Prerequisites
You need a business email, authority to provision software for your organization, and at least one shipment identifier (house bill, container number, or booking reference) to validate tracking. Admin access is required to connect carriers and invite users.
- Supported browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox (latest two versions)
- Optional: API credentials from your TMS if you plan to sync bookings on day one
- Optional: Carrier SCAC code or portal login for direct milestone feeds
Create your workspace
- 1
Register at app.orbexdata.com
Enter your company name, work email, and password. Verify your email to unlock workspace settings.
- 2
Select your organization type
Choose Forwarder, 3PL, Shipper, or Broker. This pre-configures default milestone templates and document types.
- 3
Set your default timezone and currency
Operations views and SLA timers use workspace defaults. Branches can override locally.
Use a shared admin account sparingly
Create individual user accounts for audit trails. Shared logins make it difficult to trace document approvals and exception resolutions.
Add your first shipment
From the Control tower, click New shipment. Enter the mode (ocean FCL, LCL, air, or road), origin and destination ports, and at least one tracking reference. Orbex Data begins polling connected carriers and displays normalized milestones as events arrive.
Bulk import alternative
If you have an existing shipment list, download the CSV template from Settings → Data import. Map columns to house bill, container, vessel, ETD, and ETA fields. Imports up to 5,000 rows process asynchronously with a completion email.
| Field | Required | Example |
|---|---|---|
| House bill / reference | Yes | ORB-HBL-2026-00421 |
| Mode | Yes | Ocean FCL |
| Container number | Ocean only | MSCU1234567 |
| Carrier SCAC | Recommended | MAEU |
| ETD / ETA | Recommended | 2026-02-15 / 2026-03-22 |
Upload documents
Open the shipment detail panel and navigate to Documents. Upload your draft bill of lading, commercial invoice, or packing list. Orbex Data extracts key fields where OCR is enabled and flags missing data against your workspace validation rules.
- Accepted formats: PDF, PNG, JPG, XLSX, and EDI X12 where configured
- Maximum file size: 25 MB per document on standard plans
- Version history retained for audit and dispute resolution
Next steps
With your first shipment live, connect additional carriers, configure exception rules, and invite teammates. Review Core concepts to understand how Orbex Data models legs, parties, and milestones across multimodal moves.
Need implementation help?
Enterprise customers receive a dedicated onboarding specialist. Contact hello@orbexdata.com to schedule a workspace review.