Dispatch

The Dispatch job type is a general use Dispatch (Tender) job that can integrate with multiple external partners to dispatch a load to the load’s current carrier/service and, optionally, retrieve PRO Number and other identifiers. Dispatching, when successful, will progress the load state to Tender Accepted. The output of the job may be attached to the load using the Attachment Server.

The following Job Parameters may be specified when defining a Dispatch Job Definition:

Parameter 1 – External Source (Required): Specifies the external source to which the selected loads should be dispatched. This value is not case sensitive. If no value is specified or if the specified source is not supported, the system records an appropriate error, which can be viewed from the History of Job Queue page.

Note: See Supported External Sources
Parameter 2 – Mode (Optional): Specifies the dispatch mode. Valid values are: ‘LTL’, ‘VLTL’, ‘DLTL’, ‘TL’, ‘PARCEL’. This value is not case sensitive. When no value is specified, mode will be determined from the ‘Function Name’ of the first Charge Detail which references a Tariff Charge with an associated External Engine.
Parameter 3 – Settings (Optional): Specifies the control settings and values. Valid settings are listed below. Each control should specify the setting name, followed by an equals sign (=), followed by the value. When specifying multiple controls, separate each with a semi-colon (;). Unknown and improperly formatted controls will be ignored.
- AlertType: Expected values are existing Alert Types. If specified, an Alert will be generated when the Dispatch returns an error. The text of the error will be set as the Alert Text.
- GenerateEvent: Valid values are “True” or “False”. If “True”, an Event will be added to the Load’s Event History when the Dispatch call returns any warnings or errors. The text of any warnings or errors will be set as the Event Text. The default value is “False”.
- AttachResponse: Valid values are “True” or “False”. If “True”, the response returned from the External Source will be attached to the Load using the TM Attachment Server (if installed). The default value is “False”.
- ThreadLimit: The maximum number of threads to be used while creating dispatch requests with the external source. The default value is "8".
- ThrottleLimit: A numeric value representing the maximum number of dispatch requests to generate per minute. Some external sources impose limits on the number of dispatch requests that can be created. By setting this value lower than the external source limit, customers can avoid account suspensions or exceeding quotas. A value of zero indicates no limit. The default value is "500".

Entity Selection Criteria Usage

Entity Selection Criteria must retrieve Load IDs.

Note: For more details, see the "Job Server" topic in the Transportation Manager System Administration Guide.