Import Container Tracing

Container tracing, ETA, Last Free Day (LFD), and Pickup number notifications

Daily Tracing

Import Container Tracing is performed twice daily (morning and afternoon) in order to ensure that containers which the trucking company is responsible for delivering have updated and accurate ETA information provided in the TZ web application. Without accurate information, shipments can be delayed, and additional costs can be added to a container.

To start a trace review, first ensure your company has the TZ Tracer feature turned on. If it does, open the TZ web application calendar, and select today and the next three business days from the calendar. Work orders beyond next three business days are automatically traced by Railinc.

Saturday/Sunday are not considered business days.

1. Review Pre Alerts

Batch traces only run against work orders that are displayed on the current page. A batch trace will need to be run for each day that is being reviewed.

Use More Filters to display only Pre-Alert, and Click Batch Trace (ETA/LFD).

Batch traces should be available for review almost immediately, but can take up to ten minutes depending on the number of containers traced. A batch trace will need to be run for each day tab.

To review traces pull up each Work Order and Click on Trace History:

Switch between Terminal and Edit Order to update ETA and or LFD.

2. Review Confirmed w/o Appt Date

Verify ETAs are updated along with the appointment date.

Batch Trace not available for Confirmed w/o Appt Date.

3. Review Pre Alerts w/o Appt. Date

Verify there are no work orders without appointment date, and no work orders with a past due ETA.

When reviewing orders w/o appointment dates, run a batch trace.

4. Review Late Appointments

Verify all orders have an updated ETA and appointment date.

Batch trace not available for Review Late Appointments. Trace will need to be done from Trace History button from the Work Order menu requesting a new trace.

Rail Company Traces

The batch trace retrieves information for each container from the railroad website, so each trace might look different depending on which rail company is responsible for delivery.

Norfolk Southern (NS)

The NS trace denotes the LFD as starting at 12:00 am. Actual LFD is just the date, not the time. The 12:00 AM showing next to the LFD date is to be ignored.

BNSF

In the BNSF trace, LOGPARCH IL is the code for BNSF LPC in the TZ web application.

CSX

CSX uses the term Established Time of Notification.

Canadian Pacific (CP)

Union Pacific (UP)

Canadian National (CN)

CN shows the first storage day, not LFD, therefore LFD is day before 1st storage day.

Trace Verification

The trace for each work order can be reviewed by clicking the magnifying glass under each work order number, and switching back and forth between the Terminal and Edit Order tabs to update the order status.

Confirm that the pickup location shown in the trace for each order matches the address of the route as detailed in the TZ web application. If the trace only shows the destination name and nothing else, verify that the information is accurate with the SS line and railroad by going to the SS line website tracing portal.

If the LFD, ETA, or Pickup number are not yet known, use the Email button on the work order to contact the customer and request further information.

When the customer receives the email, they are given a link to the order number in the TZ web application, in which they can submit the requested information.

Orders updated by the customer in this way are known as Public Alerts.

Until the ETA is provided by the railroad, or until a trace shows an updated ETA from the rail company, set a temporary ETA of three working days from today's date. When a container has arrived at the port of discharge, and there is no movement on the rail, set three working days for temporary ETA.

The appointment date will always be scheduled for the next working day after the ETA, except for Thursday and Friday afternoon traces, where Monday is used as the appointment date. Always verify that the appointment has a date, time, and the name of the person who confirmed the appointment.

There is an option to mark each Work Order you trace and the marker stays in your browser only. At the end of the day you can clear markers by going to settings

Most importantly, the pickup appointment date needs to be schedule PRIOR to or on the LFD. If the container isn't picked up prior to the LFD, additional charges will be billed, which will need to be discussed between the FF and the Trucking company.

When asking for the Pickup number, do not ask for an update more than once every 48 hrs.

A Pickup Number is like a PIN number, a special code that the driver will be required to provide to pick up a container from a rail terminal.

When you are done editing the orders with updated information from the trace, remember to save the order.

If the order is updated with the LFD and Pickup number, the order status is set to Confirmed. If the LFD and Pickup number are unknown, the order will be marked as a Pre Alert.