Zones, Cities & Zone Rates¶
Group your delivery cities into zones, give each zone a rate, and let UTX Freight fill the Base rate of an order automatically from the delivery city.
Overview¶
Zones and cities work together to price your orders:
- Cities are the locations (UN locations) that your Shippers / Receivers are linked to. UTX loads the city list for you when your account is set up, so most of the cities you need already exist.
- Zones are groups of cities. Each zone has one rate — the standard price for delivering to any city in that zone.
- Each city can belong to one zone. A city does not have its own rate: the Rate shown for a city always comes from its zone.
- A customer can have a custom rate for a zone. That rate replaces the zone rate on that customer's orders.
- When you choose the delivery location on an order, the Base rate is filled from the customer's custom zone rate, or otherwise from the zone rate of the delivery city.
- Zones and cities are never deleted. You can disable a zone, and you can mark a city as not Active.
Quick Start¶
- Click your name at the top of the screen to open the user menu, click Manage Zones, then click Add a new Zone.
- Enter the Name and the Rate for cities in this zone, then click Save Changes.
- Open the user menu again, click Manage Cities, then click Shipping to see the cities you actually deliver to.
- Click the Zone value (or N/A) of each city and pick its zone.
From now on, when the rate lookup runs for an order delivered to a Shipper / Receiver in one of those cities, the order's Base rate is filled with the zone rate (see How the Order Base Rate Is Set).
Access & Permissions¶
| Role | Manage Zones | Manage Cities |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | Full access | Full access |
| Manager | Full access | Full access |
| Dispatch | No access | Full access only if Can manage rates? is checked on the dispatcher's profile |
| Accountant | No access | No access |
| Customer / Driver / Garage | No access | No access |
Dispatchers and Manage Cities
Can manage rates? is a checkbox on the dispatcher's person profile ("Specifies if this Dispatch can manage rates and charges across the app"). An Admin or Manager can turn it on. See People & Invitations and User Roles. Dispatchers never see Manage Zones, even with this permission.
How to get there:
- Click your name at the top of the screen to open the user menu, then click Manage Zones.
- Click your name at the top of the screen to open the user menu, then click Manage Cities.
Both items sit in the user menu with the other Manage … items. They are not inside the Settings page. A menu item only appears for users who have access. See Navigation & Account.
Multi-office
Zones and cities belong to an office. Both lists show the zones and cities of the office you are currently working in. When you create a zone or a city, the Office dropdown lists the offices you belong to. The Custom Rates matrix is the exception: it shows the active zones of all offices. See Multi-Office.
Manage Zones¶
The Zones page lists the zones of your current office, sorted by name.
Filters¶
| Filter | Shows |
|---|---|
| All Active | Active zones (the default) |
| Disabled | Zones that have been disabled |
Columns¶
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The zone name. Shown in green when the zone is active, in red when it is disabled |
| Rate | The zone rate (for example $125.00). Shows N/A when the zone has no rate or a rate of 0. Click it to edit the rate in place |
| Active | Whether the zone is active |
| Cities | The number of cities in the zone. When there is at least one city, a blue button opens the list of cities |
| (Actions) | The Actions menu: Edit, View History, Disable or Enable |
How zone names are displayed
UTX Freight always displays a zone as Zone followed by its name. The word "zone" typed in the name is removed first, so a zone named 1 and a zone named Zone 1 are both shown as Zone 1.
Creating a Zone¶
- Open the user menu (your name) Manage Zones.
- Click Add a new Zone at the top right.
- Fill in the Zone Information form (see the table below).
- Click Save Changes. Click Cancel to go back to the list without saving.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The zone name (placeholder: zone name). See the note above on how it is displayed | |
| Office | The office the zone belongs to. Lists the offices you belong to | |
| Rate for cities in this zone | The standard rate, in dollars, for delivering to any city of this zone. Leave it empty or at 0 if the zone has no standard rate (it then shows N/A) | |
| Active | In the Zone visibility section. Hint: Only active zones will be used when creating new orders |
Changing a Zone Rate¶
From the list (fastest):
- In the Rate column, click the rate (or N/A).
- Type the new rate in the Enter new rate box.
- Confirm. The row refreshes with the new rate.
From the form:
- Open the Actions menu of the zone and click Edit.
- Change Rate for cities in this zone and click Save Changes.
New rates apply to new lookups only
Changing a zone rate does not change orders that already exist. The new rate is used the next time a Base rate is filled from that zone on an order.
Viewing the Cities in a Zone¶
In the Cities column, click the blue button next to the city count. A window titled List of Cities in Zone ... shows the names of all cities in the zone, in alphabetical order. Click Close to close it.
