Combination Equipment Group

This page is accessed via Shipment Management > Equipment Management > Combination Equipment Group.

Combination equipment groups are a subset of equipment groups. They are used to define various equipment used in combination such as a multi-trailer rig.

Adding a Combination Equipment Group

1. Enter the Equipment Group ID. This is the alpha-numeric string that identifies the Equipment Group being created (for example, 28FT Dry Van). The Equipment Group Name is the alpha-numeric name of the group. This could be the same as the ID.
2. Select the domain where this group will be active from the Domain Name drop-down list.
3. Enter the Effective Volume. This is the maximum volume that the equipment group can accommodate. Click the icon to calculate volume by entering length, width, and height.
4. Enter the Effective Weight. This is the maximum weight that the equipment group can accommodate.

Child Equipment Groups

Each combination equipment group must have a child equipment group defined.

To add child equipment groups to this combination equipment group, click Add Child to open the Child Equipment Groups window.

When viewed in Edit mode, the sequence information in this section will be read-only.

Combination Equipment Group for Multistop Shipments

OTM enables combination equipment for multistop shipments by using a CHECK STOP SPECIAL SERVICE IN EQUIPMENT PACKING parameter. The default value is false.

When this parameter is false, the equipment packing will not happen for combination equipment when it is multistop shipment and packing for single equipment remains unchanged.

When you set this parameter to true, the equipment packing for last-in-first-out (LIFO) shipments into combination equipment is invoked. In case of LIFO multistop shipments, Ship Unit Groups (ship units and equipment groups) are sent into container optimization based on their pickup stops numbers. Ship Units that are picked up early will be packed into the child equipment with lower sequence number. For LIFO shipments, child equipment picked up early will be dropped off later. Child equipment groups are sent into container optimization based on their sequence number.

Note: If a pickup stop has PICKLOADED special service, this represents pick loaded which means the pickup of a pre-loaded trailer. Otherwise, if a pickup stop has LOAD or no LOAD/PICKLOADED, this represents live-load. If a drop-off stop has DROPLOADED special service, this represents droploaded. Otherwise, if a drop-off stop has UNLOAD or no UNLOAD/DROPLOADED special service, this represents live-unload.

Note: PICKLOADED special service is ignored if it is on a drop-off stop and DROPLOADED special service is ignored if it is on a pickup stop according to the combination equipment packing perspective.

Note: When the CHECK STOP SPECIAL SERVICE IN EQUIPMENT PACKING parameter is set to false, current multistop logic does not form a multistop shipment with two or more pickup stops with PICKLOADED special service or two or more drop-off stops with DROPLOADED special service.

Let’s look at three scenarios with LIFO multistop shipments. For the following scenarios, parameter setting is as follows:

• CHECK STOP SPECIAL SERVICE IN EQUIPMENT PACKING value = TRUE
• MULTISTOP USES LIFO PICKUP DROPOFF = TRUE  

Scenario 1: Single pickup (P) and multiple drop-offs (D)

P(1) ---------> D(2) --> D(3) --> D(4)

In this scenario, you have a set of shipment ship units for each drop-off stop (each Pickup/Drop-off pair). For example, stop 3 has a DROPLOADED special service and other drop-off stops don't have such special service which means they are LIVE UNLOAD.

When the parameter is false, all order's ship units are packed into single shipment equipment.

• S EQP1: pickup at stop1, drop-off at stop 4.

When the parameter is set to true and since stop 3 has a DROPLOADED special service, two shipment equipment’s are considered.

• S EQP1: pickup at stop1, drop-off at stop 3.
• S EQP2: pickup at stop1, drop-off at stop 4.

From the last drop-off stop backward, you find the next stop with DROPLOADED special service which is stop 3. You will send ship units which are dropped off at stop 4 as the packing item and all the child equipment groups as the packing resource to container optimization (CONOPT). This will pack the shipment ship units to one or more child equipment and returns.

Next, for stop 3 backward, you find the next stop with DROPLOADED special service or there is no such drop-off stop. Now, you send the shipment ship units that are dropped at these stops (i.e. dropped off at stop 2 and 3) as packing items and the child equipment groups that were not used yet as packing resource to container optimization. CONOPT will pack the shipment ship units to child equipment and returns. You continue this until all the shipment ship units are packed.

Scenario 2: Multiple pickups and single drop-off

P(1) --> P(2) --> P(3) -----------> D(4)

In this scenario, you have a set of shipment ship units for each pickup stop. For example, stop 2 has a PICKLOADED special service and other pickup stops don't have such special service which means they are LIVE LOAD.

When the parameter is false, all order's ship units are packed into single shipment equipment.

• S EQP: pickup at stop1, drop-off at stop 4.

