Logistics companies today work with a wide range of carriers, systems, and data formats. A single shipment may pass through multiple systems — from ERP and warehouse management to carrier APIs and EDI networks.

As a result, many companies struggle with fragmented integrations for:

• shipping labels
• tracking events
• shipment status updates
• carrier-specific APIs
• EDI transport messages

A modern solution is to build a Unified Shipping API that centralizes these processes and provides a consistent interface for all logistics operations.

In this article, we explain how companies can design such a system and why it simplifies logistics integrations significantly.

The Problem: Fragmented Shipping Integrations

Many logistics companies integrate carriers individually.

Example scenario:

CarrierIntegration TypeDHLREST APIDPDSOAP APIUPSREST APIFreight ForwarderEDIFACTWarehouseCSV upload

Each integration requires:

• custom mapping
• authentication setup
• label format conversion
• tracking logic

Over time this creates a complex and fragile system landscape.

Example architecture:

ERP
 │
 ├── DHL API
 ├── DPD SOAP
 ├── UPS API
 ├── EDIFACT Gateway
 └── CSV Export

Maintaining this becomes extremely difficult.

The Solution: A Unified Shipping Layer

Instead of integrating carriers directly into core systems, companies introduce a shipping integration layer.

Architecture example:

ERP / WMS / TMS
        │
        │
   Shipping API
        │
 ┌──────┼─────────────┐
 │      │             │
Carrier APIs     EDI Network
 │      │             │
DHL    UPS         Freight partners

This architecture provides:

• standardized shipment creation
• centralized label generation
• unified tracking events
• consistent shipment status data

Feature 1: Shipping Label Generation

A unified API allows internal systems to generate labels using a single request.

Example:

POST /api/shipments

Example payload:

{
  "carrier": "DHL",
  "service": "parcel",
  "recipient": {
    "name": "Example Company",
    "street": "Logistics Street 1",
    "city": "Hamburg",
    "postalCode": "20095",
    "country": "DE"
  },
  "parcels": [
    {
      "weight": 2.5
    }
  ]
}

Response:

trackingNumber: 00340434161094000000
labelUrl: https://api.example.com/labels/12345.pdf

The system handles carrier-specific details internally.

Feature 2: Unified Shipment Tracking

Different carriers provide tracking events in completely different formats.

Example events:

CarrierEvent ExampleDHL"Shipment processed in facility"UPS"Departed from facility"DPD"Parcel handed to driver"

A unified system normalizes these into standard events:

Example normalized tracking:

{
  "trackingNumber": "00340434161094000000",
  "status": "IN_TRANSIT",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-12T10:45:00Z",
  "location": "Hamburg"
}

This allows internal systems to work with consistent tracking data regardless of the carrier.

Feature 3: Status Data for Shipment Systems

Many logistics platforms require status data feeds for shipments.

Examples include:

• warehouse dashboards
• customer portals
• automated notifications
• supply chain visibility platforms

Instead of querying each carrier separately, the unified platform provides:

GET /api/shipments/{trackingNumber}

Example response:

{
  "trackingNumber": "00340434161094000000",
  "carrier": "DHL",
  "status": "DELIVERED",
  "events": [
    {
      "status": "IN_TRANSIT",
      "time": "2026-03-12T10:45:00Z"
    },
    {
      "status": "DELIVERED",
      "time": "2026-03-13T14:30:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Feature 4: EDI Transport Messages

Many freight forwarders still rely on EDIFACT messages such as:

• IFTMIN (transport instruction)
• IFTSTA (shipment status)
• DESADV (dispatch advice)

A unified shipping system can translate API requests into EDIFACT messages automatically.

Example flow:

API Shipment Request
        ↓
Internal Shipment Model
        ↓
EDIFACT IFTMIN
        ↓
Freight Forwarder

This allows modern systems to work with APIs while maintaining compatibility with traditional EDI partners.

Benefits of a Unified Shipping Platform

Companies implementing a unified shipping API gain several advantages.

Faster integrations

New carriers can be added without modifying ERP systems.

Standardized data

Tracking events and shipment statuses are normalized.

Simplified architecture

Core systems interact with one API instead of dozens.

Future-proof infrastructure

APIs allow integration with modern logistics platforms and marketplaces.

Conclusion

Shipping integrations are becoming increasingly complex as companies work with more carriers, systems, and data formats.

A unified shipping API simplifies this landscape by providing a single interface for:

• label generation
• shipment creation
• tracking events
• EDI transport messages

Companies that implement such architectures significantly reduce integration complexity and gain better visibility across their logistics operations.

About Hemutis

Hemutis helps companies build modern logistics integration platforms — from EDI and EDIFACT integrations to unified shipping APIs for labels, tracking, and carrier connectivity