Use this article to send many parcels to the same destination as one consolidated shipment with Ingrid Transport, using Bring Bulk Split, UPS WorldEase or PostNord split pallet. It covers how to open a consolidated shipment, what to send for each parcel, how to close and book the consolidated shipment, and how Ingrid creates the customs invoice.
Who this article is for: merchants and integration developers who use Ingrid Transport and book shipments through the Transport API. Consolidated shipments are part of Transport consolidation, which is included in the Transport Enterprise tier. Consolidated shipments are available through the Transport API only. You can't open, close or view consolidated shipments in the Ingrid Merchant Platform.
What is a consolidated shipment?
A consolidated shipment is one large shipment that carries many individual shipments to the same destination. Carriers and logistics teams also call it a mother shipment, master shipment, groupage, bulk split or line haul.
A consolidated shipment in Ingrid Transport has three parts:
The consolidated shipment (mother shipment): the container for the whole movement. It has one origin, one destination and one shipping method.
Child shipments: the individual orders inside the consolidated shipment. Each child shipment is booked and labeled on its own.
Pallets (load carriers): the physical units the carrier moves. Each pallet gets its own label and tracking number when you close the consolidated shipment.
Consolidated shipments help merchants that ship high volumes across a border, for example from Sweden to Norway or the UK. One consolidated shipment means one customs clearance for the whole movement instead of one per parcel, which lowers brokerage fees.
Which carriers support consolidated shipments?
Consolidated shipments work with specific carriers only. Ingrid Transport supports consolidated shipments with the following carrier services:
Bring Bulk Split (shipping method
brn-bulksplit)UPS WorldEase (for example shipping method
ups-std)PostNord split pallet (shipping method
pnl-splitpall)
Contact Ingrid for the current list of supported carriers.
Before you start
Before you book your first consolidated shipment, the following must be in place:
Ingrid enables consolidated shipments for your site. Contact your Ingrid contact to request it.
The carrier sets up your account. Bring Bulk Split and UPS WorldEase need their own setup on the carrier side:
Bring Bulk Split: Bring maps your customer number for CMR (Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road) electronic data interchange (EDI) via Ingrid. Paperless customs (customs XML) is a separate setup with the Bring customs department, and it is optional.
UPS WorldEase: you need a WorldEase agreement for each destination country and a legal importer entity registered in that country. Your UPS account manager handles this. Adding a new destination country also needs development work at Ingrid, so plan it in advance.
Your integration can call the consolidated shipment endpoints of the Transport API. The full API reference is at developer.ingrid.com/som/api-consolidated.
How to book a consolidated shipment
Booking a consolidated shipment takes three steps: open the consolidated shipment, add the child shipments, then close and book the consolidated shipment.
Step 1: Open a consolidated shipment
To open a consolidated shipment, call POST /v1/som/consolidated_shipments.open. This creates the consolidated shipment (mother shipment).
Send the following information when you open a consolidated shipment:
Shipping method of the consolidated shipment, for example
brn-bulksplit,ups-stdorpnl-splitpallShipping date
From address: the warehouse the consolidated shipment leaves from
To address: the destination, for example the receiving terminal or warehouse in the destination country
Customs declaration header for cross-border movements: currency, invoice number, invoice date, incoterms (for example DDP, where the seller pays duties), the sold-to party (importer of record), and seller and buyer identification numbers such as VAT or EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) numbers
Ingrid returns a consolidated shipment ID and a tracking number for the consolidated shipment. Save the consolidated shipment ID, because every child shipment must reference it.
Step 2: Add the individual parcels (child shipments)
To add a parcel to the consolidated shipment, book it as a normal shipment with POST /v1/som/shipments.createAndBook and add the consolidated shipment ID in the consolidated_shipment.consolidated_shipment_id field. Repeat this step for every parcel.
Each child shipment needs the same data as a regular shipment, plus the item-level customs data:
Shipping method of the parcel, for example
brn-ppbfor a Bring parcelSender, recipient and customer details
Contents: items with name, quantity and weight
Customs declaration per item for cross-border shipments. The table below lists the item fields Ingrid needs on every child shipment.
Field | What to send |
HS tariff number | The Harmonized System (HS) code of the item |
Country of origin | ISO country code, for example |
Quantity | Number of units |
Unit value | Value per unit in the smallest currency unit (öre or cents), for example |
Unit net weight and unit gross weight | Weight in grams, for example |
Name, description and SKU | The item name, a short description and your stock keeping unit (SKU) |
Ingrid books each child shipment and returns a label and tracking number for each parcel, just like a regular shipment. Print the label and attach it to the parcel.
To remove a parcel before you close the consolidated shipment, cancel the child shipment's delivery with POST /v1/som/deliveries.cancel. The parcel is then no longer part of the consolidated shipment.
Step 3: Close and book the consolidated shipment
When all parcels are packed and the consolidated shipment is ready to leave, call POST /v1/som/consolidated_shipments.book. This closes the consolidated shipment and books it with the carrier.
