Using ship via route types, you can establish different delivery routes for a single ship via within a zip code. For example, if you have day time routes that are different than night time routes using route types allows you to define default routes by zip code for your daytime deliveries that are different than those that you do at night. You could also use this functionality if you typically take orders for delivery tomorrow but allow for same day delivery under certain circumstances. In this case you might have route types called Standard and Hot Shot. Standard routes might have zip codes defaulting to ROUTE 1 through 10 but Hot Shot might default ship via to HOT SHOT DELIVERY indicating that they are used for same day delivery orders within that zip code.
Your salespeople can select the ship via route type in the Status tab within the order. If a user changes the route type, the ship via on the order changes to the new value based on the default route type set in Zip Code Maintenance for that ship via.
You also have the ability to specify which routes are available at the customer level. For example, perhaps you only make night time deliveries or same day deliveries to customers who are in good credit standing with you or that have pre-established agreements for these special deliveries, such as having dock keys available for drop off. You can limit customers to specific route types, as necessary.
See Also:
Defining Valid Route Types for Ship Vias
Restricting Customers to Specific Ship Via Route Types
Using Ship Via Route Types for Sales Orders