Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Suppliers

The new Supplier Portal enhances our existing platform to simplify shipment creation, improve tracking visibility, and reduce manual processes. While the look and feel have been updated for a more user-friendly experience, all core functionality and business rules such as special handling, remain the same.

Please Note:

• No functionality from the original portal was removed.
• All existing business rules, such as special handling, continue to apply.

Suppliers will need a Supplier Login to access the portal. Credentials will be the same as the original portal. If a supplier already has a login, there will be no need to create a new login. Logins to the Optimiz system are separate and will not give access to the supplier portal.

Yes, we have created help documentation, training videos, and a comprehensive FAQ page. (You're already here!) Spanish documentation and videos (with Spanish captions) are available by selecting Versión en Español within the help site.

For any questions you have about the new supplier portal or the training and help documents available, please reach out to SupplierPortalTraining@protrans.com to reach our team.

The current portal and new portal - PTConnect will operate simultaneously for approximately 30 days. Entries made in one portal will automatically populate in the other—there is no need to enter shipments in both systems. Both systems are live and will communicate directly with Optimiz.

At the end of the 30-day period, the original portal will be retired, and all activity will move exclusively to the new Supplier Portal - PTConnect.

After the 30-day transition period, the original portal and OEM documents inbox will no longer support shipment entry or document submission. All suppliers must use the new Supplier Portal moving forward.

During the 30-day transition period, documents sent to the OEM documents inbox will continue to be processed. However, suppliers are strongly encouraged to upload BOLs, PULs, customs documents, and other shipment paperwork directly through the Supplier Portal. Uploading directly through the portal will help reduce delays, improve visibility, and prevent missed documentation requirements.

Using the Supplier Portal as the primary method for order entry and document submission will help reduce delays, improve processing speed, and enhance shipment visibility for all stakeholders.

Active shipments will automatically be listed on the screen with no need to run any filters or searches first. Colored filtered buttons will be at the top right to filter results by Pickups, In Route, Needs Attention, and Historical.

• Pickups will show anything due to be picked up within 48 hours.
• In Route will show current shipments in transit.
• Needs Attention will be any current shipments that are missing requirements.
• Historical will show closed shipments from the last 30 days.

Click the red Needs Attention button at the top right. This will filter shipments that require additional action. In the third column, Required References / Attachments, click the link to view details about missing requirements (such as a BOL image). You can then upload documents directly in the portal by dragging and dropping files. Once completed, the shipment will no longer appear under Needs Attention.

In the top left corner, click on Create Order to open the Create Shipment wizard. Select an Origin and Destination. Same day cutoffs will show in local time. Ready and Close times can be changed by the supplier, if needed. Fill out the fields, click Next to provide additional shipment information. Once the order is saved, the portal will provide the Shipment ID and a button to print the BOL, if needed.

Please Note:

• BOL – available before a load is picked up.
• Master Bill – only available after the load is tendered.
• Email notifications, such as SPN, will continue as they do today.
• Shipment documents can be uploaded during or after order creation directly within the portal.

The supplier portal does not allow shipments to be created after a cutoff time. If a shipment is needed for same day and it is after the cutoff time, you will need to contact our team directly to make arrangements.

Users cannot make changes, such as “Delivery Date”, in the supplier portal. They can only view information that is in the Optimiz system.

In very select cases, specific customers or plants do not allow shipments to be created by a supplier and only be able to view documents. In those cases, the functionality will not be available in the portal. Shipments will then need to be created by contacting our teams directly.

Yes, while clicking on Historical will show you any closed shipments from the last 30 days, you can click on the Filters button to search for older shipments by the Shipment ID.

Under the colored filtered buttons and to the left of Filters, there is a button that says Clear. If you click on that button, it will clear the filters applied and go back to the original full list of shipments that populated when you logged into PTConnect.

We are excited to announce that we will be working to update our customer portal next and then the carrier portal.