Routing Logic Directives (RLD) built into EPISHIP control shipments through the rate and label manifest processes of the supply chain.
The purpose of this article is to detail the Afferent Package Type Rule, a specific RLD Rule type, that targets the transformation and control of package type information before a rate or label request is processed.
A rate or label request relies on package dimensions, weight, and designated type to determine shipping costs, available services, and dimensional weight logic. Sometimes, the default package type submitted in a request does not optimize shipping rates or align with carrier-specific packaging requirements based on the order contents. This is where the Afferent Package Type Rule comes in. Unlike Efferent rules that post-process carrier responses, the Afferent Package Type Rule pre-processes the request to explicitly modify the package type designation (e.g., dynamically changing a standard “Custom Box” to a “USPS Flat Rate Box” or “FedEx Pak”) before the request is ever submitted to the carrier network. The Afferent Package Type Rule is one rule type within an RLD Template.
Any number of Afferent Package Type Rules can be built within an RLD Template to match business objectives. Each Afferent Package Type Rule includes the following components.
Match conditions of criteria operators include the following types: All (AND), Any (OR), None (Not).
Sender fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Receiver fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Package fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Line Items fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Options fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
References fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Rate fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Time fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
The match criteria types listed above are used within individual rules or can be combined into a single rule to target specific conditions that include several match criteria.
The shipment request is modified according to the rules defined within the Afferent Package Type Rule matched within the RLD Template. The transformation functionality available to be included within the RLD template is as follows.
This configuration dictates exactly how the package type property is altered in the outgoing request payload. Once the match criteria are met, the request is transformed to override the originally submitted package type with an explicitly defined replacement value. This ensures the carrier rates and processes the shipment against the newly designated packaging before returning rates or generating a label.
Usual use cases for Afferent Package Type Rules within an RLD Template are numerous. Some common use cases include the following:
Automatically override standard custom packaging to a specific carrier flat-rate type (e.g., “USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box”) when the actual weight is high but the dimensions fit within the box, capturing cheaper flat-rate pricing.
Force the package type when specific expedited services are selected to ensure compliance with carrier packaging rules for those exact service levels.
Change a generic package designation to a specialized type when particular Line Item SKUs (like dangerous goods or small documents) are detected in the payload.
