Create automatic shipment status transition rules

To reduce the time spent manually posting shipment updates and to reduce failures to update shipment statuses, Turvo allows users with access to the Admin console to create automatic shipment status transition rules within the Rules section. This article provides steps for creating these rules and an example to help you better understand how the rule works.

Rather than manually updating the status of each individual shipment, you can define up-front rules to automatically trigger a shipment status change once the shipment has spent a specified amount of time in the original status indicated in the rule.  For more information on creating, finding, and managing shipments, see the following articles:

• How to create a shipment
• How to create an LTL shipment
• How to filter shipments
• Managing advanced shipment details
• How to bulk update shipments
• Locking shipments from changes
• Moving shipments

Note: The ability to create shipment status transition rules is enabled by default for all Broker and Shipper tenants. However, the rules created will only affect shipments created by the tenant where the rules are created. Shipments shared from another tenant will not be impacted by the rules.

Step 1:

Navigate to the Admin console by clicking on your profile icon in the top right corner of your dashboard and select Admin console from the drop-down menu.

Step 2:

Click the Rules card.

Step 3:

On the Rules page, click the Shipment header in the column to the left. Then, click the Auto transition shipment status section header to expand. Here, you’ll be able to add, edit, and disable your shipment status transition rules.

Step 4:

Click the + Create rule button to open the Create auto transition rule modal. Use the fields provided in the modal to create the rule. Each field and their purpose is outlined in the list below.

• Rule name: Type in a unique name for the rule being created.
• Mode: Use the drop-down to select the type of shipment mode the rule will apply to. Only one mode can be selected.
• From status: The starting status the shipment must have for the rule to apply.
  • Multiple statuses can be applied in this field.
• To status: The status the shipment will have once the rule is enacted on the shipment.
  • Only a single status can be applied to this field.
  • The From status and To status must be statuses from the same phase. 
    For example, if you enter Draft, which is a Tender phase status, into the From status, only the Tender - offered, Tender - accepted, or Tender - reject statuses will be available in the To status drop-down.
• Time for auto-transition/Units: Type in the quantity and the units of time that must elapse after the shipment has changed to the indicated From status in order for the shipment to change to the indicated To status. Type in the amount of time and use the drop-down to indicate whether that time is measured in Seconds, Minutes, Hours, or Days.
• Enable rule: Use this checkbox to enable the rule upon creation.

Click CREATE to complete the creation of the rule.

Note: Upon creation, the rule will apply to both new and existing shipments that meet its criteria.

Example:

Let’s say you are having trouble with your truckload (TL) shipments not being moved to the En route status once the shipment is changed to Picked up and is underway to the destination. You would like for your TL shipments to automatically move to En route 15 minutes after it has been moved to Picked up by the driver. In the Create auto transition rule modal, you will:

1. Provide a Rule name
2. Select TL from the Mode drop-down.
3. Select Picked up as the From status.
4. Select En route as the To status.
5. Type “15” in the Time for auto-transition field and select Minutes from the Units drop-down.

Once this rule is enabled, fifteen minutes after a TL shipment is moved to the Picked up status, it will automatically change to the En route status.

Note: If the shipment’s status is manually changed within that 15 minute window to another status, Turvo will not apply the rule and the new status will be left as is. This includes instances where the shipment is manually changed to the indicated To status, to prevent duplicate status updates.

Disable, edit, or delete existing rules

The Auto Transition Shipment Status section of the Shipment Rules page will display any automatic shipment transition rules that have already been created for your tenant. Use the three vertical dots on the right side of each rule listed in order to Disable, Edit, or Delete existing rules. The Status column will display whether the rule is Enabled or Disabled.