| # Load and unload date fields in stops The values in the load and unload date fields in stops are determined by various factors, such as the planning method used, the applicable time windows, and so on. Minimum load date If the planning method is direct shipping, a trip has only one load stop. In such cases, the minimum load date of the current stop is derived from the earliest load dates of the freight orders that are loaded at the current stop. For load plan 2, the consolidation planning method is used. If freight orders are consolidated or pooled, the transport route can cover more than one one load stop. If the load stop is the first or the only load stop of the transport route, the minimum load date is derived from the earliest load dates of the freight orders that are loaded at the stop. If one or more stops precede a load stop, the minimum load date is derived from the first minimum load date added with the travel times between the first stop and the following stops, including the time windows of the stops. If a load stop is not listed on any of the freight orders, the time window of the stop is determined by the calendar of the stop. A stop is not listed on the freight orders if it is a pooling point or a distribution point, such as Rotterdam and Sheerness in load plan 3. For example, the last load stop of load plan 3, at Sheerness, is a distribution, not one of the ship-from or delivery addresses listed on freight orders 004 or 005, on which load plan 3 is based. The minimum load date for load stop Sheerness is calculated by taking the earliest load date of freight orders 004 and 005, which is 07:00, and adding the travel times to the next stops:
Load stop | Minimum load date | Travel time
--- | --- | ---
The Hague | 07:00 | -
| - | 00:39
Rotterdam | 07:39 | -
| - | 11:40
Sheerness | 19:19 | -
Minimum unload date The minimum unload date of an unload stop is calculated from the minimum load date of the first load stop of the transport route, the travel times between the first load stop and the following unload stops, and the unload time windows of the stops. The time windows of a stop are the time windows of the freight orders involved in the transport, or the calendar times of pooling points or distribution points that are not listed on the freight orders. In trip 000000000150 of load plan 1, for example, the minimum load date of the first stop, Own warehouse, is 07:00. The travel time between the load stop, Own warehouse, and the unload stop, customer A, is 1 hour and 19 minutes. Therefore, the minimum unload date is 07:00 + 79 minutes = 08:19, which is inside the time windows of the unload stop (the time window of the unload stop ranges from 08:00 to 22:00). For example, in trip 000000000156 of load plan 3, the aggregated travel times, including the time windows, from the first load stop, Own warehouse, to the last unload stop at Luton, would amount to 13 hours and 19 minutes:
Load stop | - | Minimum load date | Travel time
--- | --- | --- | ---
The Hague | - | 07:00 | -
- | - | - | 00:39
Unload stop | - | Minimum unload date | -
Rotterdam | - | 07:39 | -
- | - | - | 11:40
Sheerness | - | 19:19 | -
- | - | - | 01:00
- | - | - | Total travel time = 13:19
Luton | - | 08:00 | -
- | Calculated minimum unload date: | 20:19 | = 07:00 + 13:19
- | Unload time window: | 08:00 - 17:00 | -
Therefore, the calculated minimum unload date would be 20:19. However, the unloading time window for Luton (the earliest and latest unload dates of freight order 004) spans from 08:00 to 17:00. If the calculated minimum unload date is not inside the time windows of the stop, the nearest time window border is taken. Therefore, the nearest time window border, 08:00 on the next day, is taken as the minimum unload date. Note In these examples, no address lead times have been defined for the addresses involved in the load plans. Therefore, there is no difference between the minimum loading and unloading dates on the one hand, and the maximum loading and unloading times on the other. Maximum load date To calculate the maximum load dates of load stops, the load building engine starts at the maximum unload date of the last unload stop of the transport route. At this stop, the load building engine calculates backwards to the previous load stops, each time subtracting the travel time, until it reaches the first load stop of the transport route. The maximum unload date of the last unload stop is taken from the latest unload dates of the freight orders unloaded at the last unload stop. In trip 000000000150 of load plan 1, for example, the travel time between the load stop and the unload stop is 1 hour and 19 minutes. The latest unload date of the unload stop is 22:00, so the maximum load date is 22:00 - 79 minutes = 20:40. For example, for the unload stop of trip 000000000156 of load plan 3, Luton, the latest unload date is 17:00 (this is the latest unload date of freight order 004). To calculate the maximum load date of the first load stop, The Hague, in trip 000000000154, LN subtracts aggregated travel times of the stops between Luton and The Hague. The calculated maximum load date would be 02:41. However, the loading time window for The Hague (the earliest and latest load dates of freight order 004) spans from 07:00 to 22:00. If the calculated maximum load date does not fit in the time window of the stop, the nearest time window border is taken. Therefore, the nearest time window border, 22:00 on the previous day, is taken as the maximum load date.
Load stop | - | Maximum load date | Travel time |
The Hague | - | 22:00 | -
- | Loading time window: | 07:00 - 22:00 | -
- | Calculated maximum load date: | 02:41 | -
- | - | - | Total travel time = 13:19
- | - | - | 00:39
Rotterdam | - | 04:20 | -
- | - | - | 11:40
Sheerness | - | 16:00 | -
- | - | - | 01:00
Unload stop | - | Maximum unload date | -
Luton | - | 17:00 | - | Calculate from bottom to top
Maximum unload date The maximum unload dates of unload stops are calculated backwards from the maximum unload date of the last unload stop to the maximum unload date of the first unload stop of the transport route. The maximum unload date of the last unload stop is taken from the latest unload dates of the freight orders unloaded at the last unload stop. From the maximum unload date of the last unload stop, the travel times including the time windows are subtracted to calculate the maximum unload dates of the preceding stops. For example, for the unload stop of trip 000000000156 of load plan 3, Luton, the latest unload date is 17:00 (this is the latest unload date of freight order 004). To calculate the maximum unload date of the first unload stop, Rotterdam, in trip 000000000154, LN subtracts aggregated travel times of the stops between Luton and Rotterdam. This amounts to:
Unload stop | Maximum unload date | Travel time
--- | --- | ---
Rotterdam | 04:20 | -
| - | 11:40
Sheerness | 16:00 | -
| - | 01:00
Luton | 17:00 | -
Optimal date For a load stop, the optimal date will be the planned load date for the shipments. For an unload stop, the optimal date will be the planned unload date for the shipments. The optimal date is calculated according to the planned date determiner option selected for the load plan. To calculate the optimal date for a stop, the planned date determiner option uses the unload dates of the freight orders included in the load plan and the travel times between the loading and unloading stops. Related topics To create load plans Examples of the execution of the load building process |