The alert shipping clerk will learn the basing points in the territory to which he is shipping goods--which he can do by consulting local freight officials--and will then secure tariffs from these basing points to the towns he wishes to reach. This information he will incorporate in his rate files.
Not least of the factors which should be considered in routing shipments, is the accommodation of the customer. It is frequently the case, that of two roads entering a town, the freight house of one is more conveniently located for the shipper. Rates being equal, shipments should be routed over the road from which the customer's cartage charges are the lowest. Or the customer may have a sidetrack to his warehouse from one road, which makes no switching charge, while on every car shipped over another road a switching charge must be paid. This charge may offset an advantage in rates. It always pays to accommodate the customer. When the wishes of the customer are known, they should be granted, within reasonable limits, even though it involves extra expense.
In all large concerns the filling of orders--that is, the assembling of the goods--is done by the stock department. The subject is here discussed in connection with the shipping department for the reason that in many houses all orders are assembled under the direction of the shipping clerk; in others he is also the stock keeper or stores clerk.
This discussion refers more especially to the filling of orders in a jobbing house, or a manufacturing business which carries goods in stock. It does not refer to those manufacturing enterprises whose orders are for goods to be manufactured.
As a rule, all orders of a jobbing house should be filled the day they are received. If they cannot be filled complete, they should be filled as nearly as possible, and missing articles handled as explained later under the subject of _Back Orders_.
There is a great chance for time saving in most houses in filling orders. In many houses, too little consideration is given to the handling of goods in a manner that will save time in assembling orders. Lack of a logically planned system is responsible for much of the confused and confusing rush in the average shipping room, about the time that orders should be delivered to the transportation companies.