> This page is for version Dev.
> For other versions, use one of these documentation indexes:
> - Prod (default): https://docs.chrt.com/prod/llms.txt
> - Staging: https://docs.chrt.com/staging/llms.txt
> - Dev: https://docs.chrt.com/dev/llms.txt

> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.chrt.com/llms.txt.
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# Creating Orders

## Open an order draft

Open **Orders** and click **Create Order**, or use [New order](https://chrt.com/orders/new). CHRT creates a draft and opens it on **Timeline**. Keep the order reference so you can return to the same draft. If creation fails from the button, CHRT shows an error message and you can click **Create Order** again; if the link fails, use **Try again**. Confirm that a draft opens before entering shipment details.

## Set the customer and coordinator

The header shows the order's name, its status, and the organization it is for. A new draft is named by its order ID. To use your own external reference instead, click the pencil icon beside the name (**Edit external order reference**), type the reference, then click the check mark (**Save and close**) or press Enter. Clicking outside the field also saves; press Esc to cancel. Use letters, numbers, and the characters `-` `.` `_` `~`, with no spaces, up to 64 characters. Click the X in the field to clear the reference and return to the order ID.

An external reference helps your team match the shipment to its original request. The pencil appears only for operators, admins, and owners in the organization that created the order. On a draft, providers select the shipper from the picker after **for**. Shippers choose the coordinator who will run the order. Confirm these before staging the order.

The tag-icon button beside **Actions** is separate. It reads **Add labels** until the order has labels, then shows them as chips, and it opens a picker where you search for or create labels. Labels do not change the order's reference.

## Build the route in Timeline

Use **Timeline** to add the segments and stops for the journey. A segment represents a leg of the shipment; supported types include ground, flight, and onboard courier. Available editing controls depend on your organization’s relationship to the order and its current state. Open each stop and enter its location, time requirements, contacts, cargo, and instructions.

## Add cargo and proof requirements

Use **Cargo** to enter the items moving on this shipment. **Add cargo** 1 creates a row 2 immediately, and grid edits submit automatically; reopen **Cargo** to confirm the saved values. Link each item to the pickup, handoff, and delivery it moves with (see [Assign Cargo to Stops](/dev/docs/guides/assign-cargo-to-stops)), then check the cargo assigned to each stop. Add task artifacts where proof is needed: images, files, signatures, scans, or other evidence. A proof requirement and a completed proof are different; inspect the saved artifact on the task after execution.

![The Cargo tab of an order with number 1 on the Add cargo button and number 2 on the cargo grid row.](/_fern-files/_img/57df6b82a619aef57d732ca15ce89ec241300781f38b64d80155b2f694ddd7f4.webp)

*The **Cargo** tab of an order. **1** **Add cargo** button, **2** cargo grid.*

## Review and stage

Review **Summary**, **Timeline**, and **Cargo** before choosing **Stage order**. If staging fails, CHRT shows **The order could not be staged** with the requirements that are not met, such as **Stops are missing cargo** or **No stop has a time window**, and **Go to Cargo** opens **Cargo**. Resolve each item and stage again. After staging, reload the order and confirm its saved state and assignments. Staging an order is separate from assigning a driver, starting a segment, or completing a stop.

For billing workflows and rate configuration, see [Billing](/dev/couriers/billing).

## Related guides

* [Getting Started](/dev/couriers)
* [Creating Orders](/dev/creating-orders)
* [Drivers](/dev/couriers/drivers)
* [Dispatching](/dev/couriers/dispatching)
* [Marketplace](/dev/couriers/marketplace)