Shipment Locations and Geocoding

This article explains how the Tai TMS turns the addresses on your shipment stops into map coordinates and uses them to show where each shipment has been.

Overview

The Tai TMS keeps a location history for every shipment: where it started (origin), the updates it collected while moving (in-transit points), and where it ended (destination). Each entry in that history has a date and time, a readable description of the place (for example, a city and state), and, when the address can be located on a map, a pair of map coordinates.

Turning a written address into map coordinates is called geocoding. The Tai TMS geocodes the full street address on your stops so that shipment locations can be shown on a map, so a "latest known location" can be displayed, and so distance-related figures such as remaining miles can be tracked. Because it uses the complete street address rather than just the postal code, a stop is placed at its actual location instead of at the center of a ZIP code. This happens automatically as locations are added or viewed; you do not need to trigger it manually.

The result is that, from a shipment, you can see a plotted picture of its journey rather than just a list of text addresses, and customers or teammates checking on a load can see the most relevant location for where that shipment currently is in its lifecycle.

How it works

When a shipment stop has an address, the Tai TMS looks that full street address up through a mapping service to find its coordinates. When a live tracking update arrives as raw GPS coordinates instead of an address, the system does the reverse: it converts the coordinates back into a readable location description so the update reads as a place name rather than numbers.

Location updates can come from several places. Some are entered by hand, and many arrive automatically from tracking providers connected to your account. Every location entry is tagged with the type of point it represents (origin, destination, an in-transit point, an informational note, or a consolidation point), so the system can tell the difference between the pickup, the drop, and the pings in between.

The "latest known location" shown for a shipment follows the shipment's stage. Before a load is moving, the origin is treated as the latest point. While it is in transit, the newest tracking update is shown. Once it is delivered or complete, the destination is shown. This keeps the displayed location meaningful for where the shipment actually is in its journey.

Business rules & limits

• Geocoding accuracy depends on the quality of the address. A complete, correctly spelled street address with a valid postal code and country produces the most accurate map placement. Because the system geocodes the full street address, a complete address is placed at the actual location rather than at the center of a ZIP code. Partial, misspelled, or ambiguous addresses may be placed less precisely or may not be locatable at all.
• If an address cannot be located, that location entry simply will not have map coordinates. It still appears in the history with its text description, but it will not plot on the map until the address is corrected.
• To avoid wasted effort, the Tai TMS remembers when an address could not be located and does not keep automatically retrying that same address. Correcting the address is what allows it to be located successfully afterward.
• The system supports United States, Canadian, and Mexican addresses. For the most reliable results, especially across borders, include the full street address along with the postal code and country.
• Near-duplicate updates may be consolidated. If a new location update is essentially the same place as a very recent one, the system may treat it as a duplicate so the history does not fill with repeated near-identical points.
• The latest known location reflects the shipment's stage rather than always being the single newest row, so before pickup you will see the origin and after delivery you will see the destination even if other updates exist.

Frequently asked questions

What is geocoding, in plain terms? Geocoding is the process of turning a written street address into map coordinates (a latitude and longitude) so the location can be shown on a map. The Tai TMS does this automatically for the full street address on your shipment stops so that shipment locations can be plotted and tracked.

Why does one of my shipment stops not show up on the map? The most common reason is that the address could not be located. This usually happens when the address is incomplete, misspelled, or ambiguous, or when the postal code or country is missing. The stop still appears in the location history with its text description; correcting the address so it can be located is what allows it to plot on the map.

How accurate are the map locations? Accuracy depends almost entirely on how complete and correct the address is. Because the Tai TMS geocodes the full street address, a complete address with a valid postal code and country is placed at its actual location rather than at the center of its ZIP code. A vague or partial address may be placed only approximately (for example, at the center of a city or postal code) or not at all.

Where do shipment location updates come from? Some are entered manually, and many arrive automatically from tracking providers connected to your account. Live tracking updates that come in as GPS coordinates are automatically converted into a readable place name. Each update is labeled by type so the system can distinguish the pickup, the drop, and the in-transit points.

Which "latest location" will I see for a shipment? The latest location follows the shipment's stage. Before the load is moving, you see the origin. While it is in transit, you see the newest tracking update. Once it is delivered or complete, you see the destination.

Does the system support addresses outside the United States? Yes. United States, Canadian, and Mexican addresses are supported. Including the full street address along with the postal code and country gives the most reliable results, especially for cross-border shipments.

If I fix a bad address, will the map update? Yes. Because the system stops automatically retrying an address it previously could not locate, correcting the address is the step that lets it be located successfully, after which it can be shown on the map.

Why do I sometimes not see every single tracking ping? When several updates describe essentially the same place within a short window of time, the Tai TMS may treat the later ones as duplicates so the location history stays readable and does not fill up with repeated near-identical points.