February 2025

The latest Locate2u core update introduces a range of features designed to optimize logistics and team management.

These improvements provide users with more control, better visibility, and increased operational agility.

Locate2u Product Updates: Core 2.8.16

Key updates include: 

• refinements to label generation logic, 
• the ability to make manual invoice adjustments, and 
• improved customer selection with a search/dropdown feature. 

Additionally, new status tracking for services and enhanced booking source visibility provide better insights into operational data.

A new API endpoint has been introduced for generating trip reports, along with extensions to existing APIs for improved data retrieval. 

The update also includes multiple system improvements, such as enhanced filtering accuracy, better UI consistency, and fixes for synchronization and rate recalculations.

Feature: Enhanced Label Format and Logic for Stops and Shipments

Description:

This update improves the way labels are generated for stops and shipments by refining the logic for item creation and barcode generation.

Logic Updates:

• If no items are present on the stop or shipment:
  
  • Automatically create items based on:
    • Primary: Source Reference (if available)
    • Fallback: Locate2U Reference
    • Labels are generated according to the quantity on the stop or shipment.
    • Example: If a shipment has a quantity of 5 and a source reference of ABC123, the generated labels will be:
      • ABC123-1
      • ABC123-2
      • ABC123-3
      • ABC123-4
      • ABC123-5
        
• If items are already present on the stop or shipment:
  
  • Labels are generated based on the existing item barcodes.
  • The stop or shipment quantity is ignored in this case.

Use Case:

This ensures accurate label generation when handling multiple packages for a single stop or shipment, reducing manual corrections and improving tracking accuracy.

Feature: Team Member and Customer Invoice Adjustments UI [Enterprise Customers Only]

Description:

This new feature (hidden behind a feature toggle) introduces a UI for manually adjusting invoices for team members and customers.

Adjustments can now be made independently of a stop, shipment, or trip.

New Invoice Adjustments Page:

This page is divided into two sections:

1. Customer Invoice Adjustments
2. Team Member Invoice Adjustments

Page Filters:

• Date range (based on created date)
• Team member/Customer
• Status
• Category

Page Columns (Displayed in Order):

1. Created Date
2. Trip Date
3. Amount
4. Category
5. Description
6. Requested By
7. Approved By – Only team owners can approve adjustments
8. Approval Icons – Thumbs up/down (similar to the review charges form)
9. Status – If invoiced, display invoice number

⚠ Note: You CANNOT change the status of an already invoiced adjustment.

Adjustment Statuses:

• Invoiced
• Approved
• Awaiting Approval
• Denied

Modal Fields (Displayed in Order):

• Trip Date
• Team Member/Customer*
  • Ability to select multiple team members and apply an adjustment (e.g., an incentive for 5-star ratings).
  • This will split into individual lines per team member.

• Category*
  • Customer Categories
    • Credit
    • Other

• Team Member Categories
  • Bonus
  • Incentive
  • Overtime
  • Top-up
  • Other (if ‘Other’ is selected, a description is required)

• Amount* (Can be negative; negative amounts will be displayed in brackets)

• Description – Required only if ‘Other’ category is selected (Max 64 characters)

Bulk Actions:

• Status Changes and Approvals

Invoice Display Logic:

• If an adjustment is associated with a trip date, it will be displayed in order of date on the invoice.

• If an adjustment is NOT associated with a trip date, it will be displayed in a new table at the bottom of the invoice.

Use Case:

• Enables businesses to manually adjust invoices for team members and customers, ensuring flexibility in accounting.

• Helps in scenarios like bonuses, incentives, overtime, and other reimbursements without needing a linked stop, shipment, or trip.

Feature: Enhanced Customer Selection with Search & Dropdown

Description:

We improved the customer field in the stop and shipment forms by replacing the free-text input with a searchable dropdown. 

This ensures that users only select customers already present in their team, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

New Customer Selection Experience:

• Users will now search and select an existing customer from a dropdown list.

• If no matching customer is found, an option to “Create a Customer” will appear at the bottom of the search results.

• Once a customer is created, the system will:
  • Display a success message (‘Customer Created ✅’).
  • Show a success toast notification at the bottom right, linking to the newly created customer’s page.
  • The newly created customer will have only the company name populated in their account.

