Do you know the situation where an order is first created in Business Central, and then someone has to type the same delivery address and the same parcels into the carrier portal afterwards? That double entry costs time, and every time addresses or parcel counts are entered manually, errors creep in. Freight booking in Business Central solves the problem by booking the carrier directly from the sales order – using the data you already have.
What booking freight directly from the order means
Instead of jumping between two systems, you book the carrier while you are working on the sales order. The delivery address on the order is used automatically as the recipient, and details about sender, parcels and reference come along with it. This means that the person handling the order does not have to re-enter anything – and that the shipment matches what the customer actually ordered. If you are new to the platform, you can first read more about what Business Central is.
How the setup fits together
The foundation is a link between your carriers and the transport providers your shipments are sent with. This happens through the LogiSnap integration, which connects Business Central to the transport providers. Read about Logisnap
Because many companies ship from several addresses, you can set up multiple freight accounts – for example, one per location or per responsibility centre. That way, the shipment is booked to the right account based on where the goods are actually sent from. This gives you a carrier integration in your ERP that reflects the way you really work.
Parcels, package types and references
When you book freight from a sales order, you can manage the details without leaving the order:
Parcels: manage the number of parcels on the shipment so it matches the actual packing.
Package types: choose carrier-specific package types, so you use the types that each carrier supports.
References: combine several fields from the order into reference 1 and reference 2, so the shipment is easy to trace – both at your end and at the recipient.
This makes tracking simpler and reduces the manual sorting when parcels have to be matched with orders afterwards.
Customs declaration for export
If you ship goods outside the EU, the information needed for the customs declaration can be sent along in the booking itself. This includes, among other things, the VAT number, the reason for export, and pickup and delivery times. By having it in place from the start, you avoid a shipment stalling because a piece of information is missing.
Book or post – when does each make sense?
You can choose when the shipment should be created at the carrier:
Create when created from order: the shipment is booked when you actively book from the sales order. This suits you when you want the freight label and booking ready before the goods are physically sent.
Create on posting: the shipment is created automatically when you post the delivery. This suits you when the booking should follow the actual handling and be triggered as part of the workflow.
The choice depends on how your warehouse works. If labels need to be prepared well in advance, booking from the order makes sense. If you want to keep the booking close to the moment the goods leave the warehouse, posting is the natural trigger. If you already work with warehouse management with a scanner, the two processes can work well together.
A quick word on VisionLogistics and next steps
Booking freight directly from the order is part of VisionLogistics, which brings shipping and carrier booking together in Business Central. On the product page, you can see what the setup looks like in practice, and how it fits your flow.
If you want to see it with your own eyes, you can get demo access or contact us for a chat about how freight booking can be set up at your company. We are happy to help you find the model that removes the double entry and makes your shipments easier to keep track of.
