Overview

Jobs (also called Shipments) are the central records for managing freight movements. Every shipment—whether Air, Ocean, or Generic—is handled as a Job in Fr8Labs. Jobs serve as the link between quotations, operations, and invoices, ensuring that both the operational and financial teams work from the same data.

On this document we will talk about Jobs in general.

Video Tour

Watch a guided walkthrough of a Job record — from the All Jobs list through the key tabs that connect sales, operations, and finance.

The tour uses Ocean Export job SE-2602-019 (AALBORG → BANGKOK) to demonstrate the All Jobs list, the job header with its status lifecycle (Draft → In Progress → Ops Closed → Completed), and the four main tabs: Basic Info, Container, Job Estimation, and Accounting. It also covers the Master (MBL) and House (HBL) levels and the different ways to create a job. Each of these areas is explained in detail in the sections below.

Types of Job

• Ocean Import – Inbound sea shipments (FCL or LCL).

• Ocean Export – Outbound sea shipments (FCL or LCL).

• Air Import – Inbound air shipments from overseas agents or carriers.

• Air Export – Outbound air shipments from origin airport.

• Generic Jobs – Used for trucking, customs clearance, warehousing, or other non-air/sea shipments.

Master and House Levels

For Ocean Import & Export, and Air Import Export, each job has two levels:

• Master Air Way Bill or Master Bill of Lading (MAWB/MBL) – Represents the carrier-level shipment.

• House Air Way Bill or House Bill of Lading (HAWB/HBL) – Represents customer-level shipments under the same master.

Both levels exist on the same job screen. Charges, partners, and documents can be assigned either to the Master or to individual House levels depending on billing requirements. Generic Jobs do not have Master and House Levels.

Attach an existing standalone job to a Master Job

Open the intended Master Job, select Add Existing Job, and choose an eligible standalone job from the picker. Confirm the selection to link it as a sub-job, then review the Master Job's sub-job list. Use the picker’s eligibility rules; a job that does not appear should not be assumed attachable.

Job Status Flow

Statuses track the life cycle of a shipment:

• Draft

  • First stage when a Job is created manually or converted from a quotation.

  • All fields are editable.

  • Example: Ocean Export job created without confirmed vessel details.

• In Progress

• • Default status once operations begin handling the job.

  • Used while booking space, issuing SI, container stuffing, vessel departure, etc.

  • Indicates the shipment is active and tasks are ongoing.

• Ops Closed

  • Manually updated by operators when all operational tasks are complete.

  • Typical triggers:

    • Cargo delivered

    • BL or DO issued

    • No further operational work pending

  • At this stage, finance may still be invoicing and reconciling costs.

• Completed

  • Final status, used when both Operations and Finance agree that the shipment is fully settled.

  • The Job becomes locked against further edits.

  • Serves as internal control to prevent accidental changes post-closure.

• Cancelled

  • Used when a shipment is cancelled.

  • Keeps the record in the system for traceability without deleting it.

Notes on Statuses

• Both Ops Closed and Completed require manual updates.

• Status is set at the Job level (Master or House).

• Finance can still see shipment data even if status is not updated, but reporting accuracy depends on statuses being maintained.

• Job Management Reports can filter shipments by these statuses (e.g., "All In Progress Jobs").

Summary Flow

Draft → In Progress → Ops Closed → Completed (with Cancelled as an exception path)

Creating a Job

There are four methods to create Jobs in Fr8Labs. You can Convert from Quotation or Booking, Create a Job Manually, Duplicate a Previous Job, or use AI Autofill.

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Convert from Quotation or Booking

This is the recommended approach, as all routing and charge details flow automatically from Sales. This ensures consistency between quotation, job, and invoice.

To learn how to create a job from quotations, see how to convert a quotation to a shipment.

To learn how to create a job from Bookings, see how to convert a booking to a shipment.

Manual Job Creation

Manual job creation is used when no quotation or booking exists, such as import shipments, trucking/customs jobs, or ad-hoc operations.

Here are the steps to create a job manually:

1. In the left-hand navigation, go to Shipments → All Jobs.

2. Click + New Job and select the job type:

   • Air Import

   • Air Export

   • Ocean Import

   • Ocean Export

   • Generic Job

   • Master Job

Basic Information Tab

Fields to complete:

• Job Number (auto-generated)

• MBL / MAWB No. * (mandatory)

• Job Type (auto-selected)

• Sales Person * (mandatory)

• Sales Type * (mandatory)

• Customer * (mandatory)

• Direction (Import / Export)

• Mode (Air / Ocean / Land)

• Branch (if applicable)

HBL / HAWB (Shipment Administration) Tab

For each House Bill, fill in:

• HBL / HAWB No. * (mandatory)

• Sales Person * (mandatory)

• Sales Type * (mandatory)

• Customer * (mandatory)

• Origin / Destination ports or airports

• ETD / ETA

• Carrier / Airline / Co-loader

• Shipper / Consignee / Notify Party

• Overseas Agent

Cargo & Container Details Tab

• Commodity description

• Gross weight (KG or LB)

• Volume (CBM / CFT)

• Number of pieces

• Container list (Ocean only):

  • Container Type (20GP, 40HC, etc.)

