Question
How do you obtain accurate freight quotes at the sales order stage in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central shipping when packaging details like box count, dimensions, and packed weight are not finalized?
Freight Quotes Depend on Estimated Packaging Data
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central does not provide precise freight quotes at the sales order stage when the packaging details are not finalized. Shipping costs rely on estimated box counts, dimensions, and weight, which are often approximations before actual packing. Dynamic Ship enables users to input estimates or use AutoPack rules to generate preliminary freight quotes for sales orders despite incomplete packaging data.
How Preliminary Freight Quotes Are Calculated and Managed
Native Business Central calculates freight charges using packaging data typically available only after physical packing. This results in freight quotes at the sales order stage being estimates based on assumed packaging dimensions and weights. These quotes often do not reflect the actual shipping costs.
Dynamic Ship enhances this process by enabling users to define packaging templates and use AutoPack rules. These tools intelligently estimate the necessary boxes and weights from the items ordered. This capability allows freight quotes to be generated early in the order process, offering visibility despite the absence of finalized packaging.
After packing is completed, Dynamic Ship updates or confirms the shipping costs and labels using precise dimensions and weights. This provides planners and sales staff with actionable freight cost information prior to final packaging. It addresses the gap inherent in Business Central’s native freight quoting behavior.
If the item weights or dimensions are missing or inaccurate, freight quotes based on AutoPack or estimates will also be inaccurate. In such cases, the system relies entirely on user input for packaging details, reverting to manual guesswork. If packaging rules or templates are not configured, Dynamic Ship cannot generate automated estimates and defaults to no preliminary quoting. In all cases, final freight costs are recalculated once actual packaging data exists and shipping labels are produced.
Related Shipping and Packaging Tools in Business Central
Dynamic Ship provides multi-carrier, real-time freight quoting and supports packaging templates and AutoPack for estimate-based quotes at the sales order stage. Order Ship Express offers simpler, parcel-only shipping but does not support detailed packaging estimates before final packing.
PrintNode Connector PowerTool facilitates automated label printing but does not impact freight quote calculation. These tools integrate within Business Central to extend the native shipping functions by bridging the gap between estimated and actual packaging data for freight quoting.