Import Shipment Data via CSV Upload and PDF Extraction

Chainomics gives you two manual methods to bring your shipment data into the platform: CSV upload with smart column mapping for bulk imports from any spreadsheet or TMS export, and PDF extraction using OCR and table reconstruction to pull structured data directly from rate confirmations, Bills of Lading, and commercial invoices. Both methods trigger automatic AI risk scoring the moment your shipments land in the platform.

If your account has no shipments yet, Chainomics automatically seeds 10 sample shipments so you can explore disruption risk scoring, dashboard views, and AI features right away — no upload required.

Import Methods

CSV Upload
PDF Extraction

Use CSV upload to bulk-import shipments from a TMS export, a spreadsheet, or any system that can produce a .csv file.

Steps

Navigate to the CSV Import tab

Go to Shipments → Upload Shipments and select the CSV Import tab.

Upload your CSV file

Drag and drop your .csv file onto the upload zone, or click Browse Files to select it from your computer. Files must be in CSV format and no larger than 50 MB.

Review the smart column mapping

Chainomics automatically detects and maps common column names from your file to the required shipment fields. Columns it recognizes include:

Your Column Name (examples)	Maps To
`origin_city`, `pickup_city`, `from_city`	Pickup City
`origin_state`, `pickup_state`, `from_state`	Pickup State
`dest_city`, `destination_city`, `to_city`	Dropoff City
`dest_state`, `destination_state`, `to_state`	Dropoff State
`carrier`, `carrier_name`, `scac`	Carrier Name
`ship_date`, `pickup_date`, `pu_date`	Pickup Date
`delivery_date`, `dropoff_date`, `del_date`	Delivery Date
`status`, `shipment_status`, `load_status`	Shipment Status

Confirm the mapping and import

Review the column mapping and preview the first three rows of your data. Adjust any auto-mapped fields as needed, then click Import Records. Chainomics processes records in batches — you can navigate away during a large import.

Shipments are scored automatically

Once the import completes, every imported shipment is immediately scored for disruption risk (0–100) and appears in the Shipments dashboard.

Tips for Best Results

For the most accurate risk scoring, include the following fields in your CSV:

Origin and destination — city + state or ZIP code for both pickup and delivery
Carrier name — used for FMCSA safety scoring and carrier-specific risk factors
Shipment / pickup date — required for weather, seasonal, and corridor risk modeling
Load reference number — helps you identify shipments across systems

Sample CSV Format

reference,origin_city,origin_state,dest_city,dest_state,ship_date,carrier,mode
LOAD-001,Dallas,TX,Chicago,IL,2025-02-01,JB Hunt,TL
LOAD-002,Laredo,TX,Houston,TX,2025-02-02,Werner,TL

Credit Schedule

Action	Credits Earned
Per valid shipment record imported	+0.05 cr, capped at 100 cr per import
Duplicate records	0 cr (skipped automatically)

Use PDF extraction to import shipments directly from freight documents — no spreadsheet export required. Chainomics uses OCR and table reconstruction to pull structured data from the PDF, so you can confirm the fields before committing the import.

Steps

Navigate to the PDF tab

Go to Shipments → Upload Shipments and select the PDF Uploads tab.

Upload your PDF document

Drag and drop one or more PDF files onto the upload zone, or click Browse Files to select them. You can upload up to 50 files per session, with a maximum of 25 MB per file.Supported document types:

Rate Confirmations
Bills of Lading (BOL)
Commercial Invoices / Freight Invoices

Chainomics extracts the shipment data

Chainomics uploads the file, runs OCR and table reconstruction, and classifies the document type (Rate Confirmation, BOL, or Invoice) automatically. You can monitor extraction status in the upload queue — each file progresses through Uploading → Extracting → Extracted.

Review the extracted fields

Once extraction is complete, click View next to any file to inspect the extracted fields (origin, destination, carrier, dates, reference numbers, and more) before the data is committed to your shipment portfolio.

Shipments are scored automatically

Extracted shipments are immediately scored for disruption risk (0–100) and appear in the Shipments dashboard alongside shipments imported via CSV or TMS.

For best extraction accuracy, use native digital PDFs (exported directly from your TMS or accounting system) whenever possible. Scanned documents are supported but should be scanned at a minimum resolution of 200 DPI with clear, unobstructed text. Low-resolution or handwritten documents may result in partial extraction.

Supported PDF Types

Document Type	Input Format
Rate Confirmation	Native digital PDF or scanned (≥ 200 DPI)
Bill of Lading (BOL)	Native digital PDF or scanned (≥ 200 DPI)
Commercial Invoice	Native digital PDF or scanned (≥ 200 DPI)

Credit Schedule

Document Type	Credits Earned
Rate Confirmation	+1 cr per file (on successful extraction)
Freight Invoice	+2 cr per file (on successful extraction)
Bill of Lading	+3 cr per file (BOLs carry more structured data)
Duplicate upload	0 cr (blocked automatically)
Failed extraction	0 cr

Sample Shipments

New to Chainomics or evaluating the platform? If your shipment portfolio is empty, Chainomics automatically seeds 10 sample shipments covering a range of North American lanes, carriers, and modes. These samples are pre-scored for disruption risk, so you can explore the Shipments dashboard, risk score explanations, and triage workflow without uploading any data. Navigate to Shipments → Upload Shipments → Sample Shipments to generate them on demand.

Credits and Tier Progression

Every shipment record you import — whether via CSV or PDF — earns AI credits toward your tier progression (Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum). Credits unlock higher usage of AI-powered features including Ask Ms. Z, tariff scenario modeling, and custom AI agent runs.

Relationship to Document Risk Scanner

PDFs you upload for shipment extraction can also be analyzed by the Document Risk Scanner — Chainomics’ dedicated compliance validation engine. The Document Risk Scanner performs deeper checks on your shipping documents, including:

Address integrity (ZIP / city / state cross-validation)
Weight and quantity reconciliation across BOL, invoice, and packing list
Signature block presence and completeness
HazMat compliance against 49 CFR 172 regulations
USMCA origin and preference field validation

To run a compliance scan, navigate to the Document Risk Scanner and upload the same PDF, or explore a public sample scan without signing in.

​Import Methods

​Steps

​Tips for Best Results

​Sample CSV Format

​Credit Schedule

​Steps

​Supported PDF Types

​Credit Schedule

​Sample Shipments

​Credits and Tier Progression

​Relationship to Document Risk Scanner

Import Methods

Steps

Tips for Best Results

Sample CSV Format

Credit Schedule

Steps

Supported PDF Types

Credit Schedule

Sample Shipments

Credits and Tier Progression

Relationship to Document Risk Scanner