Shipment Tracking, Visibility, and Documents

This article explains how the Tai TMS tracks freight shipments with carriers — retrieving status updates, milestone dates, and location, and pulling documents such as the proof of delivery and bill of lading.

Overview

The Tai TMS gives you visibility into where a shipment is and what has happened to it by talking directly to the carrier that is moving the freight. When you (or an automated background check) ask for an update, the TMS contacts the carrier, asks about the shipment using a reference number the carrier recognizes, and brings back the current status, key milestone dates, the shipment's reported location, and — where the carrier supports it — who signed for the delivery. Separately, the TMS can retrieve shipment documents such as the proof of delivery (POD) and bill of lading (BOL) from the carrier and attach them to the shipment. Because the information comes from the carrier, what you can see depends on what that carrier makes available.

How it works

Tracking works by looking a shipment up with the carrier using a reference number. The most common reference numbers are the pickup number (PU) and the PRO number, but the TMS can also identify a shipment by other references such as a customer reference, a purchase order number, a shipper reference, or a quote number. Each carrier decides which of these it can search on, so the TMS uses a reference type that the specific carrier supports.

When an update is requested, the TMS sends the lookup to the carrier and waits for the response. The carrier returns its own version of the shipment's status, and the TMS translates that into one standard set of statuses so every shipment reads consistently no matter which carrier is hauling it. As the shipment moves, its status advances through its lifecycle — for example from committed and dispatched, to in transit, to out for delivery, to delivered and finally complete. Along with the status, the TMS records milestone dates (such as scheduled, estimated, and actual pickup and delivery dates), the reported location, and, once delivered, the name of whoever signed for the freight.

Document retrieval works the same way: the TMS asks the carrier for the specific document types you want — for example the proof of delivery and the bill of lading — using the shipment's PRO number. The carrier returns the documents, and the TMS makes them available on the shipment. You request the exact document types you need, and the TMS returns only those that the carrier actually has for that shipment.

Business rules & limits

• Visibility depends on the carrier. Tracking and document retrieval only work for carriers the TMS is integrated with, and the depth of information varies by carrier. Some carriers report rich status, location, and signed-by details; others provide much less. If a carrier does not support tracking or a particular document type, that information simply will not be available.
• You need a reference number the carrier can search on. A shipment is looked up by a reference number such as the pickup (PU) or PRO number. The carrier has to support the reference type you provide; if none of the references you have are ones that carrier can search on, the lookup cannot be completed.
• Updates are pulled on demand, not pushed instantly. The TMS retrieves status when an update is requested — either by a user action or by a scheduled background check — rather than receiving a live, real-time feed from the carrier. Between checks, the displayed status reflects the last successful retrieval, so there can be a lag between a real-world event and when you see it.
• A check can come back with no new information. A tracking request may return nothing new — for example if the carrier has no update yet, the reference number is not yet in the carrier's system, or the request timed out before the carrier answered. An empty result is normal and does not mean the shipment has a problem; it is safe to check again later.
• Requests have a time limit. Each carrier lookup waits only a limited time for the carrier to respond (by default about 15 seconds, and no longer than about 75 seconds). If the carrier is slow, the request may end without an update; retrying usually succeeds.
• You get only the document types you ask for. Document retrieval returns only the document types you request and only those the carrier has on file for that shipment. Requesting a proof of delivery does not automatically return a bill of lading unless you ask for it too.
• Documents supported. Depending on the carrier, retrievable documents can include the proof of delivery (POD), bill of lading (BOL), corrected bill of lading, carrier invoice or bill, inspection certificate, and carrier confirmation. Availability of any given type is up to the carrier.
• Multi-page documents are labeled by page. When a document comes back as several pages that share the same file name, the TMS numbers them in sequence (for example a proof of delivery arriving as two pages becomes clearly separated page files) so nothing is overwritten.
• A carrier can correct your reference number. If the carrier returns a corrected reference (for example a corrected PRO number) with the tracking result, the TMS keeps the carrier's corrected value on the shipment.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Tai TMS know where my shipment is?

The Tai TMS retrieves shipment location and status directly from the carrier moving the freight. It looks the shipment up using a reference number the carrier recognizes (commonly the pickup number or PRO number) and brings back the carrier's reported status, milestone dates, and location. Because the data comes from the carrier, the level of detail depends on what that carrier provides.

Why isn't my shipment status updating in real time?

The Tai TMS retrieves tracking on demand — when a user asks for an update or when a scheduled background check runs — rather than receiving a continuous live feed from the carrier. The status you see reflects the most recent successful retrieval, so there can be a delay between something happening in the real world and it appearing in the TMS. Requesting a fresh update pulls the latest information the carrier has.

What reference number do I need to track a shipment?

A shipment is tracked using a reference number the carrier can search on. The most common are the pickup (PU) number and the PRO number, but depending on the carrier the Tai TMS can also use references such as a customer reference number, purchase order number, shipper reference, or quote number. The carrier must support the reference type you provide, so if a lookup fails it is worth confirming you are using a reference that carrier recognizes.

Which documents can the Tai TMS retrieve from a carrier?

Depending on the carrier, the Tai TMS can retrieve the proof of delivery (POD), bill of lading (BOL), corrected bill of lading, carrier invoice or bill, inspection certificate, and carrier confirmation. You choose which document types to request, and the TMS returns only those the carrier actually has on file for that shipment. Not every carrier offers every document type.

I requested a proof of delivery but nothing came back — why?

The Tai TMS returns only the documents the carrier has available for that shipment at the time of the request. If a proof of delivery does not come back, the carrier may not have uploaded it yet (for example the shipment may not be delivered), the carrier may not support that document type, or the request may have timed out. It is usually worth trying again later once the document should be available.

What do the different shipment statuses mean?

The Tai TMS translates each carrier's own status into one consistent set of statuses so shipments read the same way regardless of carrier. These describe the shipment's journey — for example committed and dispatched early on; on hand at origin or destination; in transit; delayed; held or released at customs; out for delivery; a requested or rescheduled delivery appointment; a delivery refused by the consignee; delivered (including delivered with a noted overage, shortage, or damage); and finally complete or canceled. This normalization lets you manage all shipments with the same status vocabulary.

Does every carrier support tracking and document retrieval?

No. Tracking and document retrieval only work for carriers the Tai TMS is integrated with, and capabilities differ between carriers. A large number of carriers are supported, but some provide detailed tracking and documents while others provide limited information or none. When you onboard or dispatch with a carrier, the visibility you get will match what that carrier's systems expose.

A tracking check returned nothing — is my shipment lost?

No. An empty tracking result is a normal, expected outcome and does not indicate a lost shipment. It usually means the carrier has no new update yet, the reference number is not yet active in the carrier's system, or the request timed out before the carrier responded. The shipment keeps its last known status, and checking again later typically returns an update.