Carrier Connectors
Carrier Connectors are configured integrations used to connect to multiple LTL carriers with different data models and connection requirements by implementing the Carrier Connector Canonical Freight Model.
This approach enables shippers to simplify the integration process by translating their data into a single model. A shipper can enable and customize each carrier connector with Carrier-Connector-enabled carriers.
After you enable the Carrier Connector feature and create a Carrier Connector, you can send requests to the Open API Endpoints for the enabled Carrier Connector operations.
Carrier Connector Canonical Freight Model - The requests and responses exposed by the Carrier Connector Open API and are viewable in the Open API documentation.
Carrier Connector Operation - A configured flow that takes a Carrier Connector Canonical Freight Model request and returns a Carrier Connector Canonical Freight Model response. Carrier Connectors support Carrier Connector Operations on a carrier-by-carrier basis and may not support all Carrier Connector Operations.
For example, you want to get rate quotes for Waterside Widgets from their Carrier-Connector-enabled trading partner, Ligune Logistics. You'll enable the Carrier Connectors feature, create a carrier connector for Waterside Widgets and Ligune Logistics, configure authorization credentials required to access Ligune Logistics' endpoints, and send a Carrier Connector Canonical Freight Model Rate Request to the Open API Rate Endpoint provided in the Open API documentation.
On the General tab, select to turn on or off Enable Carrier Connectors.
Select Save. The Carrier Connectors section displays in the sidebar.
In the top-right corner of the page, select New Connector. The New Connector dialog box displays.
Enter the connector information and select Create. See the "New Carrier Connector Field Descriptions" below for more information about the carrier connector fields.
New Carrier Connector Field Descriptions
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Name | Enter a unique name for the carrier connector. |
Carrier | The carrier in the carrier connector. |
Shipper | The shipper in the carrier connector. |
Operations |
|
Auth | Authorization credentials re required for accessing carrier endpoints.
|
Carrier connector authorization settings
You must set Authorization Credentials at a Carrier Connector level. But, you can also set and override Authorization Credentials at a Carrier Connector Operation level. Overriding the Carrier Connector level Authorization settings is required when carriers have different Authorization requirements for their endpoints.
Example Scenario: Ligune Logistics has OAUTH set up for their endpoints except for their Track Endpoint, which uses Basic Auth. The Carrier Connector level Authorization Credentials must be overridden in the Track Operation level to use the Basic Auth instead.
You can set the Authorization Settings:
Production and Test tabs - Set default Authorization Credentials for production and test Carrier Connector Operation requests.
Test mode is supported for carriers with dedicated QA endpoints, activated by adding the testMode field to JSON requests.
Operation Level - Select the Use Default Auth? toggle to override default Authorization Credentials for specific operations.
In the Connectors table, do one of the following:
Next to a connector, select
. The Connector Details page displays.Select a connector Name. The Connector Details page displays.
Edit the information and select Save.
Next to a connector, select
. The Delete Carrier Connector dialog box displays.Select Delete.