Templates Overview

Templates let you save a load plan configuration — container setup, item definitions, and quantities — as a named, reusable starting point. When you have a recurring shipment type, a template eliminates the need to re-configure items and containers every time you create a new plan.

What a Template Saves

A template captures a complete plan configuration at the moment you save it:

• Container configuration — which container types are in the plan, and how many of each
• Item definitions — all items with their dimensions, weights, and physical properties
• Item quantities — the default quantities for each item in this shipment type
• Template metadata — name, description, and tags you assign

A template does not save:

• Placements — item positions from an optimized plan are not stored. When you apply a template, you start with all items unplaced and run the optimizer fresh
• Plan-specific notes or AI analysis results
• The plan's optimization score

This design is intentional: templates define what to ship, not where each item ended up. Container assignments and item positions are recomputed by the optimizer each time, accounting for the actual quantities and any items you add or modify before running.

When Templates Are Useful

Templates provide the most value when you have recurring, predictable shipments:

• Regular product exports — the same product mix ships every week or month to the same region
• Standard container configurations — your team always uses a 40' HC plus a 20' GP together for a certain product category
• Customer order templates — a key account consistently orders the same set of SKUs in similar quantities
• Fleet vehicle loads — a standard daily truck load for a distribution route

Templates are less useful for one-off or highly variable shipments where the item mix changes significantly each time.

Template Library

The Templates page (accessible from the left sidebar) is where all your organization's templates are stored and managed. The library is shared across your entire organization — templates created by any team member are visible and usable by everyone.

The library supports:

• Search by name, description, or tags
• Filter by container type, most recently used, or personal favorites
• Sort by name, most recently created, or most used

Each template card shows the template name, description, container types it contains, item count, and when it was last used.

Access and Permissions

All team members can view and apply templates. Creating and editing templates requires Member role or above. Deleting templates requires Admin role or ownership of the template.

Next Steps

• Using Templates — save, apply, manage, and scale templates