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ExFreight Open API
Freight API for quoting, booking and tracking
Connect your TMS, ERP or order system to ExFreight. One connection quotes, books and tracks domestic and international air, ocean and trucking shipments, with rates and transit times included.
Three APIs, one connection
ExFreight API endpoints: quote, book and track
Quoting API
POST /api/v2/rating prices truck LTL, air, ocean LCL, FCL and European LTL in one call, with your customer-specific pricing applied through the API token.
Guide: freight quote API
Booking API
POST /api/v2/booking books a rated route_number. Ship day, freight descriptions and container commodities can be changed at booking.
Guide: freight booking API
Tracking API
GET /api/v2/tracking/{billing-code}, polled on your schedule: location-based digital tracking plus all manual updates.
Guide: freight tracking API
Also in API v2: GET /api/v2/documents for shipment PDFs (bills of lading, air waybills, labels, proof of delivery), GET /api/v2/shipments (100 per page), GET /api/v2/ping and the UN/LOCODE city list. The full field reference is the API v2 documentation in the ExFreight customer portal (Exfresso).
Definition
What is a freight API?
A freight API is a connection that lets your TMS, ERP or order system request rates, book shipments and receive tracking updates from a freight forwarder or carrier, without manual entry.
Instead of retyping shipment details into a portal or an email, your software sends them once and gets structured answers back. With ExFreight, one connection covers air, ocean and trucking, so the same order can be priced by mode before anyone books it. Shipping documents follow the same request and response pattern, as the bill of lading API guide shows.
| EDI | Freight API | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Batch messages | Request and response on demand |
| Setup | Partner mapping per X12 transaction set | Test environment, then go live |
| Best for | High volume, fixed partners | Instant rates across modes |
See the system the API connects to
How to quote and book an ocean shipmentExFreight on YouTube
The ExFreight API gives your system access to the same online rating, booking and tracking system shown in these walkthroughs. More in the how-to-ship videos.
How the connection works
One connection for air, ocean and truck freight
A carrier API covers one carrier's network. The ExFreight API sits in front of a multimodal network, so your system asks once and gets air, ocean and trucking options back. What each mode adds to the data is covered in the multimodal freight API guide.
Your systems
Open API
Modes and ExFreight's role
Behind the Quoting API
The rating engine your system talks to
ExFreight's rating technology calculates door-to-door rates between North America and 150 countries. It draws on over 10,000 rate options, combining ports, carriers and pickup and delivery choices, then filters and sorts them so the right one is easy to pick. Through the API, each route returns transit days, overall on-time reliability, a valid-until date and line-item charges; estimated carbon emissions appear on the platform only.
- Transit time per option
- On-time percentage per option
- Estimated carbon emissions
- Multiple ports of exit and entry
- Pickup and delivery carrier choices
- Density-based LTL pricing
Go deeper on ocean and air pricing with the freight rate API guide. LTL pricing, emissions and landed cost each have their own guide below.
Existing integrations
Already integrated with these TMS platforms
ExFreight's open API is built to integrate with proprietary TMS platforms. These systems are already integrated. Planning your own build? Start with TMS carrier integration. Order and finance systems are covered in the integration guides.
How access works
Test environment, documentation and support
Request a Partner Id
Email salesbox@exfreight.com with your company, systems and the modes you ship. ExFreight issues a Partner Id for the test environment and a separate one for production.
Get your API token
Once your company has an ExFreight account, retrieve the API token in the portal settings. Each customer account has its own token, and customer-specific pricing applies automatically.
Test with /ping
In the test environment, call GET /api/v2/ping to confirm authentication, then build rating, booking, documents and tracking from the API v2 documentation. Prepare with the integration checklist in the guides below.
Go live
Switch to the production Partner Id. Quotes, bookings and tracking move into your own screens; invoices and payments stay in the ExFreight portal. A U.S.-based team answers questions from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET.
Straight answers
What the API does not do
Knowing the limits up front saves your developers and your finance team time.
Plan your integration
Freight API guides
What does API mean in freight?
API stands for application programming interface. In freight it is the connection that lets a shipper's software get rates, book shipments and pull tracking from a forwarder or carrier automatically. The order data your TMS or ERP already holds is sent once, and structured answers come back without anyone retyping it into a portal.
Is the ExFreight API self-serve?
Partly. Every API call needs a Partner Id, which ExFreight issues on request: email salesbox@exfreight.com and you receive separate Partner Ids for the test environment and for production. Once your company has an ExFreight account, its users retrieve the account's API token themselves in the portal settings, where the API v2 documentation is also available.
Which shipping modes does the API cover?
The rating endpoint covers truck LTL, air, ocean LCL, FCL and European LTL, and returns total and line-item charges, transit days, on-time reliability and a valid-until date for each route. Booking, documents and tracking cover the shipments you book. The rating engine prices door-to-door moves between North America and 150 countries.
Does the API push tracking updates by webhook?
No webhooks are documented. Tracking is polled: your system calls GET /api/v2/tracking with the shipment's billing code and receives the status of each leg, actual pickup and delivery times, signed-by, the original and current ETA, and dated notes. GET /api/v2/shipments lists your shipments, 100 per page, to drive the polling schedule.
Can I download shipping documents through the API?
Yes, as PDFs. The booking response lists document links, and GET /api/v2/documents returns each one: LTL bill of lading, European truck BOL, ocean bill of lading, air waybill, air master waybill, shipping label and proof of delivery. On dynamically priced LTL legs, use ExFreight's bill of lading, because it carries the carrier quote number.
Does ExFreight already work with my TMS?
Existing integrations include Project 44, Accufrate, Banyan, SAAS, 7L, Primus, Pacejet, CSA Software and Teknowlogi. Other systems can connect through the open API, which is built to integrate with proprietary TMS platforms. If yours is not on the list, email salesbox@exfreight.com with the system name and the modes you ship.
Is a rate from the API the final price?
Quotes are informational and subject to change. If the actual shipment differs from the details sent, the shipment can be re-invoiced, and duties, taxes, bonds, MPF and HMF are billed separately. Sending accurate weight, dimensions and commodity in the request keeps the quoted rate close to the final invoice.
Who handles a claim on a shipment booked through the API?
On ocean and air shipments ExFreight is the licensed carrier and settles claims directly. On trucking-only shipments ExFreight acts as the broker (FMCSA MC-677423-B) and helps you file the claim with the carrier. Optional all-risk cargo insurance can be added at booking, with an instant downloadable certificate.
Connect your system to ExFreight
Tell us which TMS, ERP or order system you run and which modes you ship. We'll set you up in the test environment.
