Shipping APIs for Truckloads & Less Than Truckloads are rapidly becoming the backbone of any advanced shipping system to carry out the major operations of freight transportation. The penetration of these ready to start solutions is faster than anticipated. DHL, with the help of APIs, reportedly accomplished 10 fold integrations with different partners. Apart from this, they are also able to optimize their operations which resulted in a saving of 10% annually.

DHL, with the help of APIs, accomplished 10 fold integrations with different partners.
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How APIs for Truckloads & Less Than Truckloads are adding value?

Knowing the type of management systems which can benefit your shipping business is not enough these days. We need to drill down to the grassroots elements which are making these systems exceptionally good. API is one such component which works at the basic level of any transport software solution. 3 major benefits of usage of Shipping APIs for any logistics companies are as follows,

• Real-Time functioning

• Automated operations

• Seamless integration  

With the help of APIs for Truckloads & Less Than Truckloads, the shipping systems can integrate and complete the shipping tasks seamlessly. This is especially important when the system is dealing with a variety of other programming interfaces at a time. This means that without an API, the much-coveted dream of any shipper and freight owner to experience real time and seamless shipping cannot turn into reality. Therefore let’s have an introduction with an essential APIs for TruckLoads and Less-Than-TruckLoads.

Shipping Calculator API

Shipping calculator API helps you to process each request for a product with the minimum cost incurred. It also helps in suggesting a tentative time of arrival of shipment depending on the delivery option selected. This helps the shippers to get out of the prediction mechanism for better delivery options, the combination of modes/carriers and ways to travel the particular distance as that can be done in a more efficient way by the system. The delivery estimation is more accurate than any human predictions and the results on customer satisfaction are very beneficial. For e-commerce clients, shipping calculator API makes it possible that the customer can review the order depending upon the tentative date of delivery ensuring a higher rate of successful deliveries.

Insurance API

Insurance is often underrated in its role of minimizing the expenses for logistics companies. Any logistics company want to ship it’s freight as fast as possible and want to cut down on delaying procedures as much as it can. More than the willingness, it is the time factor associated with the insurance of a shipment which makes it difficult for the shippers to follow the safest option. But every time a shipment is leaving the dock uninsured, it is carrying an increased risk for the shipping company. Insurance API helps the shippers to get their orders insured at the time of booking. It also keeps a check on the key details of the shipment such as fragility, lifespan, actual cost in check. This saves the shippers the time and processes involved in manual insurance.

Rating API

Rating API helps the shippers to gather the information regarding real-time rates from different freight forwarders. This is done with the help of the requests generated with API which contains key details of the shipments such as pickup date, origin, destination, type of commodity, accessorial charges, payment terms, NMFC numbers and shipment dimensions. It helps shippers to get done with a quick analysis and comparison of the difference in freight rates respective to the type of freight transport with the estimated delivery of the shipment. Few advanced rating APIs also helps in fetching responses for minor but impactful rating details such as charge breakdown for linehaul, each accessorial and fuel surcharge, tariff name, terminal information.

Dispatch API

Dispatch APIs helps in automating the process of delivery by scheduling the jobs. This API works right from assigning the shipments to different carriers to informing the respective drivers about the trip. Dispatch helps the shipping companies to keep their carriers on the roll without delaying much time in planning. Dispatch APIs works in coordination with the other APIs and once the shipping rates are fixed, dispatch can start working on allocating the jobs to the available carriers. Contrary to the EDI 204 dispatch method, where the whole process needs to go through manual checkpoints, dispatch APIs deliver much faster output.  

Shipment Tracking API

It is one of those few APIs which has a direct impact on the increase in customer satisfaction and visibility in the freight transport. Apart from helping out the freight owners with reduced shipment status calls, shipment tracking API also helps them to go for a prompt damage control in order to save any inconvenience to the customer. In a case where the shipment gets stalled or damaged during transit, since the shipping company is aware of it can readily dispatch the replacement without getting the customer involved. With the help of shipment tracking APIs, it is possible now that dedicated customer accounts can be generated for them to follow up with their shipment delivery cycle independently.

Transit Time API

In the era where same day delivery is a becoming a norm rather than an exception, transit time API are need of the hour. These APIs are able to suggest the accurate time that a shipment can take to reach the destination in the given mode of transportation. This API adds tremendous value to the customer experience of the e-commerce segment where the customer can know the time by which he/she can get the shipment. It has also helped the shippers to reduce the instances of failed deliveries as they can now prompt the customer about the delivery scheduled for that day.

Load Tender API

Load tender APIs performs the tasks of distributing loads for the different carriers according to the planned routing. The API becomes exceptionally important when the carriers involved are LTL and are carrying multiple shipments with different destinations. Load Tender APIs are responsible for creation, scheduling as well as deletion of loads to carry out the dispatch process and works with multiple entities involved. It needs to distribute the data according to the various shipping details for which it can take inputs from shippers, distribution center, wholesalers and freight forwarders.

Image Retrieval API

Image retrieval API helps in delivering the shipments seamlessly by negating the hassles related to the documentation involved. This API helps in keeping the image file of the orders, receipts, licenses and other crucial data handy for a quick reference from the database. The driver can fetch any of the require documents on request anytime and thus doesn’t require to carry physical proofs always. It eases the process of acquiring delivery proofs, paying road taxes and also delivers a quick update for the processed orders and delivered shipments quickly to the database.

These are the most basic API’s involved in the freight and shipping transportation these days. Each one of them has different functionality but improves the overall delivery cycle tremendously. DreamOrbit is helping out the freight and shipping companies across the globe in acquiring similar APIs for Truckloads & Less Than Truckloads along with the necessary customization.

About DreamOrbit:

DreamOrbit is a Logistics and Supply Chain Technology Development company. We have been creating meaningful and reliable software products for the industry which is “Always on the go” for the past half decade. We are highly motivated team aimed at innovation. Our philosophy is to “keep challenging the potential within”.  With the support of our happy customers and dedicated team, we strive to provide best possible solutions to industry problems. Visit our website to know more about DreamOrbit.

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