Load carrier

A load carrier can be, for example, a pallet or a cage. The purpose of load carriers is that not all the packages in the load carrier need to be scanned at each transhipment; instead only the load carrier has to be scanned. A package can only belong to one load carrier at a time.

The picture above shows 3 packages (1, 2, 3), and one load carrier (4), and 3 terminals (A, B, C). The flow is as follows:

Each package is scanned with the load carrier scan type and then placed in the load carrier at terminal A.
The load carrier is scanned for departure from terminal A. The departure scan is then applied to all the packages in the load carrier. The load carrier then departs from terminal A.
The load carrier arrives at terminal B and is scanned on arrival. The arrival scan is then applied to all the packages in the load carrier.
The load carrier is scanned for departure from terminal B. The departure scan is then applied to all the packages in the load carrier. The load carrier then departs from terminal B.
The load carrier arrives at terminal C and is scanned on arrival. The arrival scan is then applied to all the packages in the load carrier.
At terminal C, each package is scanned individually with any scan type, except load carrier scanning. The packages thus leave the load carrier.

Tip

It is also possible to create a proof of delivery for a load carrier when making the scan. That proof of delivery is then registered on all the packages in the load carrier and on the orders to which the packages belong.

Several examples of how the load carrier function works are available in Handling load carriers in Opter Terminal.

Opter Terminal

Load carrier scanning in Opter Terminal involves scanning packages and either creating a new load carrier for those packages, or adding them to an existing load carrier. To scan the load carrier itself, arrival or departure scanning is used as usual.

When the user selects Fill load carrier from the main menu, the app asks for the load carrier ID. The user can then scan the load carrier’s barcode or QR code, or enter the ID manually. Then scan the packages that are to be added to the load carrier.

When the user enters the load carrier ID or scans the label on an existing load carrier, the app shows that it is a load carrier and how many packages it has. If onescanrow enabled is set to "true" in Terminal.Settings, all the package numbers of the orders concerned and how many of the order's packages are in the load carrier are also displayed. For more information, see Show more details in the scan list in Opter Terminal below.

See Handling load carriers in Opter Terminal for examples of how load carriers are handled in Opter Terminal.

Warning

Update Opter Terminal to version 67.0 or later on all devices to optimise the load carrier function. The load carrier function is available in Opter from version 2023.07-01.93.

If Opter version 2023.07-01.93 or later is being used, but Opter Terminal version 66.0 or earlier is being used, one of the following happens if a load carrier is scanned:

If onescanrow enabled is set to "false" in Terminal.Settings, the text Load carrier (update app) is displayed. In other words, the user is prompted to update to the latest version of Opter Terminal.
If onescanrow enabled is set to "true" in Terminal.Settings, the text Load carrier (update app) is unfortunately not displayed.

Activate the load carrier function for Opter Terminal

Tip

Before doing this, you can read below what else you can do in Terminal.Settings, so you can do it at the same time while it is open.

In order for terminal employees to be able to use the load carrier function in Opter Terminal, it has to be activated. Proceed as follows:

Click on Settings > Mobile data > Settings mobile data.
Click on Edit, next to Terminal.Settings. If Terminal.Settings is not in the list, click on an empty line and add it.

If it does not already exist, add the following line in the <terminal> tag in Terminal.Settings. Fill load carrier will then appear on the main menu in Opter Terminal.

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Activate load carrier scanning

<loadcarrierscanning enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable load carrier scanning true or false -->

This is what it can look like in Terminal.Settings:

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Example of the part of Terminal.settings that determines the main menu choices

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<fleet101>
  <k2>
    <windowsce>
      <terminal>
        <arrivalscanning enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable arrival scanning true or false -->
        <departurescanning enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable departure scanning true or false -->
        <floorcheckscanning enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable floor-check scanning true or false -->
        <loadcarrierscanning enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable load carrier scanning true or false -->
        <damages enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable damage scanning true or false -->
        <terminalpod enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable POD scanning true or false -->
        <printing enabled="true"/><!-- enable/disable print true or false -->        
        <qrscanning enabled="true"/> <!-- start scanning with QR code instead of choosing arrival/departure, resource etc -->

A complete example of Terminal.Settings can be found in Customising the layout and features of Opter Terminal with Terminal.Settings.

