Skeleton Location - Fields

Note: All fields are editable in create, duplicate, update and create version mode.

• Stop Number: Mandatory. Identifies the serial placement of the skeleton location within a skeleton route. The value becomes the initial stop number of the generated skeleton stop. The application may change this value on skeleton stops as shipments are added, especially if stops are permitted to be added before the skeleton stop. When updating a skeleton route, this value can be modified to change the stop sequence of future skeleton loads.
• Stop Type: Mandatory. Indicates the activity expected to occur. The value is used to assist in routing and scheduling when there are no shipments attached to skeleton stops. Following are the possible values:
  • Pick: Shipments may only be picked up at this location; must be used on the first sequential location on the route if stops may not be inserted before. This stop type may be used to serve Load-At, Hub, and Distribution Center location types.
  • Pick and Drop: Shipments may be picked and/or dropped at this location; may not appear on the first location when stops cannot be inserted before; cannot be used on the last sequential location when stops cannot be inserted after.
  • Drop: Shipments may only be dropped at this location; must be used on the last sequential location on the route if stops may not be inserted after. This stop type may be used to serve Consignee, Hub, and Distribution Center location types.
• Location Type: Mandatory. Identifies the shipping type of location being serviced at this stop. When adding or modifying skeleton locations, the value set in Stop Type influences which Location Types may be selected.
• Location ID: Mandatory. Identifies the location to be visited.
• Commodity ID: If provided, shipment legs serviced at this stop must carry this commodity. Using this field may restrict equipment types eligible for this load.
• Variable Stop Duration: A time span (in hours and portions thereof) in which the indicated activity is expected to occur. By default, it is set to 0. The value is used to estimate service time on a generated skeleton stop. The value is added to the applicable fixed loading/unloading time and will not be used once shipments are assigned to the stop. If a service window constraint is defined through the use of Service Start, Must Start By and Service End times, this duration cannot be longer than the service window.
• Service Start Time: The earliest time-of-day to begin service at this location. This value is required if Service Start Elapsed Days is provided. Time is expressed in the time zone of the associated location.
• Service Start Elapsed Days: The number of days added to a skeleton load's Scheduled Date/Time to mark when service at the skeleton stop may begin. This value is required if Service Start Time is provided. In combination with the Service Start Time, may not be greater than Must Start By (if provided) or Service End Time (if provided). This value should not be less than the Service Start Time of an earlier sequenced skeleton location on the same skeleton route.
• Must Start By Time: The latest time-of-day to begin service at this location. This value is required if Must Start Elapsed Days is provided. Time is expressed in the time zone of the associated location. When combined with Service Start Time, constrains when service may start.
• Must Start Elapsed Days: The number of days added to a skeleton load's Scheduled Date/Time to mark the cutoff for when service at a skeleton stop may start. This value is required if Must Start By Time is populated. In combination with the Must Start By Time, may not be less than Service Start Time (if provided) and may not be greater than Service End Time (if provided). This value should not be less than the Must Start Time of an earlier sequenced skeleton location on the same skeleton route.
• Service End Time: The time-of-day that service must end at this location. This value is required if Service End Elapsed Days is populated. Time is expressed in the time zone of the associated location. When combined with Service Start Time and Must Start By Time, indicates the total service window allowed for this location.
• Service End Elapsed Days: The number of days added to a skeleton load’s Scheduled Date/Time to mark when service at a skeleton stop must end. This value is required if Service End Time is provided. In combination with Service End Time, this value should not be less than the Service Start Time (if provided) or Must Start Time By (if provided). The value should not be less than the Service End Time of an earlier sequenced skeleton location on the same skeleton route.

  Note: The Earliest/Must Start By/Latest Service fields can be used to set a wide or narrow window for servicing freight within the business hours of a shipping location. Leaving these fields blank gives the scheduler the most flexibility. Below are a few examples for how these fields can be used to constrain service on a skeleton location.

  1. Example 1: Stop service must start exactly at 13:00 on the load’s first day.

     Service Start Time: 13:00

     Service Start Elapsed Days: 0

     Must Start By Time: 13:00

     Must Start Elapsed Days: 0

     Service End Time: blank

     Service End Elapsed Days: blank

  2. Example 2: Stop service can start any time, but must finish by 12:00 on the load’s second day.

     Service Start Time: blank

     Service Start Elapsed Days: blank

     Must Start By Time: blank

     Must Start Elapsed Days: blank

     Service End Time: 12:00

     Service End Elapsed Days: 1

  3. Example 3: Stop service must occur between 22:00 on the load’s starting day and 03:00 on the day after the load’s starting day.

     Service Start Time: 22:00

     Service Start Elapsed Days: 0

     Must Start By Time: blank

     Must Start Elapsed Days: blank

     Service End Time: 03:00

     Service End Elapsed Days: 1

• Allow Additional Stops Before: If set to Yes, optimizer may insert a stop before this location is serviced. Authorized users can manually insert stops even if this is No.
• Number of Allowed Stops Before: The maximum cumulative number of stops that can be inserted ahead of this location.
• Allow Additional Stops After: If set to Yes, optimizer may insert a stop after this location is serviced. Authorized users can manually insert stops even if this is No.
• Number of Allowed Stops After: The maximum cumulative number of stops that can be inserted after this location.

  Note: If consecutive locations indicate a conflict of the insertion rules (for example, one allows insertion after and the next denies insertion before), insertion during optimization will not be allowed. Similarly, if there is a conflict on the number of stops that must be inserted, the lower number will be taken as the insertion limit. System will not validate these conflicts.

• Maximum Distance: The maximum distance for stop insertion expressed in system distance units. The value is used by optimization to identify eligible shipments when stops may be inserted before or after this location. The distance between this skeleton location and the candidate stop insertion location must not be greater than this value. Distance is computed using the default distance engine for the applicable country (or countries).

  Note: The Maximum Distance for consecutive stops must both be satisfied for stop insertion to occur. For example, if stop 1 (SL1) indicates one stop may be inserted after where the Maximum Distance is 100 (miles) and stop 2 (SL2) indicates one stop may be inserted before where the Maximum Distance is 50 (miles), a stop may be inserted between SL1 and SL2 only if the new stop location is not more than 100 miles from SL1 and not more than 50 miles from SL2.