When the parameter is set to true and since stop 2 has a PICKLOADED special service, two shipment equipment’s are considered.

• S EQP1: pickup at stop1, drop-off at stop 4.
• S EQP2: pickup at stop3, drop-off at stop 4.

From first pickup stop forward, you find the next stop with PICKLOADED special service which is stop 2. You will send the shipment ship units that are picked up at all the stops from first stop to the pickloaded stop exclusively  i.e., stop 1 as the packing item and all the child equipment groups as the packing resource to container optimization. CONOPT will pack the shipment ship units to one or more child equipment and returns.

Next, for stop 2 forward, you will find the next stop with PICKLOADED special service or there is no such pickup stop. Now, you will send the shipment ship units that are picked up at these stops (i.e. pickup at stop 3) as packing items and the child equipment groups that were not used yet as packing resource to container optimization. CONOPT will pack the shipment ship units to child equipment and returns. You will continue this until all the shipment ship units are packed.

Scenario 3: Multiple pickups and multiple drop-offs

P (1) ---> P(2) (PICKLOADED)---> P(3) -------------------> D(4) --> D(5) --> D(6)(DROPLOADED) --> D(7).

In this scenario, stop 2 has PICKLOADED and stop 6 has DROPLOADED special services and other multiple pickup and multiple drop-off stops.

When the parameter is false, all order's ship units are packed into single shipment equipment.

• S EQP: pickup at stop1, drop off at stop 7.

When the parameter is set to true and since stop 2 has PICKLOADED and stop 6 has DROPLOADED special services, two shipment equipment’s are considered.

• S EQP1: pickup at stop1, drop off at stop 7. (all orders in-between are considered)
• S EQP2: pickup at stop2, drop off at stop 6. (includes special services)

The packing process for this scenario is as follows:

• SSU1: pickup at stop1, drop off at stop 7
• SSU2: pickup at stop 2, drop off at stop 6
• SSU3: pickup at stop 2, drop off at stop 5
• SSU4: pickup at stop 3, drop off at stop 4

For first stop to first PICKLOADED which is stop 2, you have SSU1. The packing of shipment ship units (SSU) are as follows:

From last stop to its previous DROPLOADED which is stop 6, you have SSU1 drop-off stop as the packing item and all child equipment’s CE1, CE2 and CE3 as packing resource are send to CONOPT. For example, SSU1 is packed into CE1.

Now, going forward, you don't have PICKLOADED stops, so it will be the last pickup stop. You have SSU2, SSU3, SSU4 that are picked up at these stops and you will pack this SSU and use the remaining child equipment CE2 and CE3.

• From last stop to its previous DROPLOADED stop 6, you have SSU2, SSU3, and SSU4 which are not dropped off at stop 7.
• There are unpacked shipment ship units SSU2, SSU3, SSU4. From the DROPLOADED stop 6 above going backward, you don't have DROPLOADED, so you find the first drop-off stop, SSU2, SSU3, SSU4 drop at such stops. You now send SSU2, SSU3, and SSU4 as packing items and remaining child equipment CE2, CE3 as packing resources to CONOPT.  In this case, SSU2, SSU3, SSU4 are packed into CE2 and CE3.

Non-LIFO Shipments

Let’s look at a scenario with non-LIFO multistop shipments. For the following scenario, parameter setting is as follows:

• CHECK STOP SPECIAL SERVICE IN EQUIPMENT PACKING value = TRUE
• MULTISTOP USES LIFO PICKUP DROPOFF = FALSE 

P (1) (SSU1)---> P(2) (SSU2)(---> P(3) (PICKLOADED)(SSU3, SSU4)-------------------> D(4) (SSU2)--> D(5) (SSU3)--> D(6)(DROPLOADED)(SSU4) --> D(7)(SS1)

From last drop-off backward, because you have a droploaded special service at stop 6, you need shipment equipment for order SSU1 pickup at stop 1 and drop-off at stop 7.

Now, let’s look at order's SSU2, SSU3, SSU4 that are dropped at stops 4,5,6:

• You have pickloaded at stop 3, so you need equipment for orders SSU3 and SSU4 that pickup at stop 3 and drop off at stop 6.
• You need additional equipment for SSU2 that pickup at stop 2 and drop-off at stop 4.

The packing process for this non-LIFO multistop is combination equipment with 3 child equipments:

1. CE1:  pickup at stop1,  drop-off at stop 7
2. CE2: pickup at stop 2, drop-off at stop 4
3. CE3: pickup at stop 3, drop-off at stop 6

For non-lifo multistop, you send shipment ship units that are picked up early to be packed into child equipment with lower sequence. If pickup stop number is the same, drop off later is the tie breaker so shipment ship units dropped off later will be packed into child equipment with lower sequence.