Based in Bangalore, Porter is a renowned intracity logistics company that has made drastic improvements in quick courier services from Bangalore to the rest of the country. Initially limited to this city, Porter today operates in 20 major cities in India.
Porter is a tech-based platform. If any eCommerce merchant plans to partner with Porter, they may wish to know everything about it. In this article, we tackle the most important segment of Porter, i.e, its API integration and tracking features. We also describe the different services Porter offers to help you understand how its API integrations complement such services.
About Porter and its Services-
Porter is a logistics aggregator paired with 5 lakh light truck drivers and 200k+ vehicles. Porter is currently facilitating the delivery of 50,000+ shipments every month. Though it majorly helps merchants book mini trucks, the company has expanded its fleet to include two-wheelers.
Its core service revolves around small parcel delivery weighing less than 20 kg and cargo weighing up to 2500 kg. Porter allocates bikes and mini-trucks for the two different weight segments respectively. Both of these come with seamless delivery management, SLA adherence, and promises of on-time delivery.
Porter commits to providing reliable same-day deliveries, thereby giving sellers access to hyperlocal shipping models in Bangalore. All of its shipping services come with door-to-door delivery, on-demand pickups, and online booking through its mobile application.
The base price for lightweight shipments starts from INR 48 with shipment dimensions of 40cm × 40cm × 40 cm. For heavyweight shipments over 2500 kg, it assigns special trucks with base fare from INR 591.
The mini-truck booking service has perks like affordable rates, on-time delivery, reliable and safe transportation, and wide scale reach from Bangalore to any city within 300 kms.
To make the booking process hassle-free, Porter has a mobile application which is a great avenue for individuals. However, retailers can integrate with Porter using a logistics contract and access its various services through an admin dashboard. They can also use the Porter for Enterprise app which allows access to multiple users of the company from a single account.
Porter API Integrations and Tracking Details
Porter’s API integrations work alongside webhook accommodating sellers whose tech stack is enabled with webhook updates. With Porter’s APIs, they can make use of its live tracking facility, delivery authentication option, and order management modules.
Here is the list of all the different shipping API integrations and tracking that Porter provides:
1. Get Quote API
This API fetches the exact shipping rate for a particular location adhering to different parameters like delivery distance, shipment weight, number of units, unit dimensions, etc.
The required parameters to avail the fare includes details like pickup latitude, drop off location, customer name, contact number, country code, etc. In response, it gives the vehicle type and fare estimation.
2. Order Creation API
This API is built to place a shipping order with Porter and schedule the pickup date and time. The API requires pickup details like the address from where shipments are dispatched, name and phone number of the sender, drop off address, and details of the receiver.
Additionally, it allows sellers to state instructions for delivery or custom requirements. These are communicated to the delivery partner to ensure that the delivery is carried out without a hitch. In response, the API gives the order ID, tracking ID, and estimated fare details, as well as the estimated time for pickup to sellers.
The order creation API also processes the shipping label which is printed by Porter and stuck to shipment in case of hyperlocal deliveries from a retail outlet for the merchant.
3. Tracking API
This is perhaps the most important customer-facing API that Porter provides to its clients. Shipment tracking is the base of post-purchase customer satisfaction. So, to ease the process of tracking orders, Porter can Porter provides each unique shipment with a tracking URL.
The tracking API response includes shipment details, information of the delivery agent, vehicle type and registration number, mobile number, current location of the shipment, and timings of its movement.
Porter has predetermined order statuses for all shipments corresponding to the way it handles them. For example, the ‘open’ status indicates that Porter is looking for partners to be assigned to an order while the ‘accept’ status signals that the allocation is complete.
‘Live’ status shows that the shipment was picked up and on its way to the customer. The ‘Ended’ status signifies that the delivery is complete and the order has been paid.
4. Cancel Order API
This API springs into action when an order is canceled by the customer and the eCommerce seller confirms cancellation on the Porter’s app or admin dashboard. All that is required is the CRN number of the original shipment and the order gets canceled successfully.
5. Webhook Order Updates
Porter also accepts webhook integrations to send order updates and details to the seller’s backend. This acts as an alternative to tracking APIs. Here, the merchant has to provide a URL or sometimes a token for authentication. Once done, they can start receiving order details within 15 seconds of the webhook initiation.
The order status remains similar to the tracking API except here it adds a new status. The status “Reopened” is shown when a previously assigned driver decides to cancel the pickup. It signals that Porter is attempting to assign a new delivery partner to the order. A webhook can be reused two times maximum in case of non-2xx response from Porter’s system.
Why You Should Integrate Porter APIs and Tracking with Shipping Software
Though Porter has functional technology in place to assist with smooth shipping and delivery operations, they are not enough when it comes to high customer expectations for brands. For example, though it provides a tracking URL, customers expect a branded tracking portal that gives them the ‘Amazon-like tracking experience’ they’re used to. To get hold of it, eCommerce brands need the expertise of a shipping software.
Even better are multi-carrier shipping and tracking software or post-purchase experience management software that take tracking and shipping management up a notch. They improve operational efficiency for businesses while helping them integrate with Porter within a day.
With the help of a shipping software, brands can generate shipping labels in bulk, manifest single or multiple shipments, and embed pincode serviceability to the checkout page. Furthermore, they can notify customers using white labeled delivery notifications sent via WhatsApp, SMS, emails, and IVRS. This adds more towards personalization that customers expect from brands.
Last but not least, shipping software often enables sellers to leverage technology for reverse logistics. Though Porter doesn’t have a dedicated reverse logistics service, you can use their delivery agents to get local pickups from Bangalore and the cities it serves. You can make use of the shipping software’s technology to automate returns processing, quality checks, COD reconciliation, and automated exchange service.
The perks of using Porter through a shipping software that’s integrated with it is endless.
Conclusion
Porter has changed the way intra-city logistics work, especially for metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Surat. Porter has made it convenient for businesses to use their services via its mobile applications. However, eCommerce businesses can extract more benefits from combining the robustness of Porter’s API integration and tracking with a shipping software.
