To create installations in our shipper account, we will access the Facilities section in the left side menu, and click on New.
A window will open in which you can enter the key information for the facility 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
For facility types, we can choose from the following:
- Origin
- Destination
- All, if a location can serve as both the origin and destination of shipments.
This classification is important, since when creating loads, the pickup locations that will be displayed in the drop-down menu will correspond to the registered facilities of the Origin or All, and the delivery locations that will be displayed in the drop-down menu will correspond to the registered facilities of the Destination or All.
Recipient
We'll enter the recipient's information here.
Google Maps Address vs. Manual Address
The next option is the address of the facility, and we can choose between:
- Google Maps Pin, if the exact location already exists as a pin on Google Maps. To use this feature, simply enter the name or keywords in the built-in search engine and select the desired address from the drop-down list.
- If the pin doesn't exist on Google Maps, you can fill it in manually. When you select manual location entry, you're given three options:
- Address
- Country, State and City.
- Coordinates. This is the most recommended manual option, as it is the most accurate and has the lowest margin of error for those who must deal with boarding and their appointments. When selecting this option, you must enter the coordinates in longitude-latitude format. Both fields can be obtained from Google Maps. Search Google Maps for the exact point on the map of the exact location (even if there isn't a specific Google Maps pin created at that address), and when you right-click, Google Maps will provide both data.
It's important to note that addresses entered in text format in address fields (street, city, neighborhood, etc.) are not verified by the system; only the country field is validated.
It's extremely important that you pay attention to the location of your facilities and enter verified data as accurately as possible, as this affects various aspects of the platform related to shipping, such as automatic status changes due to geofences.
Once you've created a facility, we recommend opening the details and checking the Google Maps view provided to ensure the pin on the map is correct and as accurate as possible:
Facility Details
Several fields are provided below to record the operation of the facility:
- Reference. Open text field where you can record additional instructions for facility identification or general requirements.
- Entry requirements.
- Schedules.
- Miscellaneous notes.
It is highly recommended that you spend a few minutes filling out these fields to save a lot of manual work later and ensure that all relevant information about your facility can be easily shared automatically with all parties involved in your shipments and conveniently transferred to the generated rate confirmations.
ID
Here you have the option of including internal references or shipper codes to identify the facility.
Once you've completed all the information, click Add.
Once added, you'll be redirected to the main Installations tab where you can verify that the new installation has been successfully created on the platform.