Flows

Shipper API supports various flows based on the interaction from both sides: carriers and shippers. In some cases carriers aren’t available to update the order status and these cases require the shipper to manually update the order status.

This document also explains when a webhook event is sent to an API client.

The basic flows of sending loads to carriers are three:

  1. Direct flow: sending a load offer directly
  2. Manual flow: updates are done on Shipper TMS without any involvement from carriers
  3. The flow that involves a load board: finding a carrier via a load board.

Direct flow

When the order is ready to ship, it’s time to find a carrier who can move this order. We support the flows below that help shippers and brokers to move loads:

  1. API client does know what carrier can move a given order and has either a carrier’s guid or usdot. In this case, the order can be sent to the carrier directly as a load offer. Reference: send a load offer.
  2. Search a carrier by email, name, or usdot. Carriers that use Carrier TMS are marked by "carrier_type": "CTMS". A carrier’s guid can be used to send a load offer. This endpoint makes a more broader search: it also searches carriers in the FMCSA database. These carriers can be invited to Super Dispatch via sending a load offer by using their email, usdot, and phone.

The diagram below shows the Shipper-Carrier interaction. Also you can see here when webhooks are sent.

Semi-Manual Send Offer Flow

In some cases when Shippers send offer to the Carrier, they may need to continue interaction with the offer themselves. For example, a carrier may forget to update the offer’s status or have no chance to do so.

Just like in the Direct Flow, the Shipper finds the Carrier by one of three ways and then sends a load offer.

Once the offer is created, then the Shipper can start manipulating offer independent of the Carrier.
Further manual actions starting with Mark as Accepted are performed via internal API.

The offer interactions triggered both by the Shipper and the Carrier are shown on the diagram below.

Post Load to Load Boards

Ready to ship loads can also be moved the following ways:

  • Via Super Loadboard: the order is posted to Super Loadboard and Super Dispatch notifies carriers who can move this order. Preferred carriers can book this order immediately. Other carriers can send a load request. The process is fully automated.
    A sample request to post a load to SLB: Post to Loadboard.
  • Via Central Dispatch: the order is posted to Central Dispatch and interested carriers will call you using more traditional methods. Later, this order can be assigned to a carrier, and the carrier may use Super Dispatch to move the order.
    A sample request to post a load to CD: Post to Cental Dispatch.

Some of the actions over the load (load is posted/unposted to different boards, booked, approved, etc.) trigger particular webhooks:

Manual flow

Here is also a pure manual flow that allows shippers to perform interactions with the offer without involving carriers at all.

The manual Send Offer Flow is not supported for public API and can only be done with internal API.
Offer is manually attached to carriers that are retrieved from Super Dispatch Carrier Database only, not FMCSA Database.

Manual interactions also trigger particulat webhooks, please see the diagram below: