FexEx API: Getting Transit Times with only ZIP codes

Question

I've been searching the web and reading through the FedEx Web Services Developer Guide to see if its possible to use their API to submit a couple ZIP codes and return an estimated transit time for a Ground package. Similar to what FedEx's "Get Rates & Transit Times" page does. Has anyone done something like this?

Answer 1

In order to do this you need to use FedEx's "Validation Availability and Commitment Service". Here is a link to their PDF on its use: https://www.fedex.com/templates/components/apps/wpor/secure/downloads/pdf/201607/FedEx_WebServices_ValidationAvailabilityAndCommitmentServices_WSDLGuide_v2016.pdf

I have also been working on it and have put together a quick and dirty little piece of PHP code that works.

<?php

  // This is the local path to the FedEx Validation Availability and Commitment Service WSDL
  $_wsdlPath = '/xxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxxx/ValidationAvailabilityAndCommitmentService_v6.wsdl'; 

  $ship_from_zip = 10001;
  $ship_to_zip = 90210;

  // Create the SOAP client
  try {
    $client = new SoapClient($_wsdlPath, array('trace' => 1));
  }
  catch(SoapFault $soapFault) {
    print($soapFault);
    return;
  }

  // Create our request that we will send to FedEx
  $transit_time_request = createTransitTimeRequest($ship_from_zip, $ship_to_zip);

  // Send our request to FedEx
  $transit_time_response = callTransitTimeRequest($client, $transit_time_request);

  print_r($transit_time_response);

  function callTransitTimeRequest($client, $transit_time_request) {
    try {
      // Call FedEx's serviceAvailability operation
      $response = $client->serviceAvailability($transit_time_request);
      return $response;
    }
    catch(SoapFault $soapFault) {
      print($soapFault);
      return null;
    }
  }

  function createTransitTimeRequest($ship_from_zip, $ship_to_zip) {
    $_meterNumber = 'xxxxxx'; // Your accounts ClientDetail MeterNumber
    $_accountNumber = 'xxxxx'; // You accounts ClientDetail AccountNumber
    $_password = 'xxxxxx'; // Your accounts UserCredential Password
    $_key = 'xxxxx'; // Your accounts UserCredential Key
    $_majorVersion = X; // The WSDL version

    $request['WebAuthenticationDetail'] = array();
    $request['WebAuthenticationDetail']['UserCredential'] = array();
    $request['WebAuthenticationDetail']['UserCredential']['Key'] = $_key;
    $request['WebAuthenticationDetail']['UserCredential']['Password'] = $_password;
    $request['ClientDetail'] = array();
    $request['ClientDetail']['AccountNumber'] = $_accountNumber;
    $request['ClientDetail']['MeterNumber'] = $_meterNumber;
    $request['TransactionDetail'] = array();
    $request['TransactionDetail']['CustomerTransactionId'] = 'ServiceAvailabilityRequest';
    $request['Version'] = array();
    $request['Version']['ServiceId'] = 'vacs';
    $request['Version']['Major'] = $_majorVersion;
    $request['Version']['Intermediate'] = '0';
    $request['Version']['Minor'] = '0';
    $request['Origin'] = array();
    $request['Origin']['PostalCode'] = $ship_from_zip;
    $request['Origin']['CountryCode'] = 'US';
    $request['Destination'] = array();
    $request['Destination']['PostalCode'] = $ship_to_zip;
    $request['Destination']['CountryCode'] = 'US';
    $request['ShipDate'] = date("Y-m-d");
    $request['CarrierCode'] = "FDXG"; // FDXG = Ground, FDXE = Express

    return $request;
  }

?>

Also, this is what the above code returns and what you can expect:

stdClass Object
(
    [HighestSeverity] => NOTE
    [Notifications] => stdClass Object
        (
            [Severity] => NOTE
            [Source] => vacs
            [Code] => 2002
            [Message] => Your Packaging was assumed.
            [LocalizedMessage] => Your Packaging was assumed.
        )

    [TransactionDetail] => stdClass Object
        (
            [CustomerTransactionId] => ServiceAvailabilityRequest
        )

    [Version] => stdClass Object
        (
            [ServiceId] