Descartes API
Descartes Systems Group is a logistics platform whose Global Logistics Network connects shippers, brokers, forwarders, and fleets across transportation management, route planning, customs compliance, and B2B/EDI messaging. An unofficial API lets you programmatically pull shipments, routes, carriers, orders, tracking events, and customs filings—and push updates like new loads, dispatch plans, status updates, and shipment bookings back into Descartes.
What is Descartes?
Descartes Systems Group is a software and services company that connects logistics-intensive businesses through its Global Logistics Network to optimize supply chain, transportation, customs compliance, and last-mile delivery operations. Shippers, freight brokers, 3PLs, forwarders, and fleet operators use Descartes to manage shipments, plan and optimize routes, onboard and track carriers, file customs and security declarations, and exchange B2B/EDI messages across domestic and international trade lanes.
Core product families include:
- Transportation Management (Multimodal TMS for shippers; Aljex and 3G platforms for freight brokers, 3PLs, and managed transportation)
- Fleet Performance Management (route planning and optimization, dispatch and tracking, delivery appointment scheduling, mobile POD apps, driver safety, fleet analytics)
- Broker & Forwarder Enterprise Systems (forwarder TMS, shipment management, forwarder accounting and billing, warehousing and PO management, CRM)
- Customs & Regulatory Compliance (security filings, customs declarations, denied party screening, FTZ management)
- B2B Connectivity & Messaging (EDI, e-invoicing, and API connectivity across the Global Logistics Network)
- Ecommerce Operations and Global Trade Intelligence (order, inventory, and warehouse management; product classification and trade data research)
Common data entities:
- Shipments, Loads, Bookings, Bills of Lading, Multimodal Freight
- Routes, Stops, Dispatch Plans, Delivery Appointments, Proof of Delivery
- Carriers, Carrier Profiles, Onboarding Records, Performance Metrics
- Orders, Purchase Orders, Inventory, Warehouse Records
- Tracking Events, Telematics/MacroPoint Positions, Dock Appointments
- Customs Declarations, Security Filings, Denied Party Screening Results
- Invoices, Billing Records, EDI Documents, Accounting Entries
The Descartes Integration Challenge
Logistics teams run mission-critical operations on Descartes daily, but turning portal- and network-driven workflows into API-driven automation is non-trivial:
- Multi-product spread: TMS, Aljex, 3G, Fleet/route planning, forwarder systems, and customs each carry their own object models, IDs, and lifecycle states
- Network and partner gates: Much connectivity flows through the Global Logistics Network and API portal, often requiring onboarding, agreements, or keys before programmatic access
- Acquisition-driven fragmentation: Descartes' product suite spans many acquired platforms, so endpoint coverage, auth, and data shapes differ by module and deployment
- Mobile-only fleet data: Proof of delivery, driver status, and telematics positions originate in mobile apps and MacroPoint feeds that aren't uniformly exposed via public APIs
- Authentication complexity: API keys, portal logins, and MFA across modules complicate headless, multi-tenant automation
- EDI and document workflows: Shipment messages, customs filings, and forwarder billing require careful mapping, validation, and acknowledgment handling
How Supergood Creates Descartes APIs
Supergood reverse-engineers authenticated browser flows, Descartes' API portal endpoints, and Global Logistics Network interactions to deliver a resilient API layer for your Descartes products—across TMS, fleet, forwarder, and customs modules.
- Handles API keys, portal credentials, and MFA (SMS, email, TOTP) securely
- Maintains session continuity with automated refresh and change detection
- Normalizes responses across TMS, route planning, carrier, and customs objects so you integrate once and rely on consistent shipment, route, and order entities
- Aligns with your specific Descartes modules, network configuration, and entitlements to ensure compliant access
Use Descartes with AI agents: Descartes MCP Server →
Getting Started
- Schedule Integration Assessment
Book a 30-minute session to confirm your Descartes modules, network connections, and authentication model.
- Supergood Generates and Validates Your API
We deliver a production-ready Descartes adapter tailored to your product mix and entitlements.
- Deploy with Monitoring
Go live with continuous monitoring and automatic adjustments as Descartes evolves.
API Endpoints
Authentication
/authenticateAuthenticate to Descartes products using API keys, portal credentials, or MFA and obtain a session token for downstream calls.
Shipments
/shipmentsList shipments and loads across TMS, Aljex, and forwarder systems with filters for mode, status, lane, and date range.
Shipments
/create_shipmentBook a new shipment or load against the configured product, carrier, and lane definitions.
Routing
/routesRetrieve route plans, stops, dispatch assignments, and delivery appointments from Fleet Performance Management.
Carriers
/carriersPull carrier profiles, onboarding records, and performance metrics with status and rating filters.
Tracking
/trackingStream tracking events, MacroPoint telematics positions, and proof-of-delivery status for active shipments and routes.
Use Cases
Sync shipment and load data across TMS platforms
- Pull active shipments, loads, and bookings from Multimodal TMS, Aljex, and forwarder systems into a single warehouse - Stream status, milestone, and exception events to downstream visibility and BI tools - Reconcile order and purchase-order records across modules for unified shipment 360
Automate route planning and dispatch workflows
- Push delivery orders into route planning and pull optimized routes, stops, and dispatch plans back for execution - Trigger delivery appointment scheduling and capture proof-of-delivery from mobile apps - Surface late, missed, and exception stops to retention and customer-experience workflows
Keep carrier and tracking data in sync
- Onboard carriers and push profile, compliance, and performance status to downstream CRM and procurement systems - Pull MacroPoint telematics positions and tracking events for real-time visibility dashboards - Trigger fraud-prevention and screening checks when a new carrier or load is added
Reconcile customs filings and forwarder billing
- Sync customs declarations, security filings, and denied-party screening results into compliance systems - Match forwarder invoices, accounting entries, and EDI documents against shipments for audit - Flag held, rejected, or pending filings to operations and compliance teams
Technical Specifications
Authentication
API keys, portal credentials, OAuth, and MFA (SMS, email, TOTP) handled in a managed session
Connectivity
Authenticated browser flows plus Descartes' API portal endpoints and Global Logistics Network interfaces where exposed
Response format
Normalized JSON across Shipment, Route, Carrier, Order, Tracking, and Customs objects
Rate limits
Adaptive throttling tuned to your Descartes products and network connections to avoid platform-side limits
Session management
Automatic session refresh, MFA replay handling, and credential rotation
Data freshness
Near real-time pulls for shipments, routes, and tracking with optional scheduled batch syncs
Security
Encrypted credential vault, scoped access tokens, SOC 2-aligned controls, and audit logging
Webhooks
Event-style callbacks for shipment booking, status change, route dispatch, proof-of-delivery, and customs filing updates
Latency
Sub-second reads on cached entities; multi-second writes when posting through booking and dispatch workflows
Throughput
Horizontally scaled workers sized to multi-product shipment, route, and carrier volume
Reliability
Retry, backoff, and idempotency keys for bookings, dispatch updates, and customs submissions
Adaptation
Continuous monitoring of Descartes releases, API portal changes, and module-specific configuration drift
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Supergood normalizes data across Multimodal TMS, Aljex, 3G, and Fleet Performance Management, so you can integrate shipment, load, route, and dispatch entities once across the products you license.
No. Supergood works with your existing Descartes entitlements and authenticated sessions. Network or partner agreements are only required when you specifically want to consume third-party connectivity brokered through the Global Logistics Network.
Yes. Tracking events and MacroPoint position feeds are exposed through the same normalized API surface, so real-time visibility data sits alongside shipment, route, and carrier entities.
Each module is profiled against its own object model, IDs, and lifecycle states. Supergood preserves module-specific fields and entitlements rather than forcing a generic schema across the suite.
Yes. Customs declarations, security filings, denied-party screening, and forwarder accounting/EDI documents are accessible through the same API layer, with effective-date and acknowledgment handling preserved.