to wait for a capacity provider to return a transit time quote in the apiConfiguration.time field. The default is 10 seconds.
You cannot adjust the timeout for rating in the VOC.
Why are my rates taking longer than usual to return?
We wait the full timeout length for every carrier for every carrier to respond. If one carrier is taking longer, we will wait for them to respond before sending all rate responses to you or your TMS. Therefore, when requesting rates for multiple carriers the response time will only be as fast as the slowest carrier to respond.
What carriers do you support?
You can confirm whether or not project44 supports specific carriers based on your ability to add a carrier to the Capacity Providers Page in the Carriers Portal. To add carriers, please see the Managing Capacity Providers in the VOC Section of the LTL and VLTL Products & Services User Guide.
Why am I not able to see any VLTL rates?
If you are not currently set up to utilize project44’s VLTL services, you will not be able to see VLTL rate quotes. Please reach out to your project44 representative to connect you with our VLTL capabilities.
Why am I not seeing all rates being returned for volume?
When running rates, only valid rates will be returned initially. The system filters out invalid results that show error messages. To see these, check the box “Show Error Messages Returned” to return all rates including those with error messages.
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).
VLTL Dispatch
What fields are required when submitting a dispatch request for a VLTL shipment?
The following fields are required when submitting a VLTL dispatch request with POST: Create a volume LTL shipment:
- 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)
Do I have to enter total linear feet for a VLTL shipment dispatch?
When dispatching a VLTL shipment in the VOC, you can either manually enter the total linear feet for a shipment or you can utilize the Volume Visualizer Tool to automatically calculate the total linear feet of your shipment. However, we do recommend manually adding total linear feet whenever possible. If you choose to utilize the Volume Visualizer Tool, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
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 VLTL 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 a volume 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).
Will my VLTL 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.
LTL & VLTL Tracking
Do I need to initiate tracking if I already dispatched my shipment?
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 you did not dispatch your shipment through project44, you will need to initialize tracking through project44’s Visibility Operations Center or API using POST: Start tracking an LTL shipment.
What fields are required when initializing a shipment for tracking?
The following fields are required for project44’s tracking API (POST: Start tracking an LTL shipment):
- Capacity provider account group code
- Shipment identifiers
- Shipment stops information - Two stops must be provided: for the ‘ORIGIN’ and the ‘DESTINATION.’ Any ‘TERMINAL’ stops that are added will be ignored if provided as part of a PUT. The required information for each stop includes:
- Location address and contact information
- Appointment Window
When will my shipment start tracking?
The tracking job will start 90 minutes before the appointmentWindow.startDateTime. The tracking job will run for a given duration (designated with the startDateTime and endDateTime parameters), gathering updates from the carrier and reference numbers detailed in the API call.
When will my shipment stop tracking?
The tracking job will stop tracking 7 days after the appointmentWindow.endDateTime. This is to ensure any late deliveries are captured and any documents following the delivery are also processed into the project44 system.
How often are you retrieving shipment updates?
While the project44 tracking job is running for a particular carrier and reference number, project44 will continually check the carrier's API for status updates. The interval to check the carrier's system is every 15-30 minutes. Once the carrier response has been processed into the project44 system, it's available to be pushed or pulled to the customer's TMS.
How often is ETA calculated?
project44 continually checks the capacity provider's system every 15-30 minutes. If there is an update for the ETA calculated by the capacity provider, you can PULL the tracking update by using GET requests or have the information PUSHed to your TMS as it becomes available.
How is ETA calculated for LTL and VLTL shipments?
ETAs for LTL and VLTL shipments are provided by the capacity provider.
Do I have to PULL status updates, or will you PUSH them?
PUSH tracking, if configured, will automatically send the latest update and history together to the customer TMS in project44's format.
When trying to retrieve a status update, do I have to use the project44 ID?
You only need the project44 ID to PULL a status update when using the GET: Returns the status of an LTL shipment by unique system ID. Otherwise, you can use a shipment identifier (e.g. Bill of Lading, PRO Number) to PULL a shipment status update with the GET: Returns the status of an LTL shipment by identifier API request.
If I go the PUSH tracking route, how often will you PUSH me status updates?
A push will occur if any of these 3 conditions are met:
- Timestamp changes
- Shipment location changes
- Shipment status changes
While the project44 tracking job is running for a particular carrier and reference number, project44 will continually check the carrier's API for status updates. The interval to check the carrier's system is every 15-30 minutes.
With PUSH tracking, is the whole history PUSHed out?
Yes, the whole history will be available in the PUSH updates for tracking. The most recent shipment status update available will be listed under latestStatusUpdate, and all available shipment status updates will be listed under statusUpdates.
Can I receive all tracking updates through email notifications?
No. In order to receive all tracking updates, a webhook must be configured. Email notifications are reserved for specific events only. PUSH tracking webhooks are preconfigured at the tenant level for LTL and VLTL tracking. Please reach out to your project44 Implementation Team to set up basic authentication of your webhook if you have not already done so and would like to use PUSH tracking.
Why hasn’t my shipment started tracking?
There are a few potential reasons why a shipment loses tracking:
- Shipment identifier mismatch
- Carrier has not entered an update into their system of record
- Carrier has a connection issue with data feed coming to project44
Why are there pings in the VOC but not my TMS? (Or vice versa)
Potential Reasons:
- There is an issue with the project44 system.
- The webhook was set up incorrectly – this would explain seeing shipment information in the VOC and not in TMS.
Solution: For either of these situations, escalate the issue to project44 for support.
