Shipment Tracking / Freight Tracking

Shipment tracking is the ongoing process of monitoring where a load is, what condition it's in, and whether it's on schedule – from the moment a carrier picks it up to the moment the consignee signs for it. It's the backbone of logistics execution because everything downstream – customer communication, dock scheduling, invoice reconciliation – depends on knowing where freight is right now.

Tracking data typically flows from carriers to shippers through several channels: EDI status messages (like 214 shipment status updates), API connections, ELD and GPS integrations, or manual updates logged in carrier portals. Each update captures a combination of location coordinates, timestamp, status code (picked up, in transit, out for delivery, delivered), and sometimes additional data like temperature readings for cold chain loads. The more carriers you use, the more fragmented this data becomes – which is why shippers managing high volumes often deal with a patchwork of portals, emails, and phone calls just to answer the question "where's my freight?"

Poor tracking visibility creates a cascade of problems. Customer service teams can't proactively communicate delays. Warehouse teams can't plan dock labor. Finance teams can't accrue freight costs accurately. And when something goes wrong – a missed pickup, a late delivery – you find out after the damage is done instead of while there's still time to act.

Modern tracking platforms consolidate carrier data from multiple sources into a single dashboard, replacing the manual work of logging into individual carrier portals or making check calls. The shift from reactive tracking – waiting for someone to call with a problem – to proactive, exception-based monitoring has fundamentally changed how logistics teams operate.