A commercial order, a freight shipment and a transport leg are related records, not necessarily the same thing. One order can be split into several shipments, and one shipment can travel through more than one leg. Tracking becomes clearer when those relationships are recorded explicitly.
This guide provides an internal reference map. It does not claim that every carrier or customer portal uses identical field names or displays every intermediate record.
Build the relationship before following the status
| Record level | Illustrative identifier | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Customer order | DEMO-ORDER-50 | Goods the customer purchased |
| Shipment A | DEMO-SHIP-A | Critical carton sent first |
| Shipment B | DEMO-SHIP-B | Remaining palletised goods |
| Leg within B | DEMO-LEG-B1 | One portion of B’s movement |
| Final delivery record | Linked to the correct shipment | Completion of the agreed receiving handoff |
These are fictional training references, not WTM reference formats. Preserve the identifiers your provider actually supplies.
Do not close the order on the first delivery
In the example, delivery of Shipment A does not prove Shipment B has arrived. The commercial order remains partly outstanding until its required goods and agreed completion conditions are satisfied.
Similarly, a completed intermediate leg does not establish final receipt. A handoff at a transfer point should remain distinguishable from delivery to the customer.
Connect physical units to the movement
For a split pallet order, identify which units belong in each shipment. Keep their count and packed details with the appropriate transport reference. When a unit is reassigned, record that change rather than leaving it listed against both movements.
A reference map can be a simple spreadsheet maintained by the booking business. It does not need to become a custom software project to be useful.
Combine location with event evidence
Real-time GPS shows the position of the tracked movement. Completion documents answer a different question about the handoff. Our existing tracking and POD guide explains those capabilities.
When investigating a missing update, provide the actual shipment reference, unit identity, last known event and question you need answered. “Where is our order?” is less precise when the order has three separate movements.
Make customer communication match the record
Tell the receiver which part is arriving first and which remains on a later movement. Do not send one tracking reference as though it represents the full order when it covers only the urgent carton.
After completion, keep the relevant POD and invoice attached to the shipment they describe. A combined internal order summary can link them without erasing their separate transport histories.
WTM can discuss an appropriate freight plan for a split order. Use the Customer Portal for your shipment requests and available records, and keep the commercial-order relationship clear when more than one movement is involved.
