Preparing your Shopify E-Commerce store to use our Freight Shipping automation APP
To set up automated freight shipping with your Shopify store you must first have the Third-party calculated shipping rates features on your plan. It can easily be added, by calling or emailing Shopify Customer Service at 888-746-7439 or find link https://support.eniture.com/do-i-need-to-subscribe-to-the-shopify-advanced-plan or https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shipping/setting-up-and-managing-your-shipping/enabling-shipping-carriers. To get to this setting go to Shipping Page. Click Manage Rates link for General Shipping Rates on the Rates at Check out Section.
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It can take some time for Shopify to pull the list of apps that are capable of providing shipping quotes/rates to your store. Then hit ADD RATE page and follow the instructions below
- Select the shipping rate app from the drop-down list you want to enable
- Enable the Services by selecting the app preferences setting. Click the Done button and continue to the next step
Set up a Globaltranz/ Easy Logistics Freight Shipping account and/or ground shipping account
Once you have these Shopify setting configured to your preference, we need to get your freight shipping account set up. By partnering with Easy Logistics and Globaltranz we provide you with our deeply discounted freight rates with 100’s of top freight carriers. Allowing your Shopify store clients to buy your merchandise, see live shipping rates for all of North America, and pay for their purchases and the freight shipping at checkout. This also auto-dispatches the shipment depending on how you configure our Shopify freight shipping app. Once we have your account set up with billing terms we can request your API Credentials
Requesting your API Freight Shipping Credentials
Once your freight shipping account is set up with Easy Logistics/ Globaltranz we will request your API key. Take the API key and upload it into your Shopify Globaltranz or Cerasis freight shipping app. This will then pull all our freight carriers and best new freight rates into your Shopify store. Depending on how you configured the globaltranz freight app will affect exactly what your shopping customers see at checkout. Hopefully once configured well, this API freight automation app will allow you scale your sales faster with bigger merchandise that require freight shipping to clients and retailers.
If you are using the Cerasis White Glove delivery rater we can help set you and route you to get those white glove delivery quote API keys also. Happy to help
Choose the Shopify Freight Shipping Plan that works best for your business needs!
You can upgrade and downgrade your Shopify freight shipping plans as your business needs change. Just make sure you are logged into Shopify with our Store owner credentials to change these settings!
Connect the freight shipping application to the API:
Use the Connection Settings Page to establish the app’s link to either the GlobalTranz or Cerasis Rater API . Enter the information requested and select Save Settings. Then click the Test Connection button. You should then see a message when your credentials are validated.
Select Freight Carriers you Prefer
Hit the Carriers button. Then select the boxes next to the carriers you are comfortable with and want to see quoted. Generally speaking, it can be a good idea to select all carriers initially so you make certain your clients will always see the best price. However, if there are freight carriers you do not feel comfortable with you can omit them and hit save.
Set up your warehouse and Drop Ship Locations
- Decided and add warehouse and drop ship locations into the Shopify freight shipping app.
- Or use shopify’s Locations feature to identify the shipment origins for purchases on your store.
- Use drop down menu to labeled How will shipment origins be identified?
The app defaults to assuming unlimited amount of inventory is available from each stocking location. It also allows for 2 stocking location designations: Warehouse and drop ship locations. If multiple warehouses exist the closest one to the destination address is used to calculate shipping costs and transit times.
Shopify Locations allows the ability to show inventory tracking at multiple stocking locations. This might be a good fit for you if:
- You have visibility of inventory levels at all shipping points
- Your company maintains accurate inventory in Shopify
- You have products that ship from multiple locations but not all stocking locations
Use The Shopify Freight App’s Warehouse And Drop Ship Functionality
Select the Add button in the appropriate sections to add warehouse and/or drop ship locations. Warehouses should have a complete inventory of all products not otherwise assigned to a drop ship location. If you have more than one warehouse added to the system, the warehouse closest to the client will be used to quote shipping rate estimates.
Drop ship locations generally represent vendors that supply items that you don’t inventory. These items are shipped directly to your customer on your behalf. An item/product can be assigned to only one drop ship location. Items not assigned to a drop ship location are assumed to ship from your warehouse(s).