When you are finished, close the Layout - apps window and click Save in the Mobile data settings window to save the changes in Terminal.Settings.
The next time users log in to Opter Terminal, they can add packages to a new or existing load carrier by selecting Fill load carrier in the main menu.

Opter Driver

The load carrier function is not implemented in Opter Driver. If you are using Opter Driver and scan a package that is part of a load carrier, the package is automatically removed from the load carrier and the scan is registered as a normal package scan.

The package list in order reception

If the Load Carrier column has been added in the Packages section of order reception, it will show if a package is part of a load carrier and if so, the relevant load carrier ID.

If the Status column has been added in the Packages section in order reception, clicking on the Status button makes POD and scanning log appear. In POD and scanning log, information such as the package’s proof of delivery is shown. The Recieved by (POD) column shows who received the package when the proof of delivery was created.

For more information, see Adding the Load carrier column in order reception and Defining if POD can be created for load carriers below.

The event log in order reception

In order reception in the Order log section on the Order log tab, it can be seen if a load carrier scan has been performed on the order. This states on which load carrier ID, on which package numbers and at which terminal the load carrier scan was performed.

If an arrival or departure scan has been performed on a carrier, it can be seen on which load carrier ID, on which package numbers and at which terminal the scan was performed.

Statistics

To find out, for example, which packages are in a certain load carrier, which load carriers are free (empty) or where a certain load carrier is located, a statistical report can be created. For more information, see Creating a statistical report about load carriers.

Restrictions in the load carrier function

The function intentionally has the following restrictions:

"Unknown packages" cannot be placed in a load carrier.
Deviations cannot be registered on a load carrier, but deviations can be registered on packages in the load carrier.
(For more information, see Handling load carriers in Opter Terminal).
Undoing a load carrier scan is not possible.
(For more information, see Handling load carriers in Opter Terminal).
There is no separate registry of load carriers. Information on load carriers can be obtained from the statistics. For more information, see Creating a statistical report about load carriers.
Load carriers are not linked to the economy.
It is not possible to create QR codes with carrier scanning settings (Batch scanning in Opter Terminal).

Adding the Load carrier column in order reception

To be able to see if a package is part of a load carrier and if so, which load carrier ID it has, add the Load carrier column in the Packages section in order reception. To also be able to see if there is a proof of delivery registered to a package, add the Status column. Proceed as follows:

Click on Settings > Order reception > Order settings > Control. Click on the configuration to change in the list on the left, for example High resolution.
In the Control settings box, by the Packages drop-down menu, click on . Click on the Columns tab. Drag and drop the Load Carriers column from Excluded to Included.
To be able to see POD and scanning log, add the Status column as well by dragging and dropping Package status (button) from Excluded to Included.
In POD and scanning log, information such as the package’s proof of delivery is shown.
Choose the order of the columns in the Packages section in order reception by moving the columns up or down in the Included list, which is done by dragging and dropping them where you want to have them. The column at the top of the Included list will be displayed on the far left of the Packages section in order reception.
Click on to save all changes.

Show more details in the scan list in Opter Terminal

The amount of information to be displayed in the scan list can be defined for the following scans:

When the terminal employee presses Fill load carrier and scans the label on an existing load carrier, Opter Terminal shows that it is a load carrier, as well as the load carrier ID, the time and date it was created, and how many packages are included in the load carrier. It is then possible to choose to add packages to the load carrier by scanning the packages. The packages are displayed in the scan list.
When the terminal employee clicks on Scan incoming, Scan outgoing or Floor check and scans the label on an existing load carrier, the scan list shows the load carrier ID and the number of packages in the load carrier.

How much information to display in the scan list can be defined by setting onescanrow enabled to "true" or "false" in Terminal.Settings as follows:

To check or change the setting for onescanrow enabled (true/false), follow the instructions in Customising the scan list in Opter Terminal.

Defining if POD can be created for load carriers

If a proof of delivery is created for a load carrier, the proof of delivery is registered on all the packages in the load carrier and on the orders to which the packages belong.

