Allocation
Allocation is the process of selecting the optimal carrier service to deliver a consignment.
Allocation methods
The Shipping API supports two allocation methods:
- Create a consignment and allocate it later (two separate actions).
- Create a consignment and allocate it simultaneously, using either Create a consignment and use shipping rules to allocate it or Create a consignment, use shipping rules to allocate it, and get paperwork for it .
Note
The optimal carrier service will be selected only from the carrier services linked to your Metapack shipper account, not from the entire library of carrier services integrated with the Metapack Platform.
Shipping rules
In the Shipping API, shipping rules enable you to search for an optimal subscribed carrier service by using acceptable and unacceptable collection and delivery days and date and time slots, carrier services, delivery location, and other filtering options.
When using the API to create a consignment, you can specify the identifier (code) of a shipping rule that you want to use.
info
In Delivery Manager, you can define priority rules that specify the order used to select your carrier services.
Dangerous goods
Although the Shipping API enables you to enter and maintain data about any dangerous and hazardous goods in consignments, the API does not validate this data. The API simply records the data so that it can be processed and validated by carriers.
Note
Adding dangerous goods to a consignment after it has been allocated might break the rules of the selected carrier or carrier service and cause delivery problems.