Tracking Shipments

You track shipments to gather detailed information about a specific shipment while it is in transit. You can check on the status of a shipment and its routing information. When you track shipments, you have better control of the entire shipping process. Through the shipment tracking function, you can locate shipments according to the carrier that is transporting the shipment. Additionally, carriers can provide tracking information through the internet, telephone, or some other means.

This diagram illustrates how an order flows through the integrated sales order management and transportation management systems, and it also illustrates that carriers can supply information so that when you review the shipment status, the system retrieves the in-transit information:

If you added reference numbers to shipments, you use these numbers to track them. You can use reference numbers that are provided by a carrier, or you can generate them. For example, a reference number can be a bill of lading number or any number that is provided by the carrier.