Use Case:

• Reduces manual entry errors by ensuring customers are selected from existing records.
• Streamlines the process of adding new customers while maintaining data integrity.
• Enhances user experience with a clearer workflow and instant feedback.

Feature: Track Service Status for Improved Visibility

Description:

We introduced a new status field for services to track whether a service has been actioned by the mobile user. 

This will provide better visibility for app portal users, ensuring they can monitor service completion efficiently.

New Service Statuses:

• Created: Default status when a service is scheduled.
• Complete: Indicates the service has been successfully completed.
• Not Complete: Used when a service was not performed.

Use Case:

• Enhances tracking and reporting by clearly displaying the service status.
• Improves communication between mobile users and portal users, ensuring better workflow management.
• Helps in auditing and follow-ups, allowing teams to address incomplete services promptly.

Feature: Enable Customer Creation in Mobile View for Sales Role

Description:

Sales team members can now create new customers directly from both mobile view and desktop, making it easier to onboard new clients on the go.

Key Enhancements:

• New “Create Customer” option available in mobile view.
• Seamless experience across devices – works the same on both desktop and mobile.
• Simplified data entry for quick customer creation with essential details.

Use Case:

• Sales representatives can add new customers on-site without needing to switch to desktop.
• Improves efficiency in customer onboarding, reducing delays in data entry.
• Ensures consistency across all platforms, allowing the sales team to work flexibly.

Feature: Track Booking Creator in the “Source” Field

Description:

Customers now have visibility into who created a booking by extending the existing “Source” field to include:

• Customer
• Team Member
• App Portal User
• API
• SFTP

This enhancement allows businesses to identify the origin of each job, improving transparency and accountability in booking management.

Key Benefits:

• Clear booking history: Know whether a job was created by a team member, customer, or system integration.
• Enhanced tracking: Helps businesses understand where jobs are originating from.
• Better reporting & auditing: Enables improved analysis of booking sources.

Use Case:

• A business wants to track how many jobs were booked manually vs. through automation.
• A team manager needs to identify who created a specific job for follow-ups or issue resolution.

Feature: New API Endpoint for Trip Reports

Description:

A new API endpoint /api/v1/trips/report/{tripDate} has been introduced under Trips to allow users to generate trip reports for a specific date.

How It Works:

• Users input the trip date and custom field IDs to retrieve all trips for that day.
• A trip report is automatically emailed to the logged-in user in Excel or CSV format.
• Access Restriction: This feature is not available for team members, customer admins, customers, or sales staff users.

Key Benefits:

• Easy trip reporting: Get a summary of all trips on a selected date.
• Customizable data: Select specific custom fields for a tailored report.
• Automated delivery: No need for manual report downloads—receive it directly via email.

Use Case:

• A logistics manager wants to review all trips completed on a specific date for performance tracking.
• A finance team requires trip data in CSV format for billing and invoicing purposes.

Feature: Enhancements to Team Member, Team Region and Services API

Description:

We have introduced several improvements to our API to enhance tracking and integration capabilities:

• Added “Member Code” field to the Team Member API for easier identification and reporting.
• Added “Parent Region ID” to the Get Team Region API, enabling hierarchical region structuring.
• Added “Service Source Reference” to the Services Table & API, allowing businesses to track the origin of services.

Use Cases:

• Organizations can use Member Codes to efficiently track team members across systems.
• Businesses operating in multiple regions can link sub-regions to parent regions, improving reporting and filtering.
• Service-based businesses can now track service origins for better service management and auditing.

Improvements

• Error Downloading POD PDF: Resolved an issue preventing POD PDFs from being downloaded successfully.

• Failed Delivery Checkboxes Not Saving: Ensured failed delivery checkboxes retain their selected values.

• Filters on Stops Page: Improved accuracy of filters to return correct results.

• Add Item Modal Overlapping Text: Fixed UI issue where text overlapped in the add item modal.

• Background Import API – Brand ID Handling: Adjusted API behavior to correctly process imports using Brand ID.

• Start Address Not Reflecting After Assigning a Trip: Address now updates correctly when assigning a trip with a stop that has a run name.

