The use of transport means groups

A transport means group is a classification that subdivides means of transport into groups, such as:

• Vans
• Trucks
• Container ships
• Cargo aircraft

For each group, you can define properties such as:

• The average speed
• The loading capacity

Each means of transport defined in Freight belongs to a transport means group.

Transport means groups are used to group items on freight order lines into shipments and loads or freight order clusters, and to determine the costs of transportation.

You can link transport means groups to the following entities to ensure that freight orders and freight order lines are grouped in the preferred way:

• Combination codes

  If you link a combination code to a transport means group, only items with the same combination code can be transported by the transport means group. An item with a different combination code or without a combination code cannot be transported by the transport means group.

• Transport types

  You can use transport types to identify the type of transport of transport means groups. In addition, a transport means group with a given transport type is unavailable for the transportation of items with other transport types. You can link transport types to transport means groups in the Transport Means Groups (fmfmd0150m000) session.

• Carriers

  You can link a transport means group to a carrier to indicate that a carrier can offer the services of means of transport that belong the transport means group. The load building engine uses this information to check whether a carrier has the required transport means group and the loading capacity to carry out the transportation of a given load.

• Vehicle Type

  You can link a transport means group to a vehicle type to add transport means group properties, such as loading capacity and average speed, to the vehicle type.

• Means of transport

  The individual means of transport maintained in Freight must belong to a transport means group. You can define a transport means group for a means of transport in the Means of Transport (fmfmd0155m000) session.

• Items

  You can link a transport means group to an item that is linked to a business partner in the Items - Ship-from/to Business Partner (fmfmd2100m000) session. As a result, items linked to the specified business partner can be transported with the specified transport means group.

• Freight order lines

  You can manually add a transport means group to a freight order line in the Freight Order Lines (fmfoc2101m000) session. Freight order lines with the same transport means group are put together in loads. You can overwrite any existing value.

• Loads

  You can manually enter a transport means group for a load in the Loads (fmlbd4100m000) session. You can overwrite any existing value.

• Plan matrices

  If a transport means group is used as a matrix attribute in a plan matrix, freight order lines for which the same transport means group is specified are subdivided into the planning group specified in the plan matrix.

• Rough planning

  You can include transport means groups in rough planning selection ranges in the Generate Rough Planning (fmrpg1200m000) session.

• Rate basis number attributes

  A transport means group is also used to determine the costs of transportation of items. The transport means group serves as a criterion to determine the rate basis number for items. The rate basis number, in turn, is linked to freight rate books that are stored in the Pricing module.

• Freight order control parameters

  The transport means group specified in the Freight Order Control Parameters (fmfoc0100m000) session is taken as the default value on freight order lines.