What updates can I make to LTL and VLTL shipments after the shipment has been dispatched and tracking has been initialized?
You only need to update a shipment when the carrier, time, or date has changed.
How do I make updates to LTL and VLTL shipments?
Use the PUT: Updates an LTL shipment request. This endpoint deletes the current shipment and creates a new shipment on which it will begin tracking. This updates how we track the shipment but will not affect the dispatch with the carrier. Note that you must pass the entire details for the shipment, just as you would on a POST.
Why is a carrier’s update frequency so low?
Carrier frequency could be low because for a couple reasons:
- If the carrier is sending in updates every 15 mins but the truck has not moved, project44 will not register that as a new update.
- The carrier can only receive 30 min updates from their tracking system. This is common if the carrier uses a MacroPoint solution.
This is not an error of the system.
How do I delete a shipment?
To delete a shipment with project44 API, use the DELETE: Delete shipment by ID API request.
Do I need a project44 ID to initialize a shipment for tracking?
No. The project44-generated ID for LTL and VLTL shipments may be provided when creating a tracked shipment only if a tracked shipment does not exist with this ID and a shipment record does exist in project44's system with this ID. This enables linking a dispatched shipment that initially failed to track to its tracking information by passing the ID from dispatch. This ID will always be returned in the shipment confirmation and may be used in subsequent API calls to reference a shipment.
How do you confirm delivery of my shipment?
The shipment status should read “DELIVERED.” If you are using the VOC, there should be an image of the Delivery Receipt on the Shipment Details page for that shipment.
How do I set up a webhook for PUSH notifications?
PUSH tracking webhooks are preconfigured at the tenant level in project44 for LTL and VLTL tracking. Please reach out to your implementation team to set up basic authentication of your webhook if you have not already done so and would like to use PUSH tracking.
How do I initialize tracking for a shipment?
Use the POST: Start tracking an LTL shipment API request or you can initiate tracking for a shipment in the VOC.
What time zone is used if I don’t provide a time zone for the appointment windows in the request?
The time zone of the stop location will be used if one is not specified.
How long does project44 track a shipment?
Tracking is initiated 90 minutes before the ORIGIN appointment window start time, and tracking is attempted for 7 days after the delivery date.
So, if you submit a shipment that’s scheduled to be picked up a week from today, we will not initiate the tracking until it is that day. If a shipment is submitted to us with an estimated delivery date of tomorrow, we’ll keep trying to track the shipment for 7 days after tomorrow.
What does this error message mean?
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Error Message |
Explanation |
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"Invalid Reference Number or Shipment Id provided, or tracking by ShipmentId or the provided Reference Number Type is not supported for this vendor." |
This error indicated that the identifiers provided are not valid for the carrier being tracked. This could mean that the carrier is returning an error advising that the identifier is not in their system, but typically a more specific error is mapped for that.
The most likely scenario is that the carrier does not support tracking by the provided identifier type. Some carriers may only track by BOL and PRO, so if a PO is provided only this error would populate because the carrier does not support tracking by PO via their API. Best steps are to provide additional identifiers or reach out to the carrier to obtain the Pro number.
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"The received pro number is assigned for quote rate only." |
This error populates for carriers that utilize quote numbers as PRO numbers on shipments. This message indicates that the shipment is not yet in the carrier system as a trackable PRO and still shows as a “RATE QUOTE ONLY!” This is done to not incorrectly begin tracking on a PRO that is not live. It is possible that the carrier may assign a new PRO to the shipment. If this error persists beyond the expected pickup window for a shipment, best steps are to reach out to carrier to obtain the live tracking PRO number.
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“No information found for reference number.” |
This error populates when we have no tracking information tied to the supplied reference number and the carrier has not returned anything.
If this error persists beyond the expected pickup window for a shipment, best steps are to reach out to carrier to obtain the live tracking Pro number.
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“No shipment identifier was provided that is supported by the capacity provider.” |
This error populates when the carrier does not support tracking by the provided identifier types. Some carriers may only track by BOL and PRO, so if a PO is provided only this error would populate because the carrier does not support tracking by PO via their API. Best steps are to provide additional identifiers or reach out to the carrier to obtain the Pro number.
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How does project44 track a shipment?
project44 tracks LTL and VLTL shipments by their shipment identifiers. Valid shipment identifiers include PRO Number (“PRO_NUMBER”), Bill of Lading (“BILL_OF_LADING”), Customer Reference (“CUSTOMER_REFERENCE”), Pickup (“PICKUP”), or Purchase Order (“PURCHASE_ORDER”). While a PRO Number is returned in the dispatch response, project 44 tracks shipments by all these identifiers listed above.
LTL & VLTL Image Retrieval
How do I access shipment documents with project44 API?
Use the POST: Query for LTL shipment images request to access images of shipment documents.
What formats are supported for returning an image of shipment documents?
project44 supports PDF, TIF, PNG, GIF, JPG formats for returning images of shipment documents. However, not all carriers support all image types.
Can I request multiple document images at once?
No. To request shipment document images with project44’s API, you will need to send a request for each document you wish to see. Shipment documents will be added to the Shipment Details page in the VOC as they become available.
Why didn’t I get this image?
Potential reason 1: If you requested an image with project44’s POST: Query for LTL shipment images, you may not have received the image because the carrier does not support the image format you requested.
Solution 1: Verify what formats the carrier supports for image retrieval of shipment documents.
Potential reason 2: If you are looking for an image on the Shipment Details page in the VOC, there may not be an image because it is not yet available from the carrier.
Solution 2: The document image will be posted to the Shipment Details page in the VOC once it becomes available.
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