• Cannot Delete Stops on a Run Schedule: Stops can now be removed as expected from scheduled runs.

• Rates Engine – Recalculation Accuracy: Ensured correct rule list is applied when recalculating job rates.

• Pickup & Drop-off Address Fields Clearing Unexpectedly: Address values now persist correctly even before selecting a team member.

• Sync Issues Affecting Some Clients: Improved synchronization reliability to prevent inconsistencies.

• Shipment Date Change Not Updating Rates: Rates now update correctly when shipment dates are modified.

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Locate2u Product Updates: Core 2.8.15

This release introduces significant enhancements to sales staff management, including a new “Sales Staff” role with customer management capabilities. 

A dedicated customer details page is now available, providing improved visibility into customer history and notes. 

Additionally, custom action emails can now be configured based on stop type, allowing for more tailored communication workflows.

Further improvements include the ability to edit items directly from the trip details page, ensuring seamless item management across different sections. 

Several UI and functional enhancements have been implemented, improving invoice handling, status history tracking, and stop deletion processes.

New Feature: Sales Staff Role

Description: A new role, “Sales Staff,” has been introduced in Locate2u to help businesses manage their sales representatives effectively. 

This role is tailored for sales teams who need to interact with customers, track visit history, and manage customer relationships more efficiently.

Changes & Enhancements:

• Customer Section Available on Mobile: Sales staff can now access the customer section via a mobile browser for ease of use on the go.

• View Stop History: Ability to see a history of stops related to a customer for better tracking and follow-ups.

• Add Notes to Customers: Sales staff can now attach notes to customer profiles, ensuring key interactions and details are recorded.

• Optimized Stop Creation in Mobile View: Improved mobile UI to allow seamless addition of stops while using Locate2u on mobile devices. Available for Sales role only.

• Auto-Link Customers to Service Areas: When adding a new customer, they will automatically be linked to their respective service area.

• Filter for New Customers in Service Area: A new filtering option allows sales staff to view recently added customers within their assigned service areas, helping them focus on new leads efficiently.

Use Case:

This update is designed to support businesses utilizing Locate2u for field sales management. 

Sales reps can now easily track their visits, maintain customer notes, and ensure new leads are attended to without manual effort.

The mobile-friendly features enable field teams to access and update crucial information while on the move.

 New Feature: Customer Details Page

Description: A dedicated Customer Details Page has been introduced in Locate2u, providing a centralized view of customer-related information, including notes and stops. 

This page enhances usability by allowing team members to track interactions and past visits efficiently.

Key Enhancements:

• View Existing Customer Details: Displays all essential customer information in a structured format.

• Notes Section: Users can add and view notes related to a customer.
  • Sales Role Restriction: Sales staff can only see the notes they created.
  • Full Visibility for Admin Roles: Team Owners, Managers, and Office Staff can view all notes related to the customer.

• Recent Stops & Notes: Displays the last 20 stops and notes associated with the customer.

• Desktop & Mobile Accessibility:
  • Desktop View: Click on a customer’s name in the Customer Page to navigate to their details page.

• Mobile View: Click on the eye icon in the Customer Page to access the details page.

Use Case:

This feature streamlines customer management by allowing teams to quickly reference customer interactions, track visit history, and record important notes. 

The role-based visibility ensures that sensitive information remains accessible only to authorized team members, enhancing data security and usability.

Feature: Add Edit Action to Items Table on Trip Details Page

Description: Users can now edit items directly from the items table on the trip details page. 

The edit action will open an existing item edit modal (currently available on stop/shipment details pages), allowing modifications to item details. 

Any changes made will automatically reflect in the items table on the stop and shipment details pages.

Use Case:

• Improves workflow efficiency by allowing users to make quick adjustments to item details from the trip details page.

• Ensures consistency across different views, eliminating the need to navigate to individual stop or shipment pages for edits.

Here’s the revised section for Improvements:

Improvements and Enhancements

• Resolved an issue where stops could not be deleted from a run schedule.
• Fixed inaccurate duration time display for frequent addresses.
• Improved status history handling for imported items with predefined statuses.
• Fixed layout issue in the total summary section on the trip details page.
• Added a required field for SMS settings/notifications when no stop type is assigned.
• Enhanced customer invoice handling for LOAD values.
• Fixed overlapping text in the edit item modal.
• Resolved an issue where users were not redirected correctly to the order details page.
• Ensured item status is fully visible without being cut off.

