When looking to set up a new account with Victorian Freight Specialists (VFS) you will need to contact your VFS Account Manager who looks after the account and once all the other items at VFS are organised, you may proceed to lodge a ticket sent to tyde@vfs.com.au and advising them that you are looking to despatch your account through MachShip. Please cc integrations@machship.com in your email.

Your email should be as follows:

Hi Tyde, 

I need to set up my account <insert account code> with VFS so that I may consign with my new FMS partner MachShip. Can you please advise what Connote Prefix should be? 

Can you also please advise me of what FTP directory I should be sending consignments to. I have been advised that MachShip has a username and Password already setup and that I just require a new subdirectory to be created for my account. 

Can you also configure to have tracking status's and POD's send back to the MachShip FTP Directory 

Once VFS respond we can begin to fill out the specific options. 

The specific options for VFS are:

Account Code - The account code will have been provided to you when your account was set up.

Primary Reference Type:

For certain carriers, MachShip is configured to utilize the internal reference known as the MachShip number as reference one. This is done for carriers to ensure

1. Known reference for invoice reconciliation

2. Known reference for tracking

This may affect how you are currently working with a carrier and as such if you wish to still use your reference please set the primary reference type as Customer Reference

FTP Address - VFS will either provide you with the FTP address as ftp://files.victorianfreight.com.au or they will provide you with a /<letters and numbers>. The ftp address will be a combination of the above, so should be written as ftp://files.victorianfreight.com.au/<letters and numbers>

FTP Username - MachShip

FTP Password -  This will be set as C455WytQ

Connote Prefix -  This will be provided in the email above.

Reference Pools - Reference pools are utilized by MachShip in order to maintain a count on connote, manifest and item numbers. The reference pool will ensure that each of those numbers is unique to what we have sent to the carrier previously. More information can be obtained on reference pools here. As above VFS requires the creation of 1 reference pools one for the Connote number. 

To create the reference pool select the Create Carrier Reference Pool button at the bottom of the page.

If you are creating a new account then the reference Pools will be set to the following fields:

Pool Name - Set one as VFS Connote Pool <Account Code>
Minimum Value - 1
Maximum Value - 9999999 (that is seven 9's)
Next Value -  1
Cyclical - No

It should appear as below and select Create Carrier Reference Pool button to create.

Once saved it will appear in the drop-down as below:

Test:

Once the account has been set up and all of the rates added you will need to run a test to ensure that upon go-live everything will run successfully. To do this, create a consignment - please make Reference 1 and Reference 2 and the delivery special instructions THIS IS A TEST. Once this has been created please manifest the consignment to the carrier. If you experience any issues please contact support@machship.com.

If you receive a successful manifest message from MachShip then please send an email to support@vfs.com.au and advise them that you are starting to despatch your VFS account through MachShip and that you would like to receive verification on the test file and permission to start to trade. Please include the label pdf's for the manifest, connote and the items.

Advise the support team of the connote number and request that they should cancel this to ensure that you are not charged. Please cc integrations@machship.com on this email so we can help if required. 

On confirmation from the support team that the setup is validated, you are free to begin to consign.