To create facilities in our shipper account, access the Facilities section in the left side menu, and click on New.
A window opens in which you must enter the key information of the installation to be registered:
Some of the key fields in the Facility form are as follows:
Name
We must assign a name to the facility that is easily recognizable.
Type
In type of facilities, we can choose between the following types:
- Origin.
- Destination.
- All, in case a location can serve as both origin and destination of shipments.
This classification is important because when creating loads, the pickup locations that will be displayed in the drop-down menu will correspond to the registered facilities of type Origin or All and the delivery locations that will be displayed in the drop-down menu will correspond to the registered facilities of type Destination or All.
Consignee-Consignor
We will enter the recipient's data here.
Google Maps Address vs Manual Address
The next thing we are offered is the address of the facility, and we can choose between:
- Google Maps pin, in case the exact location already exists as a pin on Google Maps. To use this function, simply enter the name or keywords in the integrated search engine and select the desired address from the drop-down list.
- In case the pin does not exist in Google Maps, it can be filled in manually. When selecting manual entry of the location, three possibilities are offered:
- Address
- Country, State and City.
- Coordinates. This is the most recommended manual option, as it is the most accurate and has the least margin of error for those who must deal with the shipment and its appointments. When selecting this option, the coordinates in longitude-latitude format must be entered. Both fields can be obtained from Google Maps. Search Google Maps for the exact point on the map of the exact location on the map (even if there is no specific Google Maps pin created at that address) and by right clicking your mouse, Google Maps will provide both pieces of information.
It should be noted that addresses included in text format in the address fields (street, municipality, neighborhood, etc.) are not verified by the system, only the country field is validated.
It is really important that you pay attention to the location of your facilities and enter verified data as accurately as possible, as this affects different aspects of the platform related to the shipment, such as automatic status changes by geofences.
Once an installation has been created, we recommend opening the detail and checking in the Google Maps view provided that the pin on the map is correct and as accurate as possible:
Facility details
Several fields are provided below in which to record the operation of a facility:
- Reference. Open text field in which you can enter additional instructions for the identification of the facility or general requirements.
- Entry requirements.
- Schedules.
- Other notes.
It is highly recommended that you take a few minutes to fill in these fields, to save a lot of manual work afterwards and that all relevant information about your facility is easily shared in an automated way with all parties involved in your shipments and conveniently transferred to the generated rate confirmation.
ID
It is possible to include internal references or shipper codes to identify the installation.
Once all the information has been completed, click on Add.
Once added, you will be redirected to the Facilities main tab, where you will be able to check how the new installation has been correctly created in the platform.