Process and basic features at a glance

The following offers an overview of the basic features of Carrier Connect and the interaction with a host system and the carrier systems.

1. Transfer shipping order data from the host system
   You can transfer shipping order data from your host system using the web service interface or enter this data manually right in the Carrier Connect user interface. The shipping order data includes all the information needed to process a shipment: consignor and consignee address, package and item data, carrier, shipping options, etc.
2. Generate and prepare shipping labels and documents
   Carrier Connect provides the correct shipping label and any other shipping documents, then feeds them back to your host system so that they can be shared with the selected printer. If it’s not possible to prepare the label correctly, you have the option to print an error label with the error message instead of the shipping label. As soon as the labels have been prepared, the host system can access the tracking numbers in order to track the package and shipment. The Carrier Event Service option gives you access to your transport service provider’s tracking events directly in Carrier Connect.
3. Generate and complete pickup
   When shipping orders are completed, they are consolidated into pickups. The shipping orders to be consolidated can be selected either automatically using rules-based pickup strategies or manually. When the pickup is complete, the configured documents like the manifest are generated in PDF format and shared via API with the host system.
4. Transmit shipping order data to carrier
   At the same time the pickup is completed, the shipping order data is transmitted to the carrier either as a file upload (EDI) or through a web service interface (sometimes even while the label is being generated).