API Update – Pickup References and More

| 10 October 2026 | Category: Release Notes

R+L Carriers API Release Notes

Release Date: October 14, 2026
Affected APIs: Bill of Lading, Pickup Request, Shipment Tracing
API Type: RESTful API

Summary of Changes

We are pleased to announce that new enhancements are now available in the R+L Carriers RESTful APIs. This release introduces expanded support for pickup reference numbers and additional appointment scheduling information in Shipment Tracing responses.

These updates are designed to improve shipment data management, integration flexibility, and visibility throughout the shipping process.

1. Pickup Request API – Expanded Reference Number Support

The R+L Carriers RESTful API now supports additional pickup reference number types, allowing customers to submit a wider variety of shipment-related references when creating Bills of Lading and scheduling pickups.

Affected Endpoints:

  • POST /BillofLading
  • POST /PickupRequest
  • POST /PickupRequest/FromBOL

Supported Pickup Reference Types

The following reference types are now supported:

  • PickupReferenceNumber
  • BillofLadingNumber
  • PurchaseOrderNumber
  • ShippersIdentifyingNumberfo
  • ShippersOrder
  • ShipmentID
  • DeliveryOrderNumber
  • BookingNumber
  • CarriersReferenceNumber
  • OriginalInvoiceNumber
  • CustomerReferenceNumber
  • AccountNumber
  • DeliveryReference
  • OrderNumber
  • LoadPlanningNumber
  • QuoteNumber
  • CustomerOrderNumber
  • FreightPayorReferenceNumber
  • SubmitterIdentificationNumbe
  • InternalOrderNumber
  • PartnerReferenceNumber
  • ConsigneesOrderNumber
  • ReleaseNumber
  • InternalCustomerNumber
  • TrackingNumber
  • ProNumber
  • MasterAccountNumber
  • MasterBillofLading
  • OriginalReferenceNumber
  • ReceiverIdentificationNumber
  • VendorOrderNumber
  • ConsigneeReferenceNumber
  • AppointmentNumber
  • DeliveryQuoteNumber
  • AirWaybillNumber
  • ShipNoticeManifestNumber
  • OriginalShippersBillofLadi
  • WorkOrderNumber
  • AuthorizationNumber
  • WaybillNumber
  • CrossReferenceNumber
  • DayandRossPickupNumber

Integration Notes:

  • Customers can now include additional reference number types when submitting pickup requests through the supported endpoints.
  • These enhancements provide greater flexibility for integrating customer order management, warehouse management, and transportation management systems (TMS).
  • Customers wishing to use the additional reference types should review their existing integrations and update their request payloads accordingly.

 

Example JSON Request – Pickup Reference Numbers

To include pickup reference numbers in your API request, use the PickupReferenceNumbers array. Each reference must contain a ReferenceName identifying the reference type and a ReferenceValue containing the corresponding reference number.

JSON Request Structure:

"PickupReferenceNumbers": [
  {
    "ReferenceName": "string",
    "ReferenceValue": "string"
  }
]

Example with Multiple Pickup References:

"PickupReferenceNumbers": [
  {
    "ReferenceName": "PurchaseOrderNumber",
    "ReferenceValue": "PO123456"
  },
  {
    "ReferenceName": "CustomerReferenceNumber",
    "ReferenceValue": "CUST789012"
  },
  {
    "ReferenceName": "ShippersOrder",
    "ReferenceValue": "SO456789"
  }
]

Important Notes:

  • The PickupReferenceNumbers array allows multiple reference numbers to be submitted in a single request.
  • ReferenceName must contain one of the supported reference types listed above.
  • ReferenceValue must contain the corresponding reference number.

2. Shipment Tracing API – Appointment Start and End Times

The Shipment Tracing API has been enhanced to provide additional appointment scheduling details.

When a shipment has a scheduled appointment, the API response can now include the appointment start time and end time, in addition to the appointment date.

Updated Response Structure

The AppointmentDate object now includes the following fields:

Field Description
Date Scheduled appointment date
StartTime Scheduled appointment start time
EndTime Scheduled appointment end time

Example JSON Response:

"AppointmentDate": {
  "Date": "string",
  "StartTime": "string",
  "EndTime": "string"
}

Integration Notes:

  • Appointment start and end times are provided when appointment information is available for the shipment.
  • Customers can use these additional fields to improve delivery scheduling visibility and shipment tracking.
  • Integrations that consume Shipment Tracing responses should be reviewed to ensure compatibility with the additional response fields.

Action Required

We encourage customers and integration partners to review these enhancements and make any necessary updates to their RESTful API integrations.

Pickup References: Update integrations as needed to take advantage of the newly supported reference number types.

Shipment Tracing: Review response parsing and data mapping to support the additional appointment start and end time fields.