Empty Stop considerations in Transportation Manager
These business flows require the application to retain stop information on a load even when the stop is not servicing a shipment leg (a.k.a. empty stop):
The result of these business flows require many operations check for and react appropriately when servicing a shipment leg, stop or load having an association with a stop that has no shipment legs attached (that is, empty stop).
In general, list navigation and cascade operations are not affected. For example, when requesting a list of shipments for an empty stop or load, the resulting shipment list page will simply display zero rows.
Shipment / Shipment Leg operations impacted
The following operations are impacted when performed on a shipment or shipment leg associated to a load containing an empty stop:
Assign Shipment Leg to Load: This operation attempts to add shipment legs to existing empty stops when it can, or add a stop if a suitable match does not already exist.
Cancel / Delete Shipment: These shipment operations will delete all associated shipment legs, potentially impacting loads. See Remove Shipment Leg from Load.
Change Logistics Group: Blocked.
Charges: Shipments attached to a load containing an empty stop will not properly allocate load-level charges. The UI page will be presented along with an informational message that listed amounts are not accurate.
Remove Shipment Leg from Load: This operation preserves the associated stops when removing the last attached shipment leg if either the stop is linked to a skeleton location, or the load is in the Tendered, Tender Accepted, or Tender Rejected operational status and the application is configured to support pre-booked capacity workflow. A skeleton load in the Planned operational status will revert to Open since empty stops are not permitted except in this status. If CST is enabled and active on this load when a stop becomes empty, CST is halted. If the impacted load is attached to a trip, the load is removed from the trip.
Shipment Update: If shipments attached to a load have the origin or destination updated, best effort is applied to update loads handling the shipment. The operation may result in the addition of a stop, merging of stops, removal of non-skeleton stops or emptying a skeleton stop. This operation could lead to load suspension if defined criteria are violated.
Transfer Division: Blocked.
Load / Stop operations impacted
The following operations are impacted when performed on an empty stop or a load containing an empty stop:
Assign (Load) to New or Existing Trip: Blocked. Loads having an empty stop cannot be added to a trip.
Assign Shipment Leg to Load: This operation attempts to add shipment legs to existing empty stops when it can, or add a stop if a suitable match does not already exist.
Cancel Load: Removes all empty stops. Associated stop-level appointments, dock commitments, reference numbers, or memos are also removed.
Cancel Load Tender: Updates the load operational status to Open for loads having an empty stop.
Change Logistics Group: Blocked
Confirmation (Load): Blocked
Confirm Pickup (Stop): Blocked
ETA: Blocked on empty stops
Load Gross Margin: The UI is presented with an informational message for loads containing an empty stop. The amounts listed may not be accurate.
Load Tender: Blocked.
Remove Empty Stops: When executed from a Loads list, removes all stops on the load that are empty; when executed from a Stops list, removes only the selected stops (which must be empty). Available in Smartbench only.
Return to Planned: Blocked (use Return to Open for loads having an empty stop).
Set to Confirming: Blocked.
Set to Planned: Blocked.
(Stop) BOLs: Blocked if stop is empty.
Submit / Tender (Load Rate Shop): Blocked.
Transfer Division: Blocked.
Update Planning Status: Cannot set to packed or locked for loads containing an empty stop.
Trip / Booking operations impacted
The following operations are impacted when performed on a trip or booking linked to a load containing an empty stop:
Assign (Load) to New or Existing Trip: Blocked. Loads having an empty stop cannot be added to a trip.
Cancel Booking Tender: Updates the load operational status to Open for loads having an empty stop.
Return to Planned: Blocked (use Return to Open for loads having an empty stop)
Set to Planned: Blocked
Note: Empty stops are not supported on trips at any time; if a load attached to a trip becomes empty, the resulting load is removed from the trip. Empty stops are supported on bookings in the Open, Tendered, Tender Accepted, and Tender Rejected operational statuses.