Most small to mid-sized businesses waste hours every day on freight logistics: logging into carrier portals, requesting quotes by phone, manually entering shipment data, and chasing down tracking information. For companies shipping 10+ LTL loads per week, that’s significant time spent on administrative tasks instead of growing the business.
GoShip’s API solves this by connecting your existing systems e-commerce platform, ERP, or order management software directly to GoShip’s freight marketplace, automating everything from quote request to delivery tracking.
What the GoShip API Does
The GoShip API is a direct integration that handles the entire shipping workflow:
Real-Time LTL Rate Comparison: Instead of calling multiple carriers or logging into separate portals, your system sends one request and receives back multiple carrier options with pricing, transit times, and service levels instantly. Your team or customers see the options and select the best fit without leaving your platform.
Automated Shipment Booking: Once a rate is selected, the API books the shipment automatically. No manual data re-entry. No phone calls to confirm pickup times. The system generates all required documentation (Bill of Lading, commercial invoices, and shipping labels) without human intervention.
Live Shipment Tracking: After booking, the API provides real-time tracking links that update automatically as the shipment moves through the carrier network. Your team and customers get delivery visibility without checking multiple carrier websites or making status calls.
Centralized Order Management: All shipments booked through the API appear in your GoShip vendor dashboard, where you can review orders, process payments, access documents, and track deliveries from a single interface.
Why This Matters for Your Operations
Eliminates Repetitive Manual Work: Every time your team quotes a shipment manually, they’re opening multiple browser tabs, copying addresses, entering freight class details, and comparing rates across carriers. The GoShip API does this in seconds automatically pulling shipment details from your order system and returning carrier options without any manual steps.
Reduces Costly Shipping Errors: Manual data entry creates problems: wrong addresses, incorrect freight classifications, missing accessorial charges. These mistakes lead to delivery delays, re-billing charges, and customer complaints. When the API pulls data directly from your system of record, the information is accurate from the start.
Improves Customer Experience: For e-commerce businesses selling heavy or oversized products, customers expect to see real shipping costs at checkout—not “call for quote” or generic estimates. The API calculates actual freight rates in real-time and displays them during the purchasing process.
Simplifies Carrier Management: Instead of managing relationships with individual carriers, tracking down separate invoices, and juggling multiple logins, the GoShip API centralizes everything. All your LTL shipments flow through one integration, with one payment process and one place to access documentation.
Who Should Use the GoShip API
Manufacturers and Distributors
Connect the API to your ERP or warehouse management system. When an order is ready to ship, your system automatically requests freight quotes, books the carrier, and generates shipping documents and no manual intervention required.
E-Commerce Platforms
Offer real-time freight shipping rates at checkout for large items like furniture, appliances, or industrial equipment. Customers see transparent pricing and you automatically book the shipment when the order is placed.
Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs)
Build GoShip’s quoting and booking capabilities into your client portal. Give your customers self-service access to freight rates and shipment booking without requiring your team to manually process each request.
High-Volume Shippers
If your team is spending significant time on shipping administration, the API eliminates the bottleneck. Quote and book shipments programmatically, freeing your logistics team to focus on exceptions and strategy instead of repetitive tasks.
How Implementation Works
GoShip’s API is designed for business outcomes, not just technical capability:
- Create a GoShip Account: Sign up at quotes.goship.com and verify your email
- Generate Your API Key: Access your dashboard and create a secure API key
- Connect to Your Systems: Your development team integrates the API using GoShip’s technical documentation
- Test Before Going Live: Use the sandbox environment to test quote requests and bookings without processing real shipments
- Go Live: Your system starts quoting and booking real shipments automatically
No minimum shipping volume. No monthly fees beyond the cost of shipments. No contracts with individual carriers GoShip handles the carrier relationships.
What Makes GoShip’s API Different
Unlike enterprise logistics platforms that require complex implementations and long-term contracts, GoShip’s API is built for businesses that need automation without enterprise complexity:
- No minimum volume requirements: Whether you ship 5 loads or 500 loads per month
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: You only pay for shipments you actually book
- Carrier-agnostic: Access multiple LTL carriers through one integration
- Built for small business operations: No dedicated development teams or massive IT budgets required
The Bottom Line
The GoShip API gives small and mid-sized businesses the same logistics automation that large enterprises use without the cost, complexity, or long implementation timelines. If your team is manually quoting shipments, re-entering data across multiple systems, or spending hours coordinating pickups and tracking deliveries, this integration eliminates those bottlenecks.👉 Explore the technical documentation at GoShip.com/API or contact GoShip to discuss how the API fits into your existing operations.