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Locate2u Product Updates: Core 2.8.14

The 2.8.14 release introduces key enhancements to improve user experience, streamline workflow efficiency, and expand system flexibility. 

Release summary

This update includes new features such as customizable vehicle icons and colors on the map, the ability to book stops or shipments on past dates, and an updated run sheet displaying run names. 

Additionally, improvements to distance calculation methods in the Rates Engine provide better accuracy for enterprise customers.

Several usability improvements and system refinements have also been made, including: 

• Enhanced item visibility on the trip details page, 
• Optimized shipment and stop forms, and 
• Updates to address handling in the frequent address feature. 

API improvements ensure smoother data integration, while backend optimizations enhance system stability and performance.

Feature: Map Update – Different Icons and Colors Displayed

Details: Introduced functionality to allow users to change the color and icon of vehicles displayed on the map.

We also added a dropdown menu where users can select an icon that represents a vehicle or asset, which will then be applied to the corresponding vehicle.

Updated the asset groups section (bottom left of the map interface) to reflect the selected icon and color.

Ensured that the selected vehicle icon appears in the asset management section, specifically in the second column.

Map Update: Use Cases

• Improved Visual Identification: Users can quickly distinguish between different vehicle types or assets by assigning unique icons and colors.

• Enhanced Fleet Management: Dispatchers and managers can easily track specific vehicles based on assigned icons, improving operational efficiency.

• Customizable User Experience: Businesses with diverse fleets can personalize map displays according to their preferences, making navigation and tracking more intuitive.

Feature: Rates Engine – Toggle to Change Distance Calculations from Routed to Straight Line [Enterprise Customers]

Description: Currently, all distance conditions use the routed distance between points. 

Enterprise customers have requested an option to calculate the straight-line distance (great-circle distance) between trip start and stop coordinates for their driver-pay logic.

This update introduces a toggle that allows customers to switch between routed and straight-line distance calculations for their rate conditions. 

Additionally, an hourly rate condition is introduced, enabling users to define a rule based on job status. Users can select two statuses that will determine the job start and job end time for calculating pay.

Rates Engine Feature Update: Use Cases

• Driver Pay Calculation: Enterprise customers who calculate driver pay based on distance traveled now have the flexibility to use either the routed distance or the straight-line distance for accurate payroll processing.

• Optimized Cost Structures: Businesses that prefer a more simplified or fixed-distance calculation method can switch to straight-line distance for cost efficiency.

• Flexible Hourly Rate Conditions: Users can define job start and end times based on selected statuses, improving the accuracy of time-based pay calculations.

Feature: Run Sheets Now Display Run Name for Better Clarity

Description: The run sheet generated from the trip screen will now include the run name as a heading. 

This update makes it easier for users to identify which run the sheet belongs to, reducing confusion and improving organization.

Run Sheets Feature Update: Use Cases

• Clearer Run Identification: Drivers and dispatchers can quickly recognize the relevant run when reviewing or printing the run sheet.

• Better Organization: Helps businesses manage multiple runs more efficiently by clearly labeling each run sheet.

• Enhanced Communication: Ensures that drivers and logistics teams have a clear reference to the assigned run.

Feature: View and Manage Items Directly from the Trip Details Page

Description: A new Item Table has been added to the Trip Details page, displaying all items associated with stops or shipments. 

This table appears below the Stops table and provides detailed item information, including:

• Stop/Shipment Source Reference (Primary) or L2u Reference (Secondary)
• Item Status
• Item Barcode
• Item Description
• Item Volume
• Item Weight
• Actions (edit only)

Additionally, the table includes a summary at the bottom showing the total number of items, total volume, and total weight for better visibility.

This feature is available only on the main instance and not in the customer portal. The table will only appear if at least one stop or shipment in the trip contains items.

Trip Details Page Feature Update: Use Cases

• Improved Visibility: Users can now easily track item-level details within a trip without navigating elsewhere.