To add or remove cities from a zone, use Manage Cities.
Disabling and Enabling a Zone¶
- Open the Actions menu of the zone.
- Click Disable (or Enable on a disabled zone).
The row updates immediately (the name turns red or green and the menu item switches) and a notification titled Update confirms the change (for example Zone Zone 1 - Disabled). After the list reloads, a disabled zone is listed under the Disabled filter instead of All Active.
A disabled zone:
- is no longer offered as a zone filter on Manage Cities, nor in the inline zone picker of the city list (it is still listed in the Zone field of the city form);
- is no longer a column of the Custom Rates matrix, nor of the zone rates shown in the order's rate history window;
- stays assigned to the cities that are already in it. When you disable a zone, move its cities to an active zone (see Assigning a City to a Zone).
Zones cannot be deleted
There is no delete action for zones. Disable a zone you no longer use instead.
View History¶
Actions → View History shows the changes made to the zone (rate, name, active status, and so on).
Custom Rates Matrix¶
The Custom Rates button () at the top right of the Zones page opens a window that shows, at a glance, every customer that has at least one custom zone rate, and what each of them pays for each active zone.
- Each row is a customer (the Customer column).
- Each column is an active zone.
- Each cell shows the customer's custom rate for that zone, or the zone's default rate when there is none.
Color Guide¶
| Display | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Blue rate | A custom rate for this customer (above $0.00) |
| Green rate | The zone's default rate. The customer has no custom rate for this zone, or a custom rate of 0 |
| N/A (grey) | No custom rate above 0 for this customer, and the zone has no rate |
The legend under the table reads: Blue rates are custom for the Customer and Green rates are defaults for the Zone.
The matrix is read-only
You cannot edit rates in this window. Zone defaults are changed on the Zones page. Custom rates are set on the customer, in the Custom rates for this customer section of the customer form. See Managing Customers.
Manage Cities¶
The Cities page lists the cities of your current office, 50 per page. The cities on each page are sorted by name.
The city list is preloaded
UTX loads the city list (UN locations) for your account. It usually holds several hundred cities, of which you only deliver to a small number. Use the Shipping filter to work on the cities that matter.
The notice at the top of the list reminds you that the Rate of a city is pulled from the Zone associated with the city. You need to select a zone for each city to have the rate selected automatically when you choose a Shipper or Receiver on an order.
Filters and Search¶
| Filter | Shows |
|---|---|
| All | All cities (the default) |
| Shipping | Cities of the Shipper / Receivers used as the delivery location on at least one order (tooltip: Cities where at least one order has been delivered) |
| Zone ... | One button per active zone. Shows the cities assigned to that zone |
Type at least 2 characters in Filter cities to search by city name or UN code. The search runs on the whole city list of your office, whichever filter is selected. Clear the box to show the full list again.
Columns¶
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The city name. Shown in green when the city is active, in red when it is not |
| Zone | The zone of the city, or N/A when the city has no zone. Click it to change the zone in place |
| Rate | The rate of the city's zone. Shows N/A when the city has no zone or the zone has no rate. Not editable here: change it on the zone |
| State | Province or state code |
| Country | CA or US |
| Code | The UN location code |
| Active | Whether the city is active |
| (Actions) | The Actions menu: Edit, View History |
Assigning a City to a Zone¶
From the list (fastest):
- Click Shipping (or search for the city).
- In the Zone column, click the zone name or N/A.
- In Select new zone, pick an active zone, or the empty choice to remove the city from its zone.
- Confirm. The row refreshes and the Rate column shows the new zone's rate.
The picker lists the active zones of your current office.
From the form:
- Open the Actions menu of the city and click Edit.
- Choose the Zone and click Save Changes.
Work through the Shipping list
Click Shipping and make sure no city shows N/A in the Zone column. Every one of those cities is a delivery location on at least one order, and orders delivered there get a Base rate of $0.00 until the city has a zone.
Creating or Editing a City¶
- Open the user menu (your name) Manage Cities.
- Click Add a new City at the top right, or Actions → Edit on an existing city.
- Fill in the Un Location Information (EDI Compatible) form.
- Click Save Changes. Click Cancel to go back to the list without saving.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The city name | |
| Office | The office the city belongs to. Lists the offices you belong to | |
| State | Province or state, chosen from the Canadian provinces and US states | |
| Country | Canada (CA) or United States (US) | |
| UN Code | The UN location code of the city | |
| Zone | The zone of the city. Lists all the zones of your current office, including disabled ones | |
| Active | Hint: Only active cities appear in client configuration. Inactive cities cannot be chosen in City (Must exist) on a Shipper / Receiver |
Check before adding a city
The list is preloaded, so search for the city with Filter cities (by name or UN code) before creating it. A duplicate city with no zone is a common reason for a $0.00 base rate.
