Understanding Preference Fields

Preference fields are generally categorized as:

• Key fields

• Driver fields

• Definition fields

Key fields contain standard preference information. Key fields are optional. You can use key fields as search criteria to have the system match preferences to shipments. These fields are found in the header area of the Work With Preference Master form.

The key fields Customer and Customer Group are mutually exclusive. Likewise, the key fields Item and Item Group are mutually exclusive. You cannot simultaneously use a preference with a customer and a customer group, or with an item and an item group. The system always uses the Customer (or Customer Group) or the Item (or Item Group) or both fields to match preferences to shipments.

Similar to key fields, driver fields further define the search criteria used in all of the transportation preferences. Preferences share driver fields, which are optional. These fields are found in the detail area of the Work With Preference Master form.

The system uses definition fields to resolve preferences. Each preference has one or more definition fields that are unique to its requirements. These fields are located in the detail area of each revisions form. Definition fields are required, although in some cases blank is a valid value.

The table provides a brief overview of each preference, including:

• The purpose of the preference.

• How and when the system applies the preference during the shipping process and where you can view related information.

None of the transportation preferences that are included in this table override default information.

Transportation Preference	Description
Mode of Transport	Selects a specific mode based on destination. Applied to shipments during shipment creation. You can view the Mode of Transport preference on the Work With Shipments form.
Document Set	Defines the group of delivery documents to print. You can also assign document sets by depot. Applied during either Transportation Load Confirmation (P49640) or Batch Delivery Documents for Loads (PR49548). You can view the selected document set on the Document Selection form.
Carrier	Selects a specific carrier, or excludes one or more carriers from a list of three preferred carriers. Applied to shipments during shipment creation. You can view the carrier preference on the Miscellaneous Shipment Information form, which is accessible from the Work With Shipments form.
Options and Equipment	Specifies the options and equipment that are required for a shipment. Applied to shipments during shipment creation. You can view the options and equipment preference on the Miscellaneous Shipment Information form, which is accessible from the Work With Shipments form.
Customer Freight	Contains values that: Calculate for billable freight. Add billable charges to an order. Select a route. Specify the freight terms for the shipment. Applied to shipments during shipment creation. You can view the customer freight preference on the Work With Shipments form.