The use of standard routes

A standard route is a fixed route that is traveled with a particular frequency, such as a truck that visits delivery addresses according to a fixed schedule, a rail service, or a boat service. Usually, transportation via standard routes costs less than travel via non-fixed routes.

A standard route covers a range of addresses and provides some details about the route, such as the execution frequency of the route, the carrier, and the transport means group of the means of transport that travel the standard route. Most of these standard route details are user-defined.

The ranges of addresses are defined by zip codes or by areas. Zip codes for standard routes are defined in the ZIP Codes by Standard Route (fmlbd0151m000) session and areas for standard routes are defined in the Areas by Standard Route (fmlbd0152m000) session. You can define execution frequencies for standard routes in the Standard Routes (fmlbd0150m000) session and in the Dates and Times by Standard Route (fmlbd0155m000) session. You can access these sessions on the appropriate menu of the Standard Routes (fmlbd0150m000) session.

In the Standard Routes (fmlbd0150m000) session, you can add the following route details to the standard route:

  • Transport category
  • Carrier
  • Transport means combination
  • Transport means group
  • Route
  • Execution frequencies for standard routes

Standard routes are used in the consolidation and pooling planning algorithms. The pooling algorithm uses route plans. Route plan legs can use standard routes.

A shipment or a load is allocated to a standard route if:

  • The times and addresses of the shipment or load match the time frame and geographical frame (defined by areas or zip codes) of the standard route.
  • The route details of the shipment or load match those of the standard route.

If more than one standard route matches these criteria for a given shipment or load, the load building engine selects the most cost-effective standard route according to the standard-route selection criterion specified in the Freight Planning Parameters (fmlbd0100m000) session. If you enter different standard routes in the freight order lines of a freight order, the load building engine builds a separate load for each standard route.

Standard routes are not mandatory, but if you use the consolidation planning method, you can create loads and shipments as shown in the example in Planning methods.

Carrier selection by standard route

If large numbers of carriers are available in LN to perform transportation for standard routes, selecting a carrier for a standard route during load building may take relatively long.

To limit the number of available carriers, and thus to speed up the planning process, for each standard route you can specify the available carriers in the Carrier/TMG/TMC by Standard Route (fmlbd0153m000) session. This session is available if the Carrier/TMG/TMC by Standard Route check box is selected in the Freight Planning Parameters (fmlbd0100m000) session.

If one or more carriers, transport means groups, or transport means combinations are specified in the Carrier/TMG/TMC by Standard Route (fmlbd0153m000) session, in the Standard Routes (fmlbd0150m000) session, these fields are made blank and unavailable:

  • Carrier/LSP
  • Transport Means Group
  • Transport Means Combination
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