Cities cannot be deleted
There is no delete action for cities. Uncheck Active on a city you don't want to use.
View History¶
Actions → View History shows the changes made to the city, including zone changes.
How the Order Base Rate Is Set¶
UTX Freight looks up the zone rate and writes the result into the order's Base rate field at these moments:
- New order form: when you choose the delivery City, when you pick a Shipper / Receiver with Search for a shipper / receiver (it fills the delivery City), and when you change the customer in Place the order on behalf of.
- Existing order (edit, dispatch and complete windows): when you change the customer in Place the order on behalf of, or when you click the green icon next to the Total in Order Charges for Invoice Breakdown. The lookup uses the order's saved delivery Shipper / Receiver. The icon is only shown to users who can manage rates.
The lookup works like this:
- It finds the delivery city. When the order has a delivery Shipper / Receiver, that is the city in its City (Must exist) field; otherwise it is the delivery City chosen on the form.
- It finds the zone of that city.
- If the company of the order's customer has a custom rate for that zone, the Base rate is the custom rate (even if that custom rate is 0).
- Otherwise, the Base rate is the zone rate.
- If there is no delivery city, or the city has no zone, the Base rate is set to 0.
A notification shows the result. On an existing order it appears at the top of the screen under the title Rate Update; on the new order form it appears next to the field you changed.
| Notification | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Zone ... - Rate $... | The zone rate was used |
| Zone ... - Custom Rate $... | The customer's custom rate for that zone was used |
| No ZONE found for this city | The city has no zone (or no delivery city was found). The Base rate is set to 0 |
The amount (the - Rate $... part) is only shown to users who can manage rates (Admin, Manager, and Dispatch with Can manage rates?). Other users see the zone name only.
Rate history window
On an existing order, the blue icon next to Base rate opens Rate History for customer. Its top table shows, for each active zone, the rate for this customer: blue with an asterisk (*) for a custom rate, green for the zone default, N/A when there is neither.
You can always overwrite the Base rate on the order. See Order Form for the rest of the rate calculation (default rate of the customer, terminal fees, fuel surcharge). Changing a zone rate or a custom rate later does not change the Base rate of existing orders.
FAQ / Troubleshooting¶
The Base rate shows 0 or "No ZONE found for this city"¶
Solution
The delivery city has no zone. Open the user menu → Manage Cities, find the city (check the City (Must exist) of the delivery Shipper / Receiver), and set its Zone. Then run the lookup again (select the delivery location again on a new order, or click the green icon next to the Total on an existing order), or type the Base rate yourself.
The city has a zone but the Base rate is still 0¶
Solution
The zone itself has no rate (it shows N/A on the Zones page). Set Rate for cities in this zone. Also check that the customer does not have a custom rate of 0 for that zone in Custom rates for this customer.
A customer is not getting their custom rate¶
Solution
Custom rates are per zone. Open the Custom Rates matrix on the Zones page and check the customer's row: a blue rate is custom, a green rate is the zone default. If the cell is green, the customer has no custom rate above 0 for that zone: add or fix the zone in Custom rates for this customer on the customer. Also check that the delivery city is in the zone you expect.
I can't see Manage Zones or Manage Cities¶
Solution
Manage Zones is only available to Admins and Managers. Manage Cities is also available to Dispatchers whose profile has Can manage rates? checked. Ask an Admin or Manager.
How do I delete a zone or a city?¶
Solution
You can't. Zones and cities are kept so that past orders and Shipper / Receiver records stay intact. Disable the zone (Actions → Disable) or uncheck Active on the city.
A zone is missing from the city filters or from the zone picker¶
Solution
Only active zones appear as filters and in the inline Select new zone picker on Manage Cities. Enable the zone on the Zones page (Disabled filter → Actions → Enable).
Best Practices¶
Keep your zones and cities clean
- Set up zones first, then assign zones using the Shipping filter on Manage Cities. You don't need to assign a zone to every preloaded city.
- Give every zone a rate, even a rough one, so orders never start at $0.00.
- Use customer custom rates for negotiated prices instead of creating extra zones per customer.
- Check the Custom Rates matrix after a price change to confirm what each customer will pay.
- Disable zones you no longer use, and move their cities to an active zone.
- Make sure every Shipper / Receiver has a City (Must exist) set. See Shippers & Receivers.