Overview

When you're getting ready to send a delivery through OneRail, it's important to know how pricing and order progress work behind the scenes. This guide explains the basics of how delivery rates are calculated and how orders are updated as they move forward—without diving into the technical details.

What Does "Get Rates" Mean?

"Get Rates" is a process where OneRail checks with delivery partners (carriers) to find out who's available and what they would charge to make a delivery.

Not all carriers respond instantly. If a carrier doesn't reply in time, they won't be included in the options you see. Only the available, responsive carriers are shown. This process ensures you get real, actionable delivery options based on your shipment details.

Creating a Draft Delivery Order

After you get pricing options, you don't have to finalize everything right away. Instead, a "draft order" is created. Think of this as penciling in your delivery while you confirm details like the best price, timing, and which delivery partner to choose.

What Are Partial Updates?

A partial update is a way to change or add to your delivery without starting over. Maybe you choose a carrier later, or need to generate shipping labels at a certain step. These updates let you make changes adding info as it becomes available.

This flexibility is especially helpful when parts of the order are still being confirmed. For example, you might have the destination and contents ready, but need to wait for a cost approval before requesting labels.

Why This Matters Operationally

• Speed & Accuracy: You can move quickly, even if all the delivery details aren't known yet.
• Better Planning: Pricing comparisons happen before committing to a carrier.
• Fewer Mistakes: You can update as needed instead of redoing the whole delivery.

Typical Use Case

1. You check rates for a shipment in OneRail.
2. You review available carriers and pick the best one based on cost and timing.
3. A draft order is created in the system.
4. Later, you update the draft to include the selected carrier and request labels.
5. The order is then finalized and marked ready to be dispatched to the driver.

Conclusion

Understanding how rates and updates work gives you more control over the delivery process. By splitting the delivery creation into manageable steps, OneRail makes it easier to make smart decisions and keep things running smoothly.