When an order will ship from more than one stocking location (e.g. warehouse and drop ship locations or more than one drop ship location) a single quote/figure will display for the shipping rate estimate labeled “Shipping”. The amount of the quote will be equal to the sum of the cheapest shipping option for each location.
A best practice is to define at least one warehouse, even if all your products are drop shipped. If all your products are drop shipped (you have no warehouses), make the highest volume drop ship location a warehouse. This ensures that shipping rate estimates will still be returned in the event a product was added to your catalog and its drop ship location wasn’t identified.
Use of Shopify Locations for Freight Shipping needs:
The locations you identified in Shopify will be displayed on the page when you select Shopify Locations from the How will your freight shipment origins be identified? drop down. Any changes to your drop ship or warehouse locations will need to be made in the Shopify platform. If you are on the app’s ADVANCED plan you can use the Edit link to set up and manage in-store pickup and local freight delivery settings.
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Local Freight Delivery Options:
Local deliveries can be offered as an option in the checkout process in your Shopify store based the shopper’s zip code or proximity. It will only be offered if this setting is enabled and only one stocking location (warehouse or drop ship location) is involved in calculating the freight quote. Local delivery can display as a free option or have a cost/charge associated with it. Other freight shipping options provided by the Shopify app can be suppressed when local delivery is to be offered. The settings for Local delivery are visible on the page used to add or edit a warehouse or drop ship location.
Enable local deliveries | Check the box to enable the local delivery feature. |
Offer if address is within certain range of (miles) | The distance in miles within which you’d like to offer local delivery. The distance is route miles (driving distance). Leave blank if you don’t want to use distance to determine if local delivery should be offered. If both distance and postal codes are used as evaluation criteria, local delivery will display if either is satisfied. |
Offer if postal code matches | The postal codes to which you’d like to offer local delivery. Enter only the five digit ZIP Code for US addresses. Leave blank if you don’t want to use postal codes to determine if local delivery should be offered. If both distance and postal codes are used as evaluation criteria, local delivery will display if either is satisfied. |
Checkout description | Input the description to use to identify the option in the checkout process. The most obvious candidate is Local delivery, but you can make it anything you’d like. |
Local delivery fee | Enter the amount to charge for local delivery. Leave blank to offer local delivery for free. |
Suppress other rates | Check the box to show only the option for local delivery when the criteria for doing so (distance or postal code) is met. Leave unchecked to have local delivery offered in addition to the shipping options normally displayed by the app. |
Configure your Desired Freight Quote Settings
Easy Logistics/ Globaltranz Freight Quote Settings:
- Quickest Transit time: System will only show the carriers with the fastest freight transit time
- Most Economical Carrier: App with show only the most economical freight carriers quotes.
- Average of least of expense freight shipping options: System will display an average of your preferred most economical carriers.
Do you want to show Delivery Estimates? : Select this feature if you want your clients to see delivery estimates in the system quotes
Guaranteed Freight Shipping Options?
Do you want the system to always quote Residential? If your business is mostly B to C this might be a good option to configure
Automatic Residential Detection? With an Advanced plan of the Eniture Shopify Freight Shipping app the system will automatically detect if your clients ship to address is a residential location. Making sure the freight quotes are most correct.
Always include liftgate service in quotes? If your products are large and heavy and are always shipping ton consumers this might be wise option to configure
Include liftgate delivery when residential delivery is selected?
Notify before delivery options:
Limited Access Configuration?
Weight of Handling Units: Set up your weights of all your pallet, skid, crated, and other handling units you will use
Max Weight of handling units?
Handling Fee mark ups? This can be added at a flat dollar amount or a % of the sales price depending on your companies needs and the complexity of the products handling and prep.
Do not quote if address is PO Box:
Cerasis Rater White Glove Freight Delivery Configuration Options:
Shipping Service: Standard LTL shipping or Final Mile / White Glove delivery depending on your products and client delivery needs can be selected
Preferred Freight Quoting Method:
- Least Expensive Carriers only
- Least Expensive Options
- Average of least expensive options
Final Mile Freight Shipping Options:
- Threshold: delivering to the first dry, protected area.
