How to convert the Direct Freight Express Rate Card into the MachShip format

How to convert the Direct Freight Express Rate Card into the MachShip format

If you have received your Direct Freight Express rates card in the format below then this document will outline how to convert this into the MachShip rate card csv upload format. 

FromZone ToZone Service CityTo BasicCharge Rate Break Seqno UpToKgs Type Flatsliding MinimumCharge CubicConv
MELB ADEL EXP    $            7.50  $            0.26 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB ADEL EXP    $            7.50  $          95.50 0 0 500 PALLET                  $          101.00 250
MELB ALBU EXP    $            8.00  $            0.31 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB ALIC EXP    $            9.50  $            1.34 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB BALL EXP    $            7.50  $            0.22 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB BRIS EXP    $            7.50  $            0.38 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB BRIS EXP    $            7.50  $       191.25 0 0 500 PALLET                  $          201.00 250
MELB TAS EXP    $            9.50  $            1.12 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB TAS EXP DEVONPORT  $            8.50  $            0.84 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.30 250 1 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.29 500 2 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.28 99999 3 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250


As outlined in this article every upload template needs to appear in the following format: 

Carrier Ratecard Service From Zone To Zone Reciprocal Cubic Conversion Basic Minimum Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price
                                     

The fields which can be pre-set are:

Carrier - Set as DFE.

Ratecard- This will be the abbreviation for this ratecard. Generally, this would be the account code - note that this needs to be unique in the system.

Service -  Provided in the rate card from Direct Freight.

From Zone - Provided in the rate card from Direct Freight (MachShip has ensured we have mapped these up exactly).

Reciprocal - This will be indicated by your sales rep or defaulted to be N.


The known complexities are outlined below. 

1. Rates for CityTo.

When Direct Freight Express provide a suburb name in the CityTo column and when there is a zone named in the To Zone column, then they are issuing a rate to a suburb within that zone. 

The example of this is shown below:

FromZone ToZone Service CityTo BasicCharge Rate UpToKgs Type MinimumCharge CubicConv
MELB TAS EXP    $            9.50  $            1.12 0 KILO                  $          11.00 250
MELB TAS EXP DEVONPORT  $            8.50  $            0.84 0 KILO                  $          11.00 250

In this example, Direct Freight Express has provided a rate to the suburb of Devonport at a cheaper rate than the overall Tasmanian zone. 

The MachShip team will have set up this suburb as a subzone against Direct Freight Express and as such this will be the zone you will need to use in the To Zone column. 

Handling Duplicate Lane Errors with City-Level Pricing Overrides

Problem: When Direct Freight Express provides both a base zone rate (e.g., NSW5) and city-level overrides (e.g., NSW5 with CityTo=BALLINA), the standard approach of using both creates duplicate Carrier/Ratecard/Service/From Zone/To Zone combinations. This causes MachShip validation errors during import, as the system does not allow duplicate lane definitions.

Solution: When a CityTo value is present in the original Direct Freight Express rate card, use the CityTo value as the To Zone in the MachShip CSV instead of the ToZone value. When CityTo is blank, use the ToZone value as normal. This approach converts city-level pricing into suburb-level zones, eliminating duplicate lane definitions.

The example below demonstrates this conversion:

Original Direct Freight Express Format
FromZone ToZone Service CityTo BasicCharge Rate UpToKgs Type MinimumCharge CubicConv
MELB NSW5 EXP    $            10.00  $            0.50 0 KILO  $          15.00 250
MELB NSW5 EXP BALLINA  $            9.50  $            0.45 0 KILO  $          15.00 250
MELB NSW5 EXP LISMORE  $            9.75  $            0.48 0 KILO  $          15.00 250

In this example, Direct Freight Express has provided a base rate for the NSW5 zone and city-level overrides for BALLINA and LISMORE suburbs within that zone.

