Parcel, LTL & FTL Shipping in Business Central: Rate Shop, Automate & Optimize

The session Parcel, LTL & FTL Shipping in Business Central: Rate Shop, Automate & Optimize explored how real-time rate shopping, package management, label printing, and tracking can be handled directly inside Business Central. The 2Ship connector powers carrier selection and automation behind the scenes.

The result is simple. Shipping stays inside the workflow. You’re not stepping outside Business Central to finish the job.

What Dynamic Ship handles:

• Build out your shipments the way they actually go out the door, whether that’s pallets, cartons, or a mix of both
• Capture real dimensions and weights so your shipment reflects reality
• Generate carrier labels, bills of lading, and the documents you need to ship
• Get rate quotes directly from the sales order before anything leaves the warehouse

Where 2Ship fits in:

• Get real-time parcel, LTL, and FTL rates from domestic and international carriers in one place
• Returns real-time rate options so you can compare instead of estimate
• Shows carrier options based on what you’re actually shipping
• Lets you schedule pickups without stepping outside Business Central

See the full presentation:

https://dmsiworks.com/webcasts/parcel-ltl-ftl-shipping-in-business-central-rate-shop-automate-optimize

The recording is structured into chapters that walk through how this session helps improve Business Central’s capabilities.

• 00:01 — Welcome and session overview
• 00:12 — Leveraging Dynamic Ship with 2Ship in Business Central
• 01:32 — Insight Works ecosystem and warehouse workflow
• 03:02 — Dynamic Ship features and shipping capabilities
• 04:39 — Rate shopping and freight quoting from sales orders
• 08:22 — Packaging, palletization, and warehouse processes
• 12:30 — Carrier selection, bills of lading, and pickup scheduling
• 16:56 — Miscellaneous and inbound shipment planning
• 19:47 — Introduction to 2Ship and multi-carrier challenges
• 23:02 — 2Ship implementation, onboarding, and scalability
• 28:00 — Advanced capabilities, Q&A, and closing insights

You can also access the pages below for further information and updates.

Session Q & A | Knowledge Base & Forums | Upcoming webinars

About Insight Works

Insight Works has been around for about 10 years and specializes in warehousing and manufacturing solutions. Both industries rely heavily on efficient shipping, and our tools are designed to ensure products move seamlessly from the warehouse to the customer.

We offer more than 30 applications, many of which are free. These include solutions for domestic parcel shipping, warehouse operations, and manufacturing environments. Today, our focus is on Dynamic Ship.

Insight Works Warehouse Solutions

Insight Works provides a comprehensive suite of tools that support planning, fulfillment, and shipping operations within Business Central.

• Enhanced Planning Worksheet: A free tool for planning purchasing in warehouse or manufacturing environments.
• Order Fulfillment Worksheet: Identifies what needs to be shipped each day.
• Warehouse Insight: A mobile WMS solution that integrates with shipping platforms.
• WMS Express: A free warehouse management solution for receiving, picking, and shipping.
• Dynamic Ship: Enables rate shopping, documentation, and shipment processing.
• Order Ship Express: A free solution for domestic parcel shipping.

Overview of Dynamic Ship

Dynamic Ship streamlines the pack-and-ship process within Business Central. It enables businesses to define packaging, retrieve carrier rates, generate documentation, and ship products efficiently.

• Multi-level pallet and parcel packaging.
• Rate shopping across multiple carriers.
• Printing SSCC labels and managing EDI requirements.
• Scheduling freight pickups.
• Integration with 2Ship for carrier connectivity.

Users can also retrieve freight quotes directly from sales orders or sales quotes, mark them up, and charge customers accordingly. Options such as third-party billing and collect billing are also supported.

Rate Shopping and Freight Quoting

Dynamic Ship allows users to perform rate shopping directly from sales orders. By specifying pallet or package details, users can retrieve accurate quotes from configured carriers through 2Ship.

Businesses can apply markups, discounts, and handling charges, ensuring full control over shipping costs. Actual costs are updated once shipments are processed, enabling profitability analysis down to the sales order level.

Packaging and Warehouse Operations

Warehouse staff can package shipments using handheld devices or the Package Worksheet. This allows them to build pallets, boxes, or envelopes while tracking dimensions and weight.

• Create single or multi-level pallets.
• Scan items to build shipments.
• Integrate with weighing scales.
• Track packaging hierarchies visually.

Once packaging is complete, users can retrieve shipping rates, generate bills of lading, and print labels directly within Business Central.

Carrier Selection and Documentation

If a carrier is not predefined on the sales order, warehouse staff can select one during shipment processing. Dynamic Ship retrieves real-time rates through 2Ship, allowing users to choose the best option or automatically select the lowest cost.

The system generates essential documents, including bills of lading and carrier labels, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

Additional Shipping Capabilities

• Miscellaneous shipments for transfers, returns, or ad hoc deliveries.
• Inbound shipping arrangements using preferred carriers.
• Pickup scheduling directly within Business Central.
• Integration with analysis dashboards to monitor shipping profitability.

Introduction to 2Ship

Darren Hill from 2Ship introduced the platform and explained how it solves the challenges of managing multiple carriers. 2Ship centralizes shipping operations, providing intelligence and automation behind the scenes.

By integrating with Business Central through Dynamic Ship, 2Ship handles carrier selection, rate retrieval, label generation, and tracking while Business Central manages business logic.

Challenges of Multi-Carrier Shipping

Organizations often struggle with fragmented shipping processes involving multiple carrier platforms. These challenges include manual carrier selection, inconsistent workflows, and higher shipping costs.

• Rates and labels managed in separate systems.
• Limited visibility into tracking and performance.
• Manual errors and inefficiencies.
• Difficulty enforcing business rules.

2Ship eliminates these issues by centralizing and standardizing shipping operations.

2Ship Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Discovery

A discovery call and survey assess shipping volumes, carrier requirements, and operational needs.

Phase 2: Alignment

Stakeholders review findings, define requirements, and prepare for onboarding.

Phase 3: Implementation

2Ship configures the platform, sets up carriers, and provides training.

Phase 4: Go-Live and Success

The system is launched with ongoing support and optimization.

Key Features of 2Ship

• Access to over 775 global carriers.
• Centralized multi-carrier rate management.
• Support for parcel, LTL, and full truckload shipments.
• Automated business rules and carrier selection.
• Tracking updates and exception management.
• Support for dangerous goods and compliance requirements.
• Consolidation and multimodal shipping capabilities.

Global Reach and Scalability

2Ship enables organizations to scale their shipping operations efficiently. New carriers can be added as businesses expand into new markets or negotiate improved rates, ensuring long-term flexibility and growth.

Pricing Overview

Dynamic Ship pricing is based on physical shipping locations, with discounts available for additional sites. The connector to 2Ship is included at no additional software cost.

2Ship pricing is determined by factors such as the number of locations, shipment volumes, and implementation requirements. Organizations receive tailored pricing following a discovery process.

Conclusion

Together, Dynamic Ship and 2Ship provide a comprehensive shipping solution within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. By centralizing carrier management, automating workflows, and delivering real-time visibility, organizations can streamline logistics, reduce costs, and scale with confidence.