Managing Legs¶
A leg is the core record you work with every day. It represents one trip segment -- a truck moving freight from one or more pickups to one or more deliveries. Every dispatched load runs through a leg.
Think of it this way: your customer books a shipment (the order). You then create a leg (the actual truck move) to carry that shipment. One shipment can have one leg for a simple point-to-point haul, or multiple legs if the freight needs relay moves or split deliveries.
Overview¶
Legs track everything about a trip: which truck and driver are assigned, where the stops are, what the carrier gets paid, and how the load is progressing. The Legs list is your dispatch board -- you will have it open most of the day.
Getting There¶
- Click Loads in the top navigation bar.
- Click Legs in the sub-menu.
You land on the Legs list view. By default, it shows only Active legs in New and In Transit status. Use the filters at the top to see other statuses.
How It Works¶
Leg Lifecycle¶
Every leg moves through these statuses, in order:
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| New | The leg has been created but not yet dispatched. No truck or driver assigned yet. |
| In Transit | A truck and driver (or external carrier) have been assigned and the load is moving. Stops are being checked in and out. |
| Delivered | All stops have been checked out. The freight is at its final destination. The leg is ready to be completed. |
| Completed | Paperwork is done, charges are finalized, and the settlement has been created. The leg is locked for editing. |
| Archived | The leg has been removed from active views. You can still find it by toggling the Archived filter. |
A leg can only move forward through these statuses. The one exception is that an admin can revert a completed leg back to Delivered if something needs to be corrected.
Creating a Leg¶
The primary way to create a leg is through the New Leg wizard. It walks you through linking shipments, configuring stops, and optionally dispatching -- all in one form.
Opening the wizard:
- From the Legs list view, click the New Leg button in the toolbar.
- The wizard opens as a full-page form.
Step 1: Link shipments
The top section shows Linked Shipments. A leg must have at least one shipment linked before it can be created.
- To add an existing shipment, click into the shipments list and select from shipments in Created or In Progress status. You can link multiple shipments to create a multi-shipment leg.
- To create a new shipment on the fly, click Quick Create. A popup opens where you enter the customer, rate, reference number, commodity, pieces, weight, and optionally upload a rate confirmation. When you confirm, the new shipment is automatically linked to the wizard.
- As you link shipments, the wizard shows aggregated Total Pieces, Total Weight, and Total Rate below the list.
- If any linked shipment is missing a rate confirmation document, a warning banner appears at the top of the form listing the affected shipments.
Step 2: Configure stops
The Stops section starts with one pickup and one delivery by default. For each stop, fill in the type (Pickup or Delivery), location, company name, scheduled start time, and optionally the end time, pieces, and weight. Drag the handle on the left to reorder stops.
For multi-shipment legs (two or more linked shipments), a Shipments column appears on the stops table. Use it to assign which shipments each stop serves. If a stop has no shipments assigned, it applies to all linked shipments. Every linked shipment must have at least one pickup and one delivery stop assigned.
The same ordering rules apply as on the leg form: the first stop must be a pickup, the last stop must be a delivery, and pickup and delivery piece totals must match.
Step 3: Assignment
The bottom section has the same assignment fields as the dispatch wizard: Brokered?, Service Pay, Total Miles (with a Calculate Miles button), Currency, Covered By, and truck or carrier selection. See The Dispatch Wizard for details on these fields.
Step 4: Create the leg
At the bottom, you have two options:
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Create & Dispatch | Creates the shipment links, leg, and stops, then immediately dispatches to the assigned truck or carrier. The leg goes straight to In Transit. |
| Create Draft | Creates everything but does NOT dispatch. The leg stays in New status so you can dispatch it later using the dispatch wizard. |
After creation, the system opens the new leg's form view so you can review it.
Key Fields on a Leg¶
These are the most important fields you will see on every leg:
| Field | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Reference Number | The carrier's PRO number or your internal reference. Appears on rate confirmations and invoices. Auto-generated if left blank. |
| Type | The transport type (currently Ground Transport). |
| Status | Where the leg is in its lifecycle (New, In Transit, Delivered, Completed, Archived). |
| Truck | The truck assigned to haul this leg. Only shown for company trucks (not brokered). |
| Driver | The primary driver operating the truck. Auto-filled when you pick a truck. |
| Service Pay | The amount owed to the carrier or driver for hauling this leg. This is the basis for settlements. |
| Covered By | The dispatcher responsible for managing this leg. Defaults to you. |
| Total Miles | The total driving distance. Can be calculated automatically using Google Maps. |
| Is Brokered | Whether this leg is handled by an external carrier (brokered) or by a company truck (direct). |
The Leg Form View¶
When you open a leg, you see the form view with a status bar at the top and several tabs of information below. Here is what each section contains.
Header¶
The top of the form shows:
- Complete button -- appears when the leg is in Delivered status. Click to finalize the leg.
- Revert to Delivered button -- admin-only, appears on Completed legs. Undoes completion so you can make corrections.
- Status bar -- shows the lifecycle and which stage the leg is in.
Basic Information and Timeline¶
Below the reference number, you see two groups of fields:
- Basic Information -- the leg type, current status, and active flag.
- Timeline -- when the leg was dispatched, who dispatched it, when it was completed, and who completed it. These are read-only and filled automatically.
Tabs¶
The form has several tabs along the bottom. Each tab focuses on a different aspect of the leg.
Linked Shipments Shows which shipments are being transported on this leg. A leg can carry one or more shipments. Click a shipment to open its detail page.
Stops & Routing Lists every stop on this leg in order. Each row shows the stop type (pickup or delivery), location, scheduled time, and current status. You can drag the handle icon on the left to reorder stops.
This tab also shows: - Current/Next Stop -- the stop the driver should be heading to. - Stop Count -- how many total stops are on this leg. - ETA Settings -- the assumed driving speed and check call interval used for ETA calculations.
Stop ordering rules: The system enforces three rules on your stop list. At least one pickup and one delivery must be present. The first stop (by sequence) must be a pickup. The last stop must be a delivery. If any of these rules are violated when you save, an error message will tell you what to fix.
Dispatch Shows the dispatch assignment details: - Whether the leg is dispatched and whether it is brokered or direct. - Covered By -- the responsible dispatcher. - For brokered legs: the Service Provider (external carrier). - For direct legs: the Truck, Primary Driver, and Secondary Driver (if team driving).
Financial All the money-related information: - Total Miles -- with a Calculate button that uses Google Maps to compute the driving distance from your stops. - Service Pay -- the carrier/driver pay amount, with a split widget for breaking the pay across payment types. - Accessorial Charges -- extra charges like detention, lumper fees, or fuel surcharges. Click Add Charge to add one. - Carrier Charges vs. Company Charges -- totals broken down by who is responsible for the charges.
Documents A single upload area for attaching leg-related documents -- bills of lading (BOLs), proof of delivery (PODs), photos, customs paperwork, or any other file tied to this specific trip segment.
Looking for the rate confirmation? Rate confirmation documents are stored on the shipment, not the leg. Open the linked shipment to view or upload a rate con.
Tracking The live monitoring tab: - Check Call Status -- whether there are overdue check calls and when the next one is due. - Check Calls -- the history of location updates from the driver. - Notes -- dispatcher notes about this leg (info, warnings, or issues). - ETA Records -- the history of estimated arrival times.
The Legs List View¶
The list view is your dispatch board. Each row is one leg, and the columns show the most important information at a glance.
The list uses color coding to make it easy to scan:
| Color | Status |
|---|---|
| Blue | New |
| Dark blue | In Transit |
| Green | Delivered |
| Gray | Completed or Archived |
Custom Widgets in the List¶
The list view has several custom-built widgets that pack a lot of information into compact cells:
ID & Ref.# (Shipment Info Widget) Shows the leg ID, reference number, covered-by dispatcher, and linked shipment references. Hover or click to see salesperson assignments.
Truck Displays the truck number, type, and driver name. For brokered legs, it shows the carrier name instead.
Pick-Up / Drop-Off (Stops Widget) Shows each stop's location (city, state, ZIP), company name, scheduled time window, and current status. Multiple stops are stacked vertically.
Check Call Shows the latest check call location, who reported it, when it was reported, and when the next update is due. If there is an active note, it appears here with a colored badge (blue for info, orange for warning, red for issue).
ETA Displays the estimated time of arrival at the next stop, where the truck is coming from, how many miles out it is, and when the ETA was last calculated. If the truck is running late, this shows a warning.
Status A compact status badge showing the leg's current lifecycle status.
New Leg Button¶
At the top of the list, the New Leg button opens the New Leg wizard. This is the primary way to create new legs. See Creating a Leg for details on the wizard flow.
Searching and Filtering¶
The search bar at the top of the list supports several search fields and pre-built filters.
Search fields -- type in the search bar to search by:
- Reference number
- Truck
- Driver
- Service provider (carrier)
- Covered By (dispatcher)
Status filters:
| Filter | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| New | Legs in New status |
| In Transit | Legs currently moving |
| Delivered | Legs at final destination, awaiting completion |
| Completed | Finalized legs |
| Archived | Legs removed from active views |
Type filters:
| Filter | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Brokered | Legs handled by external carriers |
| Direct | Legs using company trucks |
| Dispatched | Legs that have been dispatched |
Date filters:
| Filter | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Today | Legs dispatched today |
Group By options:
| Option | Groups By |
|---|---|
| Status | Leg lifecycle status |
| Brokered/Direct | Whether the leg is brokered or direct |
| Truck | Assigned truck |
| Driver | Assigned driver |
| Covered By | Responsible dispatcher |
By default, the list opens with the Active, New, and In Transit filters turned on so you see your current workload. Clear these filters to see all legs.
Leg Notes¶
Notes let dispatchers communicate about a leg. Each note has a type that controls how it appears:
| Type | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Info | General updates -- "Driver called, running 30 min late." |
| Warning | Potential problems to watch -- "Customer closes at 5pm, tight window." |
| Issue | Active problems that need resolution -- "Truck broke down, need relay." |
Notes appear in the Check Call column of the list view. Issue notes are highlighted in red so they stand out. Only the most recent active note is displayed in the Check Call column.
Adding a note:
- In the Legs list view, find the leg in the Check Call column.
- Click the Add Note button (available when the leg is In Transit and does not already have an active issue note).
- A popup opens with two fields:
- Note Info -- type your message (up to 100 characters).
- Note Type -- select Info, Warning, or Issue using the radio buttons.
- Click Add Note to save. The note immediately appears in the Check Call column on the list view.
Resolving a note: When the situation described by the note is handled, resolve it by clicking the resolve action on the note. This deactivates it and clears it from the list view.
Accessorial Charges¶
Accessorial charges are extra costs beyond the base service pay. Common examples include:
- Detention (waiting time at a facility)
- Lumper fees (unloading labor)
- Fuel surcharges
- Toll reimbursements
- TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used)
Each charge has a Responsible Party:
- Customer -- added to the shipment invoice.
- Carrier -- deducted from the carrier's settlement.
- Company -- absorbed as an internal expense.
When the responsible party is Carrier, you can also enter a Reimbursement Amount. This is a partial amount given back to the carrier on the settlement. For example, if a $200 lumper fee is charged to the carrier but you agreed to reimburse $100, enter 100 in the reimbursement field. The settlement will show the full charge as a deduction and the reimbursement as a credit, so the carrier's net deduction is $100.
To add a charge:
- Open the leg and go to the Financial tab.
- Click Add Charge.
- Select the charge type, enter the amount, and choose who is responsible.
- Click Submit Charge.
The Carrier Charges and Company Charges totals at the bottom of the tab update automatically.
Service Pay Splits¶
Sometimes you need to split the service pay across different payment methods. For example, you might pay part by ACH transfer and part as a cash advance. Service pay splits let you break down the total service pay into separate payment-type amounts.
The split widget appears next to the Service Pay field on the Financial tab. If no splits have been set up, the system defaults to paying the full amount as a single ACH payment.
Completing a Leg¶
When all stops have been checked out and the leg is in Delivered status:
- Open the leg.
- Click the Complete button in the header.
- The Complete Leg wizard opens. Review each section before confirming.
The Complete Leg Wizard¶
The wizard is divided into two columns and an optional cash receipt section at the bottom.
Financials (left column)
- Rate -- the total customer rate across all linked shipments. Displayed read-only with a split widget. If the leg has exactly one linked shipment, you can break the rate into multiple payment types (e.g., ACH + cash advance) by clicking Init Split. Use Remove Splits to go back to a single-line rate.
- Service Pay -- the carrier/driver pay amount. Also displayed read-only with a split widget. You can break it into payment-type splits the same way -- click Init Split to add lines, or Remove Splits to clear them.
When splits are active, each line shows a payment type and an amount. The total of all split lines must equal the rate or service pay exactly. If there is a remaining balance, the wizard will not let you confirm.