The converted MachShip rate card CSV will appear as:

Carrier Ratecard Service From Zone To Zone Reciprocal Cubic Conversion Basic Minimum Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price
DFE   EXP MELB NSW5 N 250 10.0 15 WEIGHT   0   0.50
DFE   EXP MELB BALLINA N 250 9.5 15 WEIGHT   0   0.45
DFE   EXP MELB LISMORE N 250 9.75 15 WEIGHT   0   0.48

Important Note: Before importing a rate card with city-level pricing overrides, confirm with MachShip support that the suburb-level zones (e.g., BALLINA, LISMORE) exist in the carrier configuration for Direct Freight Express. If these zones do not exist, MachShip support will need to set them up as subzones before the import can proceed.

The rate card import csv will appear as:

Carrier Ratecard Service From Zone To Zone Reciprocal Cubic Conversion Basic Minimum Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price
DFE   EXP MELB TAS N 250 9.5 11 WEIGHT   0   1.12
DFE   EXP MELB DEVONPORT N 250 8.5 11 WEIGHT   0   0.84

MachShip will know that the item is going to the suburb of Devonport.

2. Rates with Pallet rates and Weight rates that have a different Minimum.

When Direct Freight Express provide both Pallet and Weight rate for the same From and To zone combination with a different minimum - see below:

FromZone ToZone Service CityTo BasicCharge Rate Break Seqno UpToKgs Type Flatsliding MinimumCharge CubicConv
MELB ADEL EXP    $            7.50  $            0.26 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB ADEL EXP    $            7.50  $          95.50 0 0 500 PALLET                  $          101.00 250
MELB BRIS EXP    $            7.50  $            0.38 0 0 0 KILO                    $          11.00 250
MELB BRIS EXP    $            7.50  $       191.25 0 0 500 PALLET                  $          201.00 250

 

In the rate setup above, MachShip has to be informed when to price the pallet rate and when to price the kilo rates. The way that this has been completed in MachShip is through a carrier item type.

There have been 2 carrier item types set up for Direct Freight Express. The Item (ITM) and the Pallet (PAL). Using these item types, a user is able to help MachShip to differentiate between pricing for a pallet and pricing for an ITM. 

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ONLY USE THE PAL and ITM ITEM TYPES WHEN THERE IS A LANE WHICH HAS PALLET RATES. FOR ALL OTHER LANES PLEASE LEAVE THE ITEM TYPE FIELD BLANK. 

The rate card will look like the below: 

Carrier Ratecard Service From Zone To Zone Reciprocal Cubic Conversion Basic Minimum Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price
DFE   EXP MELB ADEL N 250 7.5 11 WEIGHT ITM 0   0.26 PIECES PAL 0 1 101 PIECES PAL 2   95.5
DFE   EXP MELB BRIS N 250 7.5 11 WEIGHT ITM 0   0.38 PIECES PAL 0 1 201 PIECES PAL 2   191.25

 

3. Rates with Weight breaks. 

When Direct Freight Express provide rates with multiple lines with different values in the break column, their rate card will appear like the below:

FromZone ToZone Service CityTo BasicCharge Rate Break Seqno UpToKgs Type Flatsliding MinimumCharge CubicConv
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.30 250 1 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.29 500 2 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250
MELB SYD EXP    $            7.50  $            0.28 99999 3 0 KILO                 S  $          11.00 250

The number in the break column represents the Break To values and the Seqno indicates the Break number. For example: Seqno 1 is the first Kilo Break and it is from 0kg to 250kg charged as 30cents per kilo. 

The rate card will look like the below:

Carrier Ratecard Service From Zone To Zone Reciprocal Cubic Conversion Basic Minimum Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price Break Type Item Type Break From Break To Price
DFE   EXP MELB ADEL N 250 7.5 11 WEIGHT   0 250 0.3 WEIGHT   251 500 0.29 WEIGHT   501   0.28


If you have any issues or queries please don't hesitate to contact support@machship.com 

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