• Enhanced Accuracy: Having item references and statuses in one place reduces errors and improves operational efficiency.

• Quick Editing: The ability to edit item details directly from the trip details page saves time and streamlines trip management.

Feature: Enable Booking of Stops and Shipments on Past Dates

Description: Previously, stops and shipments could only be booked with no date, the current date, or a future date. 

With this update, customers can now book stops and shipments on past dates to support invoicing and record-keeping requirements.

• If a stop or shipment is booked on a past date, the system will display a warning informing the user that the booking is in the past.

• Any past-dated stop or shipment will be automatically closed upon creation.

Booking of Stops Feature Update: Use Cases

• Improved Invoicing Accuracy: Businesses that need to align bookings with real-world operations can now retroactively enter stops and shipments.

• Flexibility for Operations Teams: Users can correct data entry issues or record past jobs for accurate tracking.

• Automated Workflow: Ensuring past bookings are auto-closed prevents scheduling conflicts or dispatching errors.

Improvements and Enhancements

• Improved UI to prevent default shipment contents from being cut off at the top.
• Enhanced stops/import API to accept inventory item status.
• Enabled adding notes on the Shipment Details page.
• Addressed an issue where pickup and drop-off addresses were not appearing in the shipment modal.
• Ensured users must validate customers before saving a stop or shipment.
• Updated the tooltip label for ‘Edit Frequent Address’ for better clarity.
• Selecting a customer with an address in the shipment/stop form now correctly auto-fills the address.
• The ‘X’ button in the address fields of Stop and Shipment forms now functions as expected.
• Address fields now clear correctly when selecting a customer without a saved address.
• Improved order creation via API to ensure correct account assignment.
• Resolved an issue where customer admin users experienced frequent address reversion when switching between pickup/drop-off tabs.
• Reselecting the same frequent address in the pickup- and drop-off fields now updates correctly.

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Locate2u Product Updates: Core 2.8.13

The Locate2u Core 2.8.13 update will improve efficiency, usability, and automation across stops, shipments, orders, and team management. 

Release Summary:

Key highlights include:

• Frequent Addresses Page: A new dedicated section for managing commonly used delivery addresses, separate from customer billing records.

• Enhanced Custom Action Emails & SMS: New conditions for customer, team region, and custom fields, ensuring only the most relevant notifications are sent.

• Customer Portal Access to Frequent Addresses: Portal users can now view and manage addresses linked to their accounts.

• Real-Time Speed Alerts via Custom Action Emails: Trigger notifications based on speeding events for improved monitoring.

• Service Area Enhancements: New options to define service days, configure delivery slots, and set blackout dates.

• Improved Order Management: Ability to add notes, upload documents, and edit shipping contact details within orders.

• New Clone Functionality for Stops & Shipments: Allows quick duplication of existing stops or shipments for operational efficiency.

• Trip Map Enhancements: Team region filtering added to “Show Trips on Map” for better visibility.

• Stop & Shipment Form Layout Improvements: Customer and contact fields separated, with customer selection moved higher for better user flow.

These updates bring improved automation, organization, and user experience, ensuring smoother logistics and operational management. 

Feature: Frequent Addresses Page

Details:

A dedicated Frequent Addresses function has been introduced, allowing customers to store commonly used delivery addresses separately from billing information.

This feature includes a new “Add Frequent Address” form, with fields mirroring those found in the Stops form.

Required Fields:

• ID/Code – User input (unique per team and customer) or Locate2u generated (unique at the team level)
• Customer – Auto-complete textbox (optional)
• Contact Name (required)
• Destination/Address (required)
• Phone (optional)
• Email (optional)
• Notes (optional)
• Time Window (optional)
• Stop Duration (optional)
• Custom Fields (optional)

Users can also view the list of their frequent addresses and have the ability to edit or delete them directly from the same page.

Use Case:

• When adding a stop or shipment, users can search and select from the saved Frequent Addresses, streamlining the input process.

• Enhances efficiency by eliminating the need to repeatedly enter the same address details.

This feature enhances user experience by streamlining the delivery address management process, improving overall operational efficiency, and making it easier to access via the left menu.