Documents (right column)
- POD status -- lists each delivery stop and whether a Proof of Delivery document has been attached. If a stop has PODs, it shows the count. If not, it shows "No POD attached."
- Rate Con status -- shows whether a rate confirmation document exists on the linked shipment(s). If none is attached, it shows "No rate confirmation documents."
These are informational only -- the wizard does not block completion for missing documents, but they serve as a reminder to upload them.
Cash Receipt Confirmation (bottom, conditional)
This section only appears when any rate split uses a cash payment type. It shows a checkbox labeled "I confirm that cash payment has been received." You must check this box before the system will allow completion. This ensures someone has verified that the cash portion of the rate was actually collected.
Confirming Completion¶
After reviewing all sections, click Confirm Complete. The system:
- Saves any split changes back to the leg and shipment.
- Locks the leg so it cannot be edited (to protect financial records).
- Sets the truck back to available status.
- Marks linked shipments as completed (if all their legs are done).
- Auto-creates a settlement for the carrier.
- Auto-creates invoices for completed shipments (if enabled in settings).
Cash advance deductions: If the service pay includes any cash payment splits, the system automatically creates a one-time deduction against the carrier when the leg is completed. This deduction appears on the carrier's next settlement and ensures the cash advance is recovered. If the leg is later reverted to Delivered, the deduction is automatically deactivated.
Reverting a Completed Leg¶
If you need to make changes after completion, a TMS admin can revert the leg back to Delivered status.
- Open the completed leg.
- Click Revert to Delivered in the header (visible to admins only).
- The Revert to Delivered wizard opens.
The wizard shows a warning at the top: "Are you sure you want to revert this leg to Delivered? This will undo the completion and void all linked settlements."
Below the warning, the Settlements to Delete section lists every active (non-void) settlement linked to this leg, including each settlement's name, current state, and net pay amount. If no settlements exist, it says "No active settlements will be affected." This lets the admin see exactly what financial records will be impacted before confirming.
Click Confirm Revert to proceed. The system:
- Voids and deletes all linked settlements (with an audit note "Auto-voided: leg reverted to delivered").
- Deactivates any cash advance deductions that were auto-created during completion.
- Resets the leg status to Delivered and clears the completion timestamp.
- Reverts linked shipments to Delivered (the shipment remains Delivered if it has a mix of delivered and completed legs).
- Logs the revert action in the leg's chatter for audit trail.
When revert is blocked: If any linked settlement has already been paid, the revert is blocked entirely. The system shows an error listing the paid settlement names and asks you to void those settlements manually first.
Tips & Common Questions¶
I need to change something on a completed leg, but it says "Completed legs cannot be edited." What do I do? Ask your TMS admin to click Revert to Delivered on the leg. This opens a wizard that shows which settlements will be affected. After the admin confirms, the leg unlocks so you can make changes. When you are done, complete the leg again. Note that reverting voids and deletes linked settlements, so a new settlement will be auto-created on the next completion.
How do I find legs assigned to a specific truck or driver? In the Legs list view, click the search bar and type the truck number or driver name. You can also use Group By > Truck or Group By > Driver to organize the list by assignment.
How do I find legs covered by a specific dispatcher? Type the dispatcher's name in the search bar -- the Covered By search field matches against dispatchers. You can also use Group By > Covered By to see legs organized by dispatcher.
How do I see only today's dispatched legs? In the Legs list view, click the search bar and select the Today filter. This shows only legs that were dispatched today.
What is the difference between "brokered" and "direct"? A direct leg uses your own company's truck and driver. A brokered leg is given to an external carrier (service provider) to haul. The dispatch wizard asks you to choose, and the rest of the form adapts based on your answer.
How do I see archived legs? Click the search bar and select the Archived filter. This shows legs that have been removed from the active list.
I am trying to delete a leg but getting an error. What is happening? If any stops on the leg have been checked in or checked out, the system prevents deletion to protect operational data. The error message reads: "Cannot delete leg with stops that have check-in/check-out activity." To remove such a leg, you need to either undispatch it first (which resets the stops) or archive it instead of deleting.
Related¶
- Dispatching -- How to assign trucks and carriers to legs
- Stops & Tracking -- Managing stops, check calls, and ETAs
- Settlements -- How carriers get paid after a leg is completed