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An ERP freight integration is a connection that lets an ERP send released orders to a freight rating and booking system and receive rates, bookings and status back.
The ERP is where orders, customers, item masters and the general ledger live: Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP S/4HANA and similar systems. Freight sits between the order and the invoice, and most of the friction comes from moving data across that gap by hand. With ExFreight, the ERP side connects through the ExFreight freight API, either directly or through middleware, or through a TMS that already integrates with ExFreight. ExFreight does not list a native ERP connector, so plan the integration as one of those two routes.
Key takeaways
- ERP freight integration runs in three stages: order release, shipment execution and financial reconciliation. Most projects stop after stage two and leave finance to re-key invoices.
- The ERP owns item data and money; the freight system owns rates, bookings and tracking. Bad weights and dimensions in the item master break the integration more often than code does.
- ExFreight connects to an ERP through its API (available upon request, with a test environment) or through one of its listed TMS connectors.
ERP records a freight integration reads and writes
An ERP already holds nearly all the facts a freight quote needs. The integration’s job is to assemble those facts into a rate request at the right moment and to write the results back to the right records. Four ERP areas are involved:
- Sales and transfer orders. Ship-from location, ship-to address, requested ship date and freight terms (prepaid, collect, third party, or an Incoterms rule on international orders).
- Item master. Unit weight, carton and pallet dimensions, freight description, NMFC class for LTL, and HTS code and country of origin for cross-border moves.
- Customer master. Delivery location type, dock hours, appointment and liftgate requirements.
- Finance. Freight accruals, accounts payable, customer freight billing and general ledger accounts for freight, duty and insurance.
An order management system (OMS) changes the picture for e-commerce sellers, because the OMS, not the ERP, often decides when an order is ready to ship. In that case the OMS triggers the rate request and the ERP receives the cost later. The checkout side of that pattern is covered in freight API for e-commerce.
Order-to-shipment flow
The integration follows the order through three stages. Each stage has a trigger, a call and a record that gets updated.
- Order release. When the warehouse confirms the pick, the ERP (or middleware) builds a rate request from the order, item master and customer master and sends it to ExFreight. Rate options with transit times come back. A routing rule, or a person, selects one.
- Shipment execution. The selected option is booked through the API. The booking reference is written to the sales order and the fulfillment record. Tracking updates are pulled back to the same record so customer service and sales see one status.
- Financial reconciliation. The quoted amount posts as a freight accrual at booking. When the invoice arrives, it is matched against the accrual, variances are reviewed, and the final cost posts to the ledger and, where the terms allow, to the customer invoice.
Worked example: sales order SO-10482 ships two pallets, 1,180 lb total, from a warehouse in Columbus, OH 43217 to a customer in Phoenix, AZ 85043 who requires a liftgate. At pick confirmation the ERP sends origin, destination, two handling units at 48 x 40 x 52 inches, total weight, the liftgate accessorial and the ready date. Rate options return with transit times. The routing rule picks the lowest-cost option within five transit days, books it, and writes the booking reference to SO-10482. Tracking updates attach to the same order until delivery.
The fields that matter most are the ones the ERP holds and the freight system cannot guess:
| ERP source | Example | Use in the freight request |
|---|---|---|
| ship-from location | Columbus, OH 43217 | Origin of the lane and pickup address. |
| ship-to address | Phoenix, AZ 85043 | Destination, plus location type: business dock or residential. |
| item weight x quantity | 2 pallets, 1,180 lb | Total weight and weight per handling unit. |
| pallet dimensions | 48 x 40 x 52 in | Density for LTL pricing; volume for air and LCL. |
| freight class / description | NMFC description of the goods | LTL classification and the description carriers check at pickup. |
| HTS code, country of origin | Cross-border orders only | Duty and tax estimates and customs filings. |
| customer requirements | Liftgate, appointment | Accessorials priced in the quote instead of added on the invoice. |
| order and PO numbers | SO-10482, PO 7731 | References that let tracking and invoices match back. |
Operator tip: before writing any integration code, export the item master for your top 50 shipped SKUs and check weight and dimensions against a tape measure and a scale. LTL rates with density-based pricing depend on both, and an ERP that rounds dimensions down produces quotes the freight will not match. The freight API integration checklist sequences that audit with testing and go-live.