Feature: Allow Customer Portal Users to See Frequent Addresses If Bound to Their Customers

Details: 

The Frequent Addresses page is now available on the customer portal under the Shipments menu option. 

Customer portal users, particularly those with the customer admin user type, can add their own frequent addresses.

When a customer portal user adds a favorite address, it will automatically be bound to that specific customer. 

The customer field will be visible on the page but will be pre-populated with the signed-in customer’s ID, making it non-editable.

To simplify the experience, customer filters will not be visible to customer portal users. They will only be able to search within their own customer’s frequent addresses.

Additionally, any addresses added by customer portal users will be reflected on the main instance of the account, ensuring synchronization. 

Conversely, any addresses added to the main instance of the Locate2u account will be visible on the customer portal only if they are bound to the customer ID. 

These addresses will be shown in the results of stop and shipment forms if they are customer-specific.

Use Case:

• Customer portal users with the customer admin role can now manage and add frequent addresses directly from the portal, streamlining the process of address management without needing access to the main account interface.

• This ensures that addresses added through the customer portal are linked to the correct customer, making it easy to search for and select addresses during the shipment process, while maintaining clear visibility on both the portal and main instance of the account.

• This feature benefits customer portal users by providing them a focused view of their customer-specific frequent addresses without unnecessary filters or data, improving the user experience for managing shipping operations.

Feature: Add Customer, Team Region, and Custom Field Conditions to Custom Action Emails & SMS

Details: 

This feature allows users to apply conditions based on custom fields, team regions, and customers (similar to custom question conditions) to both email and SMS notifications. 

The logic ensures that if multiple SMS or emails are set up for the same trigger, the system will prioritize checking if the condition is met on the stop or shipment. 

The SMS or email with the condition met will be sent first, while any notifications without conditions will be sent afterward. There will be a clear hierarchy applied to these notifications.

In addition to email notifications, this logic also applies to custom action SMS. 

This ensures that recipients will receive only one version of either an email or SMS per trigger combination, depending on the conditions met.

Use Case:

• In the delivery industry, users can now customize communication to be more relevant by applying conditions based on customer data, team regions, or custom fields. This functionality enhances communication by targeting specific recipient needs, whether through email or SMS.

• This feature ensures that recipients are not overwhelmed with duplicate messages, as only the most relevant notification (either email or SMS) is sent based on the defined conditions.

• For example, a recipient may receive an SMS notification based on their custom field or team region, while another recipient might get an email based on a different condition, but only one message per trigger combination will be sent.

Feature: Real-Time Speed Alerts: Custom Action Email

Details: Currently, Locate2u captures instances where devices or team members are speeding, and this information is populated in a report, including details such as location, speed, and speed over the limit.

This feature extends the functionality by introducing a custom action email triggered based on real-time speed alerts. Users can set specific conditions/parameters around when the email should be triggered. 

For example: 

Users can define thresholds for speed over limit or set parameters for specific locations or devices. 

Once the conditions are met, a custom action email will be sent automatically, alerting relevant recipients.

Use Case:

• In the delivery industry, this feature can be used to alert fleet managers or supervisors whenever a team member exceeds the speed limit in real time, improving vehicle management and ensuring safety.

• Fleet managers can customize when the speed alert emails are triggered, tailoring notifications based on specific criteria like speed thresholds or particular routes or regions.

• This provides proactive monitoring, ensuring that potential speeding incidents are flagged promptly, allowing for faster response and corrective action.

Feature: Ability to Add Days You Service a Certain Delivery Day

Details: 

In the Service Areas section, users now have the ability to specify the days they service a certain area, ranging from Monday to Sunday. 

This includes the ability to configure different time slots for each day, such as a morning and afternoon time slot.

Delivery slots can be configured on either a weekly or fortnightly basis. If set to fortnightly, users will need to select a starting date (e.g., a specific Monday), and the occurrence will repeat every two weeks starting from that date.

The Limit Deliveries checkbox allows users to set values in the capacity fields, such as:

• Quantity
• Cubic
• Weight
• Number of Stops (always present and not configurable)

The cut-off time feature enables users to specify a cut-off time before a slot or a certain number of days before a time slot, ensuring that deliveries can be scheduled and managed effectively.

