How to Create a New Appointment Template

Modified on Sat, 28 Jun at 10:51 AM

How to Add a New Appointment Template

Appointment Templates help automate scheduling based on predefined criteria. Follow the steps below to create a new template and configure automation settings:

1. Create a New Template

Click the + Add button in the left panel to begin creating a new template.
Enter a descriptive Template Name that reflects the template’s purpose (e.g., “LFD Pickup - Avoid Storage Fees”).

2. Select Appointment and Move Type

Define the type of appointment and shipment direction:

Pick Up Apt. – For pickup appointments.
Return Apt. – For container return appointments.
Import – For incoming containers.
Export – For outgoing shipments.

Examples:

For import pickups: select Pick Up Apt. → Import
For empty returns: select Return Apt. → Export

3. Enable Rule-Based Automation (Optional)

To allow the system to automatically book appointments:

Toggle “Use this template on a background basis” ON.

Automation Behavior:

ON = Fully automated booking
OFF = Dispatcher applies the template manually during appointment creation

4. Set Booking Preferences & Rules

Customize how and when automation occurs:

Book appointments this many hours after request initiated – Set a delay (e.g., 1 hour) before auto-booking begins.

Toggle the following based on operational needs:

Book appointments during the weekend – Enables weekend scheduling.
Book appointments even if the container has holds – Schedules regardless of holds.
Automatically reschedule missed appointments – Rebooks if an appointment is missed.
Automatically reschedule my appointment if a fallback is booked and a priority appointment becomes available – Upgrades to a better slot when available.

5. Define Timing Preferences

Select when appointments should be scheduled in relation to shipment milestones:

Relative to Last Free Day – Avoids storage fees.
Relative to Delivery Apt – Aligns with delivery times.
Relative to Per Diem LFD – Prevents per diem charges.
Relative to Cut Off – Ensures timely arrival at the terminal.
First Available Appointment – Secures the earliest available slot.

Example:
To avoid storage fees, select Relative to Last Free Day.

6. Configure Time & Day Preferences

Customize preferred appointment time windows:

Under Time Preferences, select time ranges (e.g., 6 AM - 9 AM).
Set a Time Bucket to group time slots (e.g., 3-hour window).
Enable Priority Booking for preferred slots.
Enable Fallback Booking to allow alternate times if the priority slot is unavailable.
Under Day Preferences, define how many days before an event the appointment should be scheduled.

Example:
Selecting 1 Day Before LFD ensures pickups occur before storage fees apply.

7. Save & Apply the Template

Click Save Template to finalize settings.
Use Clone to New Template to duplicate and adjust an existing template for similar use cases.