Making changes to consignments in the Admin portal
Consignments may need to be edited later for a number of reasons, such as correcting freight items, creating a return or recording Events that have impacted delivery.
This article is a guide for Dispatchers, Customer Service team members and other Admin users on the supported editing functions.
In this article:
Status Updates, Copies and Returns
Some changes can be made directly in the consignment page tabs; others need to be accessed from the Actions menu at the top of the page. A consignment's editability depends on its current status.
Editing Consignment details
The core details of a consignment are edtiable in Edit mode, the Freight tab and the Extras tab.
In this section:
Editing Consignment Settings
Other than Freight details and Extras, all consignment settings can be edited via the Actions menu Edit button. The following settings can be updated in Edit mode:
-> Customer
-> Requesting Site
-> Service Type
-> Delivery Dates
-> Invoice Account
-> Sender and Receiver
-> Reference fields
-> Notes fields
-> Hireage or Export details (if applicable)
Note 🔎 Once a consignment has been marked as Delivered, the Actions menu Edit button is no longer available.
Updating Freight details
Freight item lines may need to be edited or added at any stage of a consignment's journey. This could be due to an error when the consignment was initially created, or at a customer's request after they have already requested pickup.
To add a freight line:
A new editable line is available in the Freight tab on loading any consignment page.- Enter the freight details. The quantity, item type, description, weight and volume/dimensions must be entered for each line of freight.
- Click Save, and add more lines as needed.
- To edit an existing line, click the ✏️icon. This allows the number of pieces, item type, item description, weight and volume to be modified.
- Freight line edits are saved automatically, and new documents will be generated for the consignment.
- To delete an existing line, click the 🗑️icon.
- In the Delete Line Item dialog, click Yes to confirm the action.
- New documents will be generated for the consignment.
Modifying Extras
Extras are configurable by Service type and Customer. To set up the Extras available for your consignment types, see Delivery Extras and Surcharges.
Admin Portal users can control whether an Extra is visible to Driver App users, and whether the visible Extras are included in a job, or available on request at the point of delivery. In the Extras tab:
- Click Edit to view the Delivery Extras available for the consignment.
- Choose from the dropdown options for each Extra, to mark it as included, on request, or not included.
- Any changes will be reflected in the Extras tab and the Driver App's view of the consignment.
Note 🔎Any Extras marked Not Included will no longer be visible in the Extras tab or the Driver App, however these will still be available in the Extras tab Edit menu, if the settings need to be changed later.
Adding Information and Attachments
More information may be added to a consignment throughout its lifecycle, including details of an event which impacted delivery, photo attachments, or other notes for internal users. Hitrak has a number of features to support these different use cases.
In this section:
Delivery Events (Notes and Exceptions)
Exceptions are used to record any reason a task could not be completed.
Notes are intended to record information regarding a task which requires attention or further action, but has not prevented the task from being completed.
These events can also be recorded in the Driver App.
To record a note or exception:
- Click Record Event.
- Select Exception or Note, then choose the reason from the Event Title dropdown list.
- Enter a description, and tick the relevant checkbox to indicate whether action is still required or the event is already resolved.
To edit or resolve a note or exception:
- Click the Timeline tab.
- Click Edit to change the event details, or Resolve to mark the event as resolved.
- Enter a description of the action(s) taken to resolve the event.
Notes and Exceptions are flagged with an icon on the consignment until they are resolved. Once resolved, the Event still appears in the Timeline tab or Run page, but the warning icon is greyed out.
✨Consignment Events can also be resolved from the Run page Events tab. See Managing Events from the Run page for details.
Adding an Endorsement
Endorsements are automatically applied based on actions taken by a user, such as a dispatcher modifying a delivery date or adding a consignment to a delivery run, or a receiver sending a message through the Hitrak Consumer App. Endorsements are also entered for automated processes performed by the system, such as address correction and consignment auto-rating.
The Endorsements tab also allows users to record additional notes regarding a consignment, e.g., details of a phone or email conversation with the receiver.
To add a manual Endorsement:
- Type into the empty Details box.
- Choose the visibility for the Endorsement. This can be restricted to Admin Portal users, or available to both Admin and Driver app users.
- Click Add to Save.
Adding an Attachment
The Attachments feature is most commonly utilised by Driver App users to record freight photos throughout a consignment's journey. This can also be used to add relevant documents or other files.
Admin Portal users may need to upload an attachment in the case of an issue with the driver attaching a photo at some point, or to add extra relevant documentation from a customer or receiver.
To add an attachment:
- Click Add a new file.
- Select the Attachment Type from the dropdown list.
- Click Browse to locate and upload the file.
- Add any relevant notes in the Notes box, and click Save.
➡️ 
Adding Pricing Notes
Consignments are automatically priced based on the rates configured in Hitrak for each customer and other criteria, such as delivery area and/or handling depot.
Notes related to a consignment's pricing may need to be added in the case of:
- The consignment not meeting criteria for automatic pricing, e.g. a delivery address being outside of a determined pricing zone area. This would need to be rated manually, so should have notes to provide context and inform the manual rating.
- Consignments which do meet criteria for auto-rating, but need to be manually rated for some reason. Entering any pricing note into the notes box will ensure the consignment pricing is not automatically confirmed (if this setting is enabled), and the consignment will appear in the Unrated tab in Finance>Rating, as a reference for the person confirming pricing and creating Invoices.
Status Updates, Copies and Returns
Consignment movements, Status changes, and the Copy and Return functions are managed available from the Actions menu.