Capacity Fields will only appear if they are configured on the team, allowing users to set the delivery capacity for each day based on those configurations.

The ‘Copy from’ action allows users to quickly replicate one day’s configured slots and capacities to other days within the same service area, streamlining the configuration process.

Use Case:

• This feature is ideal for delivery companies that operate across multiple days and time slots. They can now efficiently manage and customize their service days and time slots, ensuring that deliveries are scheduled within capacity limits.

• For example, a delivery service might have a morning time slot for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and an afternoon slot for Tuesdays and Thursdays, with capacities set for weight, cubic, and number of stops.

• The ability to copy settings from one day to another simplifies the configuration, while the cut-off time and limit delivery settings ensure that the delivery process is organized and manageable, with clear capacity constraints in place.

Feature: Block-Out Days for a Specific Service Area

Details:

This feature introduces the ability to configure blackout days for specific service areas, preventing deliveries on designated dates. 

Blackout days override any pre-configured delivery slots, ensuring that no deliveries can be scheduled or completed on those dates.

Users can define blackout periods by:

• Selecting a specific date (same “From” and “To” date)
• Setting a date range to block multiple consecutive days.

This ensures flexibility in managing non-service days due to public holidays, operational closures, or other business requirements.

Use Case:

• A delivery company can block out public holidays (e.g., Christmas Day) for a specific service area to ensure no deliveries are scheduled.

• Businesses that do not operate on weekends can set recurring blackout days for Saturdays and Sundays in specific regions.

• Companies managing seasonal operations can block out extended periods when services are unavailable.

This feature helps businesses maintain clarity in their scheduling, preventing unintended deliveries on non-service days.

Feature: Add Item Details on the App Portal

Details:

This update enhances the Stops, Shipments, and Items sections on the App Portal by adding the following fields:

• SKU: Allows users to track stock-keeping units for better inventory management.

• Product Reference: Provides an additional identifier for products, ensuring clarity in shipments.

• Installation Time: Captures the estimated time required for product installation, helping with scheduling and resource allocation.

Use Case:

• Delivery teams can now view SKU and Product Reference details directly within the app, improving item identification and reducing errors.

• Businesses offering installation services can leverage the Installation Time field to optimize scheduling and workforce allocation.

• Streamlines inventory tracking and shipment accuracy by ensuring all necessary item details are available in one place.

Feature: New Rates Engine – Wait Time Facet (Enterprise Customers Only)

Details:

This feature introduces a Wait Time Facet in the Rates Engine, enabling enterprise customers to calculate waiting times for stops, shipments, and trips.

Logic for Stops:

• Wait time is calculated as the duration between the Arrived status and Complete status.

• Both statuses must be present to determine wait time.

Logic for Shipments:

• Shipment wait time is calculated based on:
  • Pickup: Duration between ArrivedAtPickup and PickedUp statuses.
  • Drop-off: Duration between ArrivedAtDrop and Complete statuses.

• If no shipment-level wait time is available, the system will check the associated stops:
  • Stop-based calculation: Duration between Arrived and Complete statuses.

• The system must also factor in instances where multiple records exist, using the Created At timestamp to correctly determine wait durations.

Use Case:

• Enterprise delivery operations can now accurately track and bill for waiting times, ensuring fair pricing based on delays at stops and shipments.

• Businesses with strict time-based service agreements can use this facet to monitor operational efficiency and optimize driver schedules.

• Helps identify bottlenecks in pickup and drop-off processes, allowing for data-driven process improvements.

Feature: Couple of New Settings and Features

1. Relocate ‘Include Proof Of Delivery In Email’ Setting to Custom Action Setup

The ‘Include Proof Of Delivery In Email’ setting has been moved to the custom action setup under the Stop Status Changed – Complete Email action.

• For new setups, this checkbox will default to checked.
• If the setting is already enabled for a customer, it will remain enabled.
• If the setting is disabled for a customer, it will remain disabled after the update.

2. New App Permission Setting: ‘Automatically Complete Trip on Completion of Last Stop’

A new app permission setting has been introduced: ‘Automatically Complete Trip on Completion of Last Stop’.