Freight cost back to the ledger
Stage three is where most ERP freight projects fall short. Rating and booking get automated; invoices are still keyed by hand. Close the loop with a three-way match: quoted amount, booked shipment, invoiced amount.
Know where each number comes from. ExFreight’s API covers quoting, booking and tracking. Invoices are viewed and paid in the ExFreight online account, by credit card or ACH. So the quoted amount enters the ERP through the integration, while the invoice enters through accounts payable. Carriers that bill electronically often use the X12 210 Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice (X12 transaction sets); ExFreight’s invoice channel is the online account, so build the match around that.
Worked example, continued: SO-10482 was quoted at $412.60 and accrued at that amount. The invoice arrives at $487.60. The $75.00 difference traces to residential delivery: the customer’s Phoenix address is a home-based business, and the ERP customer record said “business.” Residential service is an accessorial on ExFreight’s domestic terms, so the quote was right for the data sent. The fix belongs in the customer master, not in a dispute.
Three rules keep the match fast:
- Set a tolerance. Auto-approve variances under a fixed amount or percentage you choose, and route the rest to a queue with the quote and booking attached.
- Work the queue inside 30 days. ExFreight’s terms require invoice disputes in writing within 30 days of the invoice date. A queue that sits for six weeks loses that window.
- Split the accounts. Post freight, cargo insurance and duties to separate GL accounts. Duties and taxes are not freight expense, and they are billed separately from the freight rate. For pre-shipment estimates, see duty and tax estimates in a freight quote.
Quotes are informational and subject to change; shipments can be re-invoiced if actual details differ from the data the ERP sent, such as weight, dimensions, location type or accessorials. On U.S. imports, a basic customs entry is included in door-to-door rates; duties, taxes, bonds, MPF and HMF are billed separately.
ERP vs TMS: who owns what
Shippers with a TMS between the ERP and their carriers face a design question: which system owns which decision. Splitting it cleanly avoids two systems overwriting each other.
| ERP | TMS (if you run one) | ExFreight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orders, customers, items | Owns the master data | Receives released orders | Receives shipment details per request |
| Rate selection | Stores the selected rate | Compares options across providers | Returns rates and transit times for air, ocean and trucking |
| Booking and tracking | Stores the booking reference and status | Sends the booking, shows status | Confirms bookings, provides location-based tracking |
| Invoices and payment | Matches, approves and posts | Freight audit, if configured | Issues invoices in the online account |
| General ledger | Owns it | Feeds cost data | None |
No TMS? The ERP or middleware calls the ExFreight API directly and owns the routing rule. Running one of the TMS platforms ExFreight already connects to? Let the TMS handle rating, booking and tracking through its connector, and keep the ERP integration to order release and cost posting. The TMS side is covered in TMS carrier integration.
What ExFreight’s API covers today
APIs are available upon request, with a test environment and assistance. Connectivity gives access to ExFreight’s online rating, booking and tracking system. Invoices, payments, documents and the duty and tax calculator live on the ExFreight platform. See how the ExFreight freight API works
Freight API series
Frequently asked questions
What does ERP integration mean?
ERP integration means connecting an enterprise resource planning system, such as NetSuite, Dynamics 365 or SAP S/4HANA, to other software so data moves automatically instead of by re-keying. In freight, it sends order, item and address data out for rating and booking, and brings booking references, status and freight costs back.
Can you give me an example of ERP integration?
A distributor's ERP releases a sales order for two pallets when the warehouse confirms the pick. The integration sends weight, dimensions, addresses and a liftgate requirement to a freight rating system, books the selected option, writes the booking reference to the order, and later matches the freight invoice against the quoted amount.
Does ExFreight have a native NetSuite or SAP connector?
ExFreight does not list a native ERP connector. ERP systems connect through ExFreight's open API, built directly or through middleware, with a test environment and assistance available upon request. Shippers that run a TMS can also use one of ExFreight's existing TMS integrations and keep the ERP link to orders and costs.
Which ERP data causes the most freight re-invoicing?
Item master weights and dimensions cause most re-invoicing, followed by customer records that mark a residential or limited-access address as a business dock and accessorials such as liftgate that never reach the quote. Fix those three sources and most variances between the quoted amount and the invoice disappear.