  • Container Count

  • Container Number

Job Estimation Tab

Here you can add charges for internal costing and quotation reference:

• Sales charges (e.g. Ocean Freight, Documentation Fee)

• Cost charges (e.g. Carrier Cost, Terminal Handling)

• The system calculates totals for Sales, Costs, and Profit

Save and Update Status

• After completing details, click Save.

• Job is created in Draft status.

• Update to In Progress when operational work begins.

✅ Note: Always ensure the mandatory fields are filled (marked with *).

Duplicate a Previous Job

If you frequently handle similar shipments — for example, the same customer with repeated lanes and routing — you can save time by duplicating a previous job instead of re-entering all the details. This is especially useful for regular weekly or monthly shipments.

1. In the navigation, go to Shipments → All Jobs.

2. Locate the job you want to reuse (search by Job Number, Customer, or BL/AWB).

3. Open the job record.

4. On the top-right, click Duplicate / Copy Job.

   • A new job will be created immediately with all details copied from the original.

5. Update shipment-specific information before saving:

   • Dates (ETD/ETA, actual departure/arrival)

   • MBL / MAWB and HBL / HAWB numbers

   • Container numbers or flight details

   • Cargo weight, volume, and pieces (if different)

   • Charges, if rates or surcharges have changed

6. Click Save. The duplicated job is stored as a new record in Draft status, ready for operations to process.

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Best practices

• Always rename or update reference numbers (BL, AWB, Job No.) to avoid confusion.

• Use duplication for recurring shipments but not for one-off exceptions.

• After duplication, review charges in the Job Estimation tab to ensure they reflect current rates.

• Ensure partner details (customer, consignee, shipper, agent) are still valid before confirming.

AI Autofill

For shipments where documents are already available (e.g. carrier booking confirmation, BL, or AWB), you can use AI Autofill, Fr8Labs' AI-powered document extraction. It reads the document and fills the job for you — and you review every value before it is applied. Click here to read more about AI Autofill.

Job Information

Basic Information

• Routing (ports, ETD/ETA, pre-carriage, post-carriage)

• Shipment terms (CY–CY, Door–Door, etc.)

• Partners (Shipper, Consignee, Agents, etc.)

• Master/House level toggle (Direct Master vs House BL)

Container & Cargo Details

• Container list and remarks

• Commodity list (with PDF import option)

Job Estimations

• Charges carried over from quotations

• Adding / editing charges manually

• Charge groups (e.g. Ocean Freight, Local Charges, Trucking)

• Buy vs Sell charges and partner assignment

• Currency handling (header-level vs line-level)

Accounting Tab

• Convert job estimations into invoices (Sales/Vendor)

• Status tracking (Draft, Submitted, Converted)

• Submit vs Post invoice actions (Ops vs Finance responsibilities)

Mandatory fields on the master job (MBL/MAWB) level

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Deleting a Job

Deleting a Job should be performed only when the record was created by mistake, or when it contains incorrect information that cannot be corrected through editing. This process must be done carefully to avoid leaving incomplete financial or operational data.

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Steps to Delete a Job

Follow these steps in the correct order to ensure no dependent records block the deletion process:

1. Delete all invoices under each House (HBL / HAWB)

   • Go to the Accounting Tab inside the respective House level.

   • Locate all linked Sales Invoices and Vendor Invoices.

   • Cancel on the Accounting Module (if submitted) and then Delete each invoice.

   • Ensure no draft or cancelled invoices remain.

2. Delete the HBL / HAWB

   • Navigate to the HBL or HAWM **…** section.

   • Click Delete.

   • Confirm the deletion when prompted.

   • Repeat this for all Houses under the Master, if there are multiple.

3. Delete all invoices under the Master (MBL / MAWB)

   • Return to the Master Job level.

   • Open the Accounting Tab again.

   • Cancel and delete any linked invoices at the Master level.

4. Delete the Job

• Once all related HBLs and invoices are cleared, go back to the Master Job.

• Click **…** section → Delete Shipment.

• Confirm the deletion in the pop-up prompt.

• The entire job record, including all remaining data, will be permanently removed from the system.

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Notes and Best Practices

• Always check whether any documents, charges, or operational data are still attached to the job before deletion.

• If the shipment is already Ops Closed or Completed, consider cancelling instead of deleting for audit traceability.

• Users without the appropriate permission will not see the Delete option. Always check with your Manager if deletion access or approval is required.

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Cargo types and dimension-based measurements

Cargo Type supports selecting more than one option when creating or editing a shipment. Select the types that apply to the cargo; they appear in the shipment details and can be used when searching or filtering shipment lists. Existing jobs with a single cargo type remain supported.

To calculate a commodity measurement from dimensions:

1. In the Commodity List on Shipment Details, use Calculate From Dimension below the Measurement field.

2. Enter Quantity, Length, Width and Height, using the units shown by the calculator.

3. Review the calculated CBM and CFT values.

4. Click Save Calculation to store the measurement.

Check the entered quantities and dimensions before saving the calculation.

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Review Master Job changes

Open Shipments → Shipment Master Job, select the Master Job, and use the Change Log panel on the right of its details page. The log shows who changed the record, what changed, and when, including changes to MBL, HBL, and subjob entries. Use this history when investigating unexpected changes to a job.

Documentation owner: Fr8Labs Customer Success. Text reviewed: 21 September 2026.