Load carriers can be scanned for arrival and departure in exactly the same way as individual packages and freight bills. Any proofs of delivery are then registered on all the packages in the load carrier.

You can also choose whether it is possible to register POD when packages are load carrier scanned, i.e. when packages are added to a load carrier.

POD for arrival/departure scanning of load carriers

This is how to set up the possibility to register POD during the arrival and departure scanning of load carriers. The setting also applies for scanning individual packages and freight bills.

Click on Settings > Mobile data > Settings mobile data.
Click on Edit, next to Terminal.Settings. If Terminal.Settings is not in the list, click on an empty line and add it.

Set <pod enabled="true" under <arrival> (for arrival scans) and/or <departure> (or departure scans) in Terminal.Settings. See line 11 in the code example below.

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        <arrival><!-- specific settings for arrival scanning-->
          <shipment visible="true" /><!-- enable disable freightbill scanning-->
          <package visible="true" /><!-- enable disable package scanning-->
          <resource mandatory="false" skipVisible="false" /><!-- if mandatory="true" you must choose resource, if mandatory="false" and skipVisible="true" it's optional to choose resource -->
          <secondaryresource selectable="true"/><!-- set to false to skip selection of secondary resource -->
          <route visible="false" choice="false" />            <!-- visible="true" show route in scan result list, choice="true" you have to choose route before scanning-->
          <nextroute visible="false"/>                        <!-- visible="true" next route is displayed in scan result list and scan details-->
          <orderdate visible="false"/>                        <!-- visible="true" sets order date displayed in scan list -->
          <autoprintsortlabel enabled="false" />                <!-- enabled="true" automatic printing of sort labels after every scan -->
          <comment enabled="false" mandatory="false"/>        <!-- enabled="true" lets you add ScanComment, use mandatory true/false to make it mandatory/optional -->
          <pod enabled="true"/>                                <!-- enabled="true" a POD dialogue is displayed after finishing scanning to add ProofOfDelivery -->

When you are finished, close the Layout - apps window and click Save in the Mobile data settings window to save the changes in Terminal.Settings.

Tip

If it should be mandatory to register a proof of delivery with the arrival scan, proceed as follows:

Put pod enabled="true" within the <arrival> tag in Terminal.Settings. Save.
Click on Register > Terminals. In the list on the left, click on the terminal for which a setting is to be made.
Click on Scanning tab and select the Force POD on arrival radio button. Save.
To make the setting for more terminals, repeat steps 2 and 3. For more information, see Require POD during an arrival scan at a terminal.

Users who are logged in to Opter Terminal when the changes are saved in Opter must log out and then log back in to the app to see the changes.

POD when scanning packages added to carriers (carrier scanning)

If you want the POD to be registered when the user scans packages to add to a load carrier, put <pod "true"/> under <loadcarrier> in Terminal.Settings. At the end of the scanning process, users will have the possibility to create proof of delivery for the scanned parcels.

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<loadcarrier> <!-- specific settings for loadcarrier scanning-->
<pod enabled="true"/> <!-- enabled="true" means that the user can add Proof Of Delivery (POD) after scanning packages onto a load carrier -->
</loadcarrier>

The change will take effect the next time users log in to the app. The default setting is pod enabled="false".

In POD and scanning log

If the Status column has been added in the Packages section in order reception, Status can be clicked. This will display POD and scanning log. (For instructions on how to add the Status column, see Adding the Load Carrier column in order reception above).

In POD and scanning log, information such as the package’s proof of delivery is shown. The Recieved by (POD) column shows who received the package when the proof of delivery was created.

Example

Different scenarios are described in Handling load carriers in Opter Terminal to increase understanding of how the load carrier function works.

Troubleshooting

If the load carrier function is not working properly, the following list can be used for troubleshooting:

For the load carrier function to work optimally, Opter Terminal version 67.0 or later is required. Update Opter Terminal to version 67.0 or later on all devices to optimise the load carrier function.
The load carrier function is available in Opter 2023.07-01.93 and later.
The changes in Terminal.Settings are displayed in Opter Terminal after the user has logged out and then logged back in.