Linking shipments allows for a pickup shipment and a delivery shipment to be connected to create a transfer order (customer-to-customer) to have the product moved from customer A (pickup shipment) to customer B (delivery shipment). Additionally, a linked shipment (pickup and delivery shipment) may need to be unlinked to be serviced separately, reinserting the associated depot stop into the equation.
This functionality may be helpful when planning routes. For example, a dispatcher may identify that an item at one customer location is needed at another customer location. Instead of having the driver pick up the item, bring it back to the depot, and then deliver the item to the next customer, the dispatcher can create a customer-to-customer Transfer order by linking the two shipments. During the execution phase, a driver may arrive at a customer location linked to another customer location and find that the item being picked up is damaged and needs to be returned to the depot. The dispatcher can unlink the Transfer order to ensure that the shipment returns to the depot instead of being delivered to the next customer. This functionality is not standard and must be enabled by a Descartes representative.
Linking a Shipment
To link a shipment:
From the Map View page in Dispatch mode, identify the two shipments you want to link together either from the Map or Shipments pane.
Click the pickup shipment and use the Ctrl key to select the delivery shipment. Right-click on any of the selected shipments and select the Link option from the context menu.
The pickup and delivery shipment will be linked together and now displayed as a Transfer order (customer-to-customer) type.
Unlinking Orders
To unlink the orders:
Select and right-click on the Transfer order.
Select the Unlink option from the context menu. The Transfer order will be split back and displayed as a separate pickup and delivery shipment.
Linking a Routed Shipment
To link a routed shipment:
From the Map View page in Dispatch mode, expand a route from the Routes pane.
Identify the two stops, pickup and delivery stops, you want to link together, either from the Map or Route Detail pane.
Click the pickup stop and use the Ctrl key to select the delivery stop. Right-click on any of the selected stops and select the Link option from the Edit Stop context menu options.
Unlinking Routed Shipments
To unlink routed shipments:
From the Map View page in Dispatch mode on the Routes pane, identify the two routed stops you want to unlink from within a selected route. When selecting one stop that is linked to another stop, the linked stops will be highlighted in a light blue color to show its association.
Right-click on the selected stop and select the Edit Stop > Unlink.
When the stops are unlinked, a depot stop will be inserted between the previously linked pickup and delivery stops.
Updating a Linked Transfer Shipment
A new, simplified process allows you to replace one leg of a linked transfer order, either the pickup or delivery shipment, without manually unlinking, unroute and relinking the order. This enhancement significantly reduces the number of steps and minimizes the risk of user error when modifying routed transfer orders.
This functionality is available only when the "Enable Swap of Routed Shipments" parameter is enabled in Configuration - Parameters (Section) - Dispatch.
To update a linked transfer shipment:
From the Map View page in Dispatch mode, locate and right-click the linked transfer shipment from either the Map or Shipments pane.
Select Update Linked Transfer from the context menu.
Choose whether to replace the pickup or delivery leg.
From the replacement window, select an available unrouted shipment of the same type.
Click Confirm to apply the change.
The selected shipment leg is immediately replaced, and the updated shipment is re-linked to complete the transfer order.