• This setting includes a tooltip explaining its behavior, following the standard tooltip popup design used across other pages.
  
• When enabled, a trip will be automatically marked as complete once the last stop has been completed, eliminating the need for manual trip completion.

Use Case:

• The relocation of the Proof of Delivery setting ensures better control and visibility within the custom action setup, making email configurations more intuitive.
  
• The new trip completion setting helps fleet managers automate trip closures, reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency.

Feature: Update on Orders Section

1. Ability to Add Notes for Orders

Users can now add notes to orders, along with the ability to attach photos, documents, and other relevant files. 

This enhancement allows for better order tracking and communication by keeping all necessary information in one place.

2. Ability to Edit Shipping Contact Details of an Order

Users now have the ability to edit shipping contact details of an order, enabling them to update recipient information as needed. 

This ensures that orders are shipped to the correct contact without requiring a full order modification.

Use Case:

• Adding notes, images, and documents to orders allows delivery teams to store important details, such as special instructions or proof of condition at the time of processing.
  
• Editing shipping contact details reduces errors caused by incorrect recipient information, ensuring smooth delivery operations without needing to cancel and recreate orders.

Feature: Clone a Stop or Shipment

Details:

Users frequently need to clone a shipment or stop for various operational reasons, such as jobs requiring multiple team members. 

Currently, the only way to achieve this is through manual booking, which can be time-consuming.

This update introduces a Clone button/icon on the Stop/Shipment Detail page, allowing users to duplicate all elements of a stop or shipment instantly.

The Clone button will only be available for the following roles:

• Team Owner
• Team Manager
• Office Staff
• Support Staff

Use Case:

• Field operations requiring multiple team members can now quickly duplicate stops without re-entering details manually.
  
• Businesses handling recurring shipments or repeated deliveries can streamline their workflow with a single-click cloning option.
  
• Reduces manual input, minimizing errors and saving time for dispatch teams.

Feature: Consider Team Region in ‘Show Trips on Map’

Details:

The “Show Trips on Map” page now considers the team region of the logged-in user. 

Previously, no region-based filtering was applied, meaning users could see all trips regardless of their assigned region.

With this update, users will only see trips relevant to their assigned team region, ensuring better visibility and a more streamlined experience.

Use Case:

• Regional managers can now focus on trips within their designated areas without unnecessary clutter from other regions.
  
• Large delivery operations can improve efficiency by ensuring that dispatchers and supervisors only see trips relevant to their assigned regions.
  
• Enhances map clarity and usability, preventing users from being overwhelmed by unrelated trip data.

Feature: Updates to Stop/Shipment Form Layout

Details:

 To improve user experience and workflow, the Customer field has been separated from the Contact field in the Stop and Shipment forms. 

Additionally, the Customer field has been moved higher up in the form to ensure it is selected first before entering contact details.

This update makes the form more intuitive, reducing errors and making it easier to associate stops and shipments with the correct customer.

Use Case:

• Faster and clearer form completion – Users can now select the customer upfront, ensuring all related fields auto-populate correctly.
  
• Better data accuracy – Separating the Customer and Contact fields prevents confusion between company details and individual contact information.
  
• Improved workflow for dispatch teams – Ensures that the correct customer information is captured before entering additional shipment or stop details, reducing manual adjustments later.

Locate2u Product Updates: Additional Enhancements

This release also includes several enhancements and optimizations to improve system stability and performance:

• Improved: Start Time and End Time of Custom Time Window in Run Stop form now auto-scrolls as expected.

• Enhanced: POD (Proof of Delivery) configuration checkboxes can now be selected without issues.

• Updated: Sequence constraints are no longer applied to completed stops when a trip is rebuilt.

• Enhanced: Trip API now correctly includes break durations when adding breaks as stops.

• Improved: POD PDF documents can now be downloaded without any interruptions.

• Optimized: Elastic Search sync performance to prevent timeouts when handling a large number of stop lines.

• Improved: Adding or assigning a shipment note now works seamlessly.
  

• Updated: Orders are now consistently created under the correct account.

• Enhanced: Stops import API now correctly updates the load and description of existing items.

• Improved: Date display accuracy on details pages.

• Optimized: Elastic search history now updates as expected.