Shipment Consolidation Module for Efficient Load Building

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Reduce Empty Miles by Grouping Orders Into Smarter Shipments

The Shipment Consolidation Module is designed to group individual orders into efficient, well-structured shipments. Instead of sending half-empty vehicles or manually creating loads, the module applies clear consolidation rules to build more profitable shipment groups.

The main goal of this module is to reduce the number of trips, increase vehicle utilization, and keep delivery timelines and service levels under full operational control.

How Smart Consolidation Reduces Costs and Empty Miles

Fewer empty miles

Orders are consolidated by zones, time windows, and service types to reduce unnecessary trips.

Higher vehicle utilization

Cargo is balanced by weight, volume, and real operational limits to maximize space usage.

Rule-based logic instead of manual decisions

Consolidation becomes a predictable system process rather than relying on individual dispatcher judgment.

Ready foundation for TMS and route optimization

Pre-built shipment groups are passed directly to routing and execution layers.

Improved trip profitability

The same operational cost moves more consolidated volume.

Technical Information

The Shipment Consolidation Module is implemented as an independent service inside the TwinCore Logistics Framework.

Architecture

Standalone backend service based on .NET with its own domain layer
Works on top of Order Management and Route Planning / TMS modules
Supports batch operations and event-driven regrouping
APIs for creating, updating, splitting, and merging shipment groups

Core Data Model

Shipment group / load / trip candidate entities
Relationships linking multiple orders to a single group
Consolidation criteria: zone, direction, date/time slot, service level, vehicle type
Aggregate metrics: total weight, volume, pallet count, cost, and margin
Statuses: draft, proposed, confirmed, locked, canceled

Integration Patterns

The module typically integrates with:

Order Management Module. Receives incoming orders and related attributes.
Route Planning / TMS. Passes consolidated shipment groups for routing and execution.
Rate Engine Module. Used to calculate shipment group cost and evaluate consolidation profitability.
WMS / Warehouse Systems. Aligns consolidation logic with picking, packing, and shipping workflows.

Configurable Rules

Weight and volume thresholds for group creation
Maximum number of orders per shipment
Cut-off times for dispatch regardless of fill rate
Allowed or restricted combinations of service and cargo types

Use Cases

LTL / Partial Load Operations

Carriers and 3PLs use the module to automatically group shipments by lanes and zones, reducing the total number of physical trips.

Regional Distribution with Time Slots

Retailers and distributors consolidate orders based on delivery zones and time windows to cover regions with fewer trips.

Cross-Docking and Hub-and-Spoke Models

Operations with central hubs group shipments for linehaul first, then reorganize for last-mile delivery segments.

Marketplaces and Digital Freight Platforms

Platforms handling high volumes of small shipments use the module to detect consolidation opportunities automatically, improving trip economics.

The Shipment Consolidation Module turns fragmented orders into controlled, structured shipments. When consolidation becomes part of system logic, operations stop relying on manual guesswork and start delivering predictable cost savings.

TwinCore can implement this module as part of a TMS, as a standalone service, or as a component inside a larger logistics platform.

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