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# Getting Started as a Shipper

> Step-by-step onboarding for shipper organizations on chrt — sign up, connect with a provider, and create your first order.

This guide walks a shipper through the smallest path from sign-up to a live
shipment. By the end you will have a shipper organization on chrt, a connected
provider (a freight forwarder or courier you work with), and your first order
placed and ready to track.

## Before you start

You need:

* A work email address.
* The handle or profile link of the provider you plan to work with. If you
  don't have one yet, you can still create the org and connect later.
* Owner or admin access if you're joining an existing chrt organization rather
  than creating one.

## Step 1: Create your shipper organization

The fastest path is to sign up from a provider's public profile so your account
lands already connected to them. If you don't have a provider profile link, sign
up from [chrt.com/sign-up](https://chrt.com/sign-up) and connect later.

1. Open the provider's public profile page (URL looks like
   `https://chrt.com/@provider-handle`) and click **Sign Up and Connect**, or
   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 **Shipper** when chrt asks how your organization uses chrt.

See [Sign up and connect with a provider](/shippers/connecting-providers) for
the detailed flow with screenshots.

## Step 2: Invite the rest of your team

Once your shipper organization exists, invite anyone else who will place orders
or track shipments.

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

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

## Step 3: Connect with the providers you work with

A connection is the link between your shipper org and a forwarder or courier
that executes shipments for you. You can only assign orders to providers you
are connected with.

1. Open [chrt.com/connections](https://chrt.com/connections?view=table\&findNew=true).
2. Click **Find New** if the search panel isn't already open.
3. Search by the provider's handle and click **Connect**.

If your provider isn't on chrt yet, you can record them as an
[off-platform provider](/shippers/off-platform) so you can still build orders
that reference them.

## Step 4: Set up shipper info

Your shipper profile carries the contact, billing, and brand details providers
see when they receive your orders. Open
[Settings](https://chrt.com/settings) and fill out the shipper profile section
so providers and recipients see consistent information on every shipment.

## Step 5: Place your first shipment

You build shipments in the **draft builder**. A draft becomes a live order
once you submit it.

1. Open [chrt.com/orders/drafts/new](https://chrt.com/orders/drafts/new).
2. Pick the forwarder (or courier) on the **Order setup** tab. Direct courier
   assignment locks the order to a single ground segment.
3. Add cargo on the **Cargo** tab.
4. Add segments and stops on the **Segments** and **Stops** tabs.
5. Review on the **Preview** tab and click **Submit**.

See [Creating shipments](/shippers/creating-shipments) for the full draft
builder reference, and [AI order builder](/shippers/ai-order-builder) if you
want to paste an email or quote and have chrt populate the draft for you.

## Step 6: Track and share

Open the order page at `/orders/<order-ref>` to see the live map, task
timeline, ETA, proof-of-delivery artifacts, and messages. Use the **Share
tracking** action in the order's actions menu to generate a
[public tracking link](/shippers/public-tracking) you can send to a customer or
recipient — they can view the shipment without a chrt account.

> **Tip**
>
> You can also configure [notifications](/shippers/notifications) so the right
> people on your team get alerted on order events (staged, completed,
> exceptions). Set this up early so notifications start firing on day one.

## Related guides

* [Connecting with providers](/shippers/connecting-providers)
* [Creating shipments](/shippers/creating-shipments)
* [Tracking shipments](/shippers/tracking)
* [Billing](/shippers/billing)
* [About chrt for shippers](/shippers/about)