- Room of Choice
- Premium: Deliver to clients room of choice, light assembly and debris removal.
Configure Pallet Sizes and Weights for Freight Shipping Calculations
Enable the pallet packaging Feature:
Identify Pallets and Handling Units for freight shipping calculations:
You will be asked to input:
- Nickname of pallet configuration or handling unit
- Length
- Width
- Pallet Height
- Pallet Weight
- Max Height
- Availability
Then click the save button.
Setup for items that ship as multiple pallets or handling units
Enter Handling unit freight shipping parameters for Shopify store:
- Quantity
- Nickname
- Freight Class
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Weight
Repeat this process for each handling unit that comprises the item
Enter Product Settings for Freight Shipping:
- Quote as parcel/ground shipment: This will only be present if you have one of Eniture Technology’s small package quote apps installed in your Shopify account. Set up this setting if a single unit of the item will ship via FedEX or UPS. LTL shipping quotes will still be presented to clients when their cart weight is 150 lbs and above
- Quote as an LTL Shipment:
- Weight
- Freight Class
- NMFC
- Length
- Width
- Height
- Nested Items
- Nested Dimensions
- Nesting Percentage
- Max Nested Items
- Stacking Property
- Markup
- Hazardous Materials
- Products to be Drop Shipped
- Drop Ship Location
What your customer see in your Shopify E-Commerce Store at Checkout.
Once you’ve completed these steps, your Shopify E-Commerce store is ready to begin quoting LTL freight. Any time one or more products in the shopping cart are flagged as shipping LTL freight, all of the products are assumed to ship LTL freight as this will be more economical than splitting the shipment between two or more shipping methods. In the absence of a freight class, as may be the case for products not set up to ship LTL freight, the application will take advantage of any available information to ensure the return of an LTL freight quote if at all possible. To ensure the best possible outcome, it is highly recommended that the freight class, weight and dimensions be entered for every product you sell, even if they are not defaulted to ship LTL freight. When LTL rates are displayed, the exact presentation will depend on the options selected in the Quote Settings.
Updating Products more quickly with CSV Utility:
This can be a much quicker way to update and change product on your webstore that you want rated and freight shipped correctly.
Freight Desk Online: Simplifying Ground and Freight Shipping Quotes with one interface and software
Freight Desk Online: FreightDesk Online www.freightdesk.online is also a cloud-based shipping system. It enjoys all of the benefits of other cloud-based offerings but expands the solution in two ways:
- It makes use of the detailed information collected by Eniture Technology’s quoting apps (like this one) such as the packaging solution and the additional services included in the shipping option chosen when the order was placed.
- It provideds merchants access to more than two dozen LTL freight providers in addition to the typical postal and parcel integrations offered by other cloud-based solutions.
These expanded capabilities deliver you closer to true “click-and-ship” shipping than any other alternative, whether you’re shipping with a postal carrier, a parcel carrier, or an LTL freight provider.
How to connect your Shopify store to Freight Desk Online |
First, if you don’t already have one, register for a FreightDesk Online account (https://freightdesk.online/register). You can connect multiple online stores to FreightDesk Online, so you don’t have to create separate accounts for each one.
The pricing for FreightDesk Online is á la carte. You’ll be able to pick a separate plan for parcel (and postal) shipments, and for LTL freight shipments based on the anticipated volume for each type of shipping. Your monthly subscription rate will be comprised of these two selections. You can begin a 30-day trial of both types of shipping by selecting Trial in the corresponding dropdown fields on the registration form.
After you complete the registration process, log into FreightDesk Online. Click on your avatar located in the top right-hand corner of the browser window. Copy your FreightDesk Online ID which will be located below your company name.
All in all we think this is a great way to fully automate freight and parcel shipping for your Shopify E-Commerce Store. If you would like to walk through any of these great options we would be happy to set up a quick meeting with you.