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# Getting Started as a Forwarder

> Step-by-step onboarding for freight forwarders on chrt — sign up, build your courier network, set rate sheets, and dispatch a multi-leg order.

This guide walks a freight forwarder through the smallest path from sign-up to a
multi-leg shipment in motion. By the end you will have a forwarder organization
on chrt, a customer connected, a courier network you can dispatch to, a default
rate sheet, and your first order built and assigned.

## Before you start

You need:

* A work email address.
* An idea of the kinds of shipments you orchestrate — single ground legs,
  ground + flight + ground hand-offs, or hand-carry (OBC) — so you know which
  flows to set up first.
* The handles or names of the shippers and couriers you already work with.

## Step 1: Create your forwarder organization

1. Go to [chrt.com/sign-up](https://chrt.com/sign-up).
2. Enter your name and work email, then create a password (or continue with
   Google).
3. Enter your company name and a public handle when chrt asks you to create
   or select an organization.
4. Choose **Provider** when chrt asks how your organization uses chrt. Freight
   forwarders are providers — the same organization mode as couriers, with
   access to the full multi-leg builder.

chrt routes provider sign-ups through subscription checkout before dropping
you in the app. Complete checkout to land on the activation checklist.

## Step 2: Invite operators and dispatchers

A forwarder org typically has dispatchers, ops coordinators, and finance
people. Invite them now so they can pick up work as it comes in.

1. Open [Members settings](https://chrt.com/settings/members).
2. Click **Invite user** and enter their email.
3. Choose **Admin** for managers who need to manage members or billing,
   **Operator** for dispatchers and coordinators, and **Member** for limited
   access (drivers, contractors, or other role-restricted users).

See [Add an organization member](/help/getting-started/add-org-member) for role
definitions and the full invite flow.

## Step 3: Add a customer

A customer is a shipper you forward for. If the shipper is already on chrt,
search the directory and connect. If not, record them as an off-platform
shipper so you can still build orders that reference them.

1. Open [chrt.com/connections](https://chrt.com/connections?view=table\&findNew=true).
2. Click **Find New** and search for the shipper's handle, or click
   **Add off-platform shipper** to record one that isn't on chrt yet.
3. Confirm the connection to make the shipper available in the draft builder.

See [Add a customer](/help/getting-started/add-a-customer) for the full flow.

## Step 4: Build your courier network

Forwarders need couriers at both ends of every multi-leg shipment. Use the
same connections flow to link up with the couriers you dispatch to.

1. Open [chrt.com/connections](https://chrt.com/connections?view=table\&findNew=true).
2. Search for each courier by handle and click **Connect**.
3. Repeat in the directory for couriers in your origin and destination
   markets.

See [Managing your courier network](/forwarders/network) for the full network
playbook and how to keep partner detail pages current.

## Step 5: Create a rate sheet

A rate sheet defines what work costs and what you'll earn. As a forwarder
you'll likely want at least two: one for what you charge a shipper, and one
for what each of your couriers charges you.

1. Open [chrt.com/rate-sheets](https://chrt.com/rate-sheets).
2. Choose the rate sheet kind (Standard per-piece, Per-piece per-distance,
   Per-piece per-pickup — the right kind depends on how you price work).
3. Fill in base rates, mileage rates, and surcharges (wait time, after-hours,
   dangerous goods, fuel).
4. Save the sheet and set it as the default for the relevant connection so it
   applies automatically on future orders.

See [Set up a rate sheet](/help/getting-started/set-up-rate-sheet) for the
detailed walkthrough.

## Step 6: Build and assign your first order

Forwarders place orders from the same draft builder as shippers, with the
multi-leg segments and flight tooling enabled.

1. Open [chrt.com/orders/drafts/new](https://chrt.com/orders/drafts/new).
2. On **Order setup**, pick the shipper this order is for and add an external
   reference if the customer has a PO or order ID.
3. Add **cargo** for each item being shipped.
4. Add **segments** for each leg of the journey — a single ground leg, a
   ground + flight + ground chain, or an onboard-courier hand-carry. See
   [Multi-leg orders](/forwarders/multi-leg-orders) for the full segment-by-
   segment walkthrough.
5. Attach flights on the **Flights** tab if any segment is air freight.
6. Add stops to each segment with addresses, contacts, cargo selections, and
   time windows.
7. Open **Preview**, click **Validate**, fix anything flagged, then click
   **Submit**.

Once submitted, the order moves to **Staged** and each ground task group goes
out to the assigned courier to accept. You'll see the order at
`/orders/<order-ref>` with the live map, timeline, and task progress.

> **Tip**
>
> Set up [notifications](/forwarders/getting-started#step-7-set-up-notifications)
> early. You want dispatch alerted on driver-assigned, task-completed, and
> exception events from day one — not after the first shipment slips through.

## Step 7: Set up notifications

Configure who on your team hears about which events. Open
[Notification settings](https://chrt.com/settings/notifications) and create
groups for dispatch, ops, and finance. Subscribe each group to the relevant
events (order staged, courier assigned, task completed, flight arrival,
invoice opened) on the right channels (email, SMS, push).

For system-to-system integrations into your TMS, enable
[webhooks](https://chrt.com/settings/webhooks) and configure endpoints to
receive the event payloads.

## Related guides

* [Multi-leg orders](/forwarders/multi-leg-orders)
* [Flights and WebCargo](/forwarders/flights)
* [Managing your courier network](/forwarders/network)
* [Billing for forwarders](/forwarders/billing)
* [About chrt for forwarders](/forwarders/about)