In this section:
Movements and other Status Updates
Consignment Movements and Status Updates
Directly below the Edit button in the Actions dropdown, users are provided options to perform consignment movements, i.e. status changes and run allocation.
A consignment status change may need to be processed in the Admin Portal in the case of a customer request, to correct an error, or for some other reason.
The options listed here depend on the consignment's current status, as detailed below.
| Draft |
|
| Ready |
|
| Staged & Unallocated to a Run | 
|
| Staged & Allocated to a Run | 
|
| Collected | 
|
| Delivered | 
|
To complete a consignment movement or status change:
- Click the relevant option to perform or undo an action.
- A pop-up box will appear to prompt the user to confirm the action, and/or perform further actions required to complete the movement. E.g., provide a reason for undoing a delivery, or select the run to which the consignment should be allocated.
💡For more detail on allocating consignments, see Creating Driver Runs and Allocating Consignments.
Creating Copies and Returns
Individual consignments can be copied to create a new one with the same details, including the Requesting site, Invoice account, Service type, Sender, Receiver and Freight.
To copy a consignment:
- Click Actions→ Create Copy. A new consignment will be created with the same information, and will open on the consignment view page.
Note 🔎If there were Extras on the original consignment (other than Included Extras), these will not be copied over.
- Make any required changes to the new consignment, and save with the appropriate status.
- When a copy is created, a reference between the consignments is available in the Additional>Linked Consignments section of both the original and the copy.
The original will show a link to the copy:
The copy will show a link to the original:
A Sender Only Copy differs from a Copy, in that it does not replicate the Receiver or Freight details.
To create a Sender Only copy of a consignment:
- Click Actions→ Create Sender Only Copy. A new consignment will be created with the same Sender details, and will open on the Edit page.
- Complete the Receiver details, and save.
- Add the Freight details and complete any other required changes.
- Save with the appropriate status.
When a Sender Only copy is created, a reference between the consignments is available in the Additional>Linked Consignments section, of both the original and the copy.
Tip💡For users who need to create multiple consignments for the same sender at once, creating via the bulk entry flow is much more efficient.
In the case that freight needs to be returned to a sender, e.g., if the receiver has requested a refund or exchange, a Return consignment can be generated. This works similarly to the Copy function, in that a new consignment will be created for the Return.
- Click Actions → Create Return. A new consignment will be created with the same information as the original, and will open on the consignment view page.
- Complete any required edits to the new (Return) consignment, and save with the appropriate status.
As per copied consignments, in Additional>Linked Consignments, the original will show a link to the return, and the return will show a link to the original.
Note🔎 If there were Delivery Extras on the original consignment (other than Included Extras), these will not be on the Return consignment, as Extras may not be eligible for return.
Cancelling a Consignment
If a consignment is no longer required, or a customer requests cancellation for some other reason, it can be cancelled.
- Click Actions → Cancel Consignment. A dialog will appear, requiring a reason for the cancellation.
- Enter the reason for cancelling the consignment, and click Accept to proceed.
- In the next dialog, click Confirm to complete the cancellation.
- The consignment status will update to Cancelled, and the consignment can still be searched and viewed in the Admin Portal and the Freightmaster Customer Portal.
Setting as Error
In the case of a consignment being created in error, e.g., one created in the Admin portal with the wrong customer details, its status can be updated to reflect this.
This process is similar to cancellations.
- Click Actions → Set as Error. Complete the reason for the action in the dialog.
- Enter the reason for setting the consignment as an error, and click Accept to proceed.
- In the next dialog, click Confirm to complete the action.
- The status will update to Error, and the consignment can still be searched and viewed in the Admin Portal and the Freightmaster Customer Portal.
Other Functions
The Communications and Additional tabs support other consignment functions.
In this section:
Messaging a Receiver
The Communications tab allows for SMS to be sent to a mobile number linked to a consignment. This is typically used to contact receivers regarding their delivery. Messages sent via the Driver App ad Consumer App can also be viewed here. .
- Click Send Message.
- Select the recipient (Sender or Receiver). Only recipients with a valid mobile number format will be available.
- Select a template for the message from the dropdown list or add a custom message, then edit as needed.
- Click Send. If the message is successful, it will be highlighted green in the Messaging tab. If there is an issue sending or delivering the message, e.g. due to an invalid mobile number or too many sends of the same template, it will be highlighted red and include some error details, prompting the user to take action. The consignment will also be tagged with SMS attention required.
Messages can also be sent in bulk from the Dispatch Board. See Managing Driver Runs for details.
💡 Messaging templates can be created and edited by the Hitrak team to suit your business requirements. Get in touch through the Hitrak Helpdesk to get templates added or updated (Select "I need to change some account settings", then "SMS or Email Templates" from the dropdown options).
Additional Actions
Adding or Removing Linked Consignments
Consignments link automatically when a copy or return is created. In other cases, consignments can be linked manually via the Additional Tab.
To add a link:
- Click Add Link.
- Select the Link Type and enter the consignment reference.
- Click Save.
To remove a link:
- Under the Linked Consignments header, click the 🗑️icon on the relevant consignment line.
- Click Yes to confirm.
Creating a Tracking Link
A tracking link will automatically generate once a consignment has a status of Ready or later. If a tracking link needs to be created earlier for some reason, this can be done via the Generate button next to Tracking link. Once a Tracking Link has been generated, it cannot be edited manually or removed from the consignment.