Send the consolidated shipment ID and a list of pallets. For each pallet, send the following:
External ID: your own reference for the pallet, for example
PALLET_1Weight in grams
Dimensions (length, width and height)
Shipping methods of the parcels on that pallet. The carrier needs to know which products are on which pallet. A child shipment that is a pallet by itself must also be listed.
Ingrid returns the following when the consolidated shipment is booked:
Shipping documents for the consolidated shipment, for example the CMR waybill (PDF) and the customs invoice
A label and tracking number for each pallet. Print the pallet labels and attach them to the pallets.
After you close a consolidated shipment, you can't add more child shipments to it. Book any late parcels into the next consolidated shipment.
How Ingrid creates the customs invoice for a consolidated shipment
Ingrid creates one customs invoice for the whole consolidated shipment from the customs data you already sent. You don't upload a separate invoice.
The consolidated customs invoice combines two sources:
From the consolidated shipment (Step 1): invoice number, invoice date, incoterms, currency and the sold-to party
From each child shipment (Step 2): the item lines, with HS code, country of origin, quantity, value and weight
Ingrid returns the customs invoice in the response when you close and book the consolidated shipment.
How each carrier uses the customs data:
Bring Bulk Split: if the child shipments have customs declarations, Ingrid combines them into a customs invoice (XLSX) and, when paperless customs is set up, a customs XML file sent to Bring. If the child shipments have no customs declarations, Ingrid creates only the CMR waybill and routing labels.
UPS WorldEase: each child shipment carries its own customs declaration, and the item lines appear on both the child and the master invoice. Ingrid returns the customs invoice when you close the master. UPS splits the master declaration back into child declarations at its scanning centers.
Carrier-specific rules
Bring Bulk Split
Ingrid creates a CMR waybill for each consolidated shipment and destination country. The CMR waybill is always a PDF.
Every load carrier needs a routing label addressed to the terminal in the destination country. With three pallets, the routing labels read 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3. Routing labels come in ZPL, PDF, PNG or SVG.
brn-bulksplitis not a transport service in itself. Bring uses it to create the CMR waybill and routing labels for the bulk shipment.
UPS WorldEase
One master per port of entry and service level. Each destination country has its own port of entry, so a merchant shipping to the UK, Switzerland and Norway has three masters open at the same time. UPS Standard and UPS Express need separate masters, even to the same country.
Close a master within 7 calendar days, including weekends. UPS automatically voids a master that stays open longer, and it can't be used after that.
Child shipments aren't trackable until the master is closed. The labels show that the parcel is part of a WorldEase movement.
Attach the master summary label to the last package. UPS creates a summary label when the master is closed and recommends attaching it to the last package in the movement. With a Digital DocBox (paperless WorldEase), a missing printed summary label doesn't stop or delay the shipment.
All parcels in a master move together. Customs clears the master as a whole, so if one parcel is missing at pickup, UPS holds the rest until it arrives.
Avoid closing two masters to the same destination on the same day. Each master is cleared and billed separately, which costs more.
PostNord split pallet
PostNord split pallet (
pnl-splitpall) has no carrier-specific rules. Follow the three steps in How to book a consolidated shipment.
Limitations
Consolidated shipments are API-only. The Ingrid Merchant Platform has no screens for consolidated shipments, so you can't open, close or view them there. Use the Transport API.
You open and close consolidated shipments yourself. Ingrid doesn't open, assign or close consolidated shipments automatically. Your integration must call the open and book endpoints.
A closed consolidated shipment can't be changed. To change it, cancel and rebook. With UPS WorldEase, the following rules apply:
Before the master is closed: cancel each child shipment, then rebook it under a new master or as a regular shipment. Relabel every rebooked parcel.
After the master is closed but before UPS picks it up: cancel the master and its children, then rebook the children under a new master. No relabeling is needed.
After UPS has picked up the parcels: contact UPS directly to cancel the master. The parcels must come back to your warehouse, be rebooked under a new master through Ingrid, and be relabeled.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add a parcel to a consolidated shipment after it is closed?
No, you can't add a parcel to a closed consolidated shipment. Book the parcel into the next consolidated shipment.
Do I need to send a separate customs invoice for a consolidated shipment?
No, you don't need a separate customs invoice. Ingrid creates the customs invoice from the customs data on the consolidated shipment and its child shipments.
Why can't I track a UPS WorldEase parcel?
A UPS WorldEase parcel becomes trackable only after the master shipment is closed.
Can I manage consolidated shipments in the Ingrid Merchant Platform?
No, consolidated shipments are available through the Transport API only. The Ingrid Merchant Platform has no screens for opening, closing or viewing consolidated shipments.
Where do I find the full API reference for consolidated shipments?
The full API reference for consolidated shipments is at developer.ingrid.com/som/api-consolidated.