Shipping rules automate carrier service allocation, transforming manual dispatch decisions into a streamlined, rules-based system. Instead of manually deciding which carrier and service each shipment should use, you define logical conditions - such as delivery timeframe, location, or order value - and the system automatically allocates shipments to the optimal carrier and service.
By setting up Shipping Rules, you can:
Automate allocation decisions: Define rules once and eliminate manual carrier selection for every shipment.
Set the dispatching warehouse: Manually assign a warehouse to override the default. If you make no selection, the system will use the warehouse originally specified in the shipment data.
Prioritise shipments intelligently: Route high-value or urgent shipments to premium carrier services while directing standard shipments to cost-effective alternatives.
Find the cheapest option: Use carrier rates to automatically select the most cost-effective carrier among multiple options for each shipment.
Integrate with capacity limits: Link rules to your shipping capacity limits to automatically enforce carrier caps and cascade excess volume to backup carriers.
Key concepts
Before you begin creating shipping rules, it's helpful to understand the core components that drive this feature:
Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Conditions | Conditions are the "if" statements of your rules. They evaluate shipment data - such as delivery timeframe, destination country, order value, or package weight - and determine whether a rule should be applied to a specific shipment. |
Operators | Operators define how conditions are evaluated. They specify whether a value must be exactly equal to, greater than, less than, contained within, or otherwise matched against your condition. Combined with conditions, operators let you create precise, granular rules. |
Allocation | Allocation is the "then" part of your rule. Once conditions are met, this section determines the next steps. You can assign a carrier and service, apply optional service enhancements, and set the dispatching warehouse and customs default values. You can allocate shipments in two ways: by selecting a single specific service, or by letting the system dynamically pick the cheapest option from a pre-defined list of services. |