Accessorials and Special Services

Accessorials and Special Services allow you to add extra charges for services not included in a standard rate. An accessorial is a service performed for an additional charge. A special service is a service that the customer requires for a shipment to occur, and unlike accessorials, is used to qualify rate offerings for shipments.

Accessorials

Accessorial charges are services performed for an additional charge. For example, accessorial services could include carrier unload charges, container service charges, C.O.D. service, signature service, or storage-in-transit. Accessorial charges can be applied to locations, orders, and items.

An accessorial assignment on, for example, an order, does not limit the rates that Oracle Transportation Management can use to calculate shipment costs. It only determines whether the accessorial charges are applied if a matching accessorial is on the rate.

Special Services

A special service is a service that is required for a shipment to occur. For example, special services could include delivery of a specific order to a construction site, or a mandatory item inspection. Special services can be applied to locations, orders, and items. Oracle Transportation Management can only use rates that include a specific special service if you have that specific special service on the order, location, or item.

Note: If charges apply to the special service, you can assign an accessorial codes and costs to the special service.

Creating and Using Accessorials and Special Services

To create an accessorial or special service, you must first create an Accessorial Code or Special Service Code for it in Power Data.

Once an accessorial or special service code is set up, you can further define them when creating rate offerings. This includes assigning charges, effective/expiration dates, and calendars to them. Once the codes are defined on the rate offering, you can assign them to orders and locations.

You may outline the entire accessorial on the Accessorial Default screen in Power Data, and then assign the accessorial default ID to applicable locations, rates, and orders. This option is not available for Special Services.

Note: When defining an accessorial, if the Flow Thru check box is selected, then the accessorial is passed from a buy-side shipment to the sell-side shipment. If the Always Apply check box is selected, then the rating engine will always consider the accessorial code with the accessorial code being specified on an item, order base, or location.

Troubleshooting Accessorials and Special Services

If you have charged an accessorial or special service to a shipment or bill, and the cost is not what you anticipated, use the following troubleshooting tips:

1. Check to see that either the Activity Yes or Both option has been selected on the rate record.
2. Special services must be specified in the rate offering or record even if they are provided at no cost to the customer.
3. Make sure that your selections on the applied rate record and rate offering match. Entries in rate records override selections made in rate offerings.
4. Check that the transport mode used by this shipment has been added to the rate costing sequence. To accomplish this, search for a rate costing sequence that includes your transport mode (i.e., "air") as part of the ID. The resulting record ID should look something like this: ACCESSORIALSxVESSELx2. If a record does not exist for your transport mode, add a new record with your desired transport mode and assign accessorials as part of the record ID. This power data table gives you the ability to differentiate between which transport modes can be charged accessorials by the rating engine.
5. Check to see if you have more than one accessorial charge assigned to your rate offering or record. If so, then they are charged in alphabetical order based on Accessorial Code ID. You may need to rename them so they are applied in the proper sequence.

If your accessorial or special service is not being charged to the shipment at all, use the following troubleshooting tips:

1. Check to make sure the accessorial has not expired on the rate offering or rate record.
2. When Always Apply is unchecked on the accessorial code, verify that the accessorial has been placed on the following attributes in conjunction with each other to be applied as a valid charge. For example, verify that the same accessorial is on the item being shipped and the rate offering being used to create the shipment or bill.
   
   Below are some possible configurations to make sure you have the accessorial assigned correctly so that your bill or shipment receives the accessorial charge:

1. • Item + rate offering = charge
   • Rate offering + order base = charge
   • Item + rate offering + order base = charge
   • Location + rate offering = charge
   • Shipment + rate offering = charge
   • Item + rate record = charge
   • Rate record + order base = charge
   • Item + rate record + order base = charge
   • Location + rate record = charge
   • Shipment + rate record = charge

2. Note: If Always Apply is checked on the accessorial code, that accessorial can be applied as a cost if assigned to the shipment or the bill's rate offering or rate record. There is no need to apply an accessorial to an item, order base, or location for the accessorial to be charged to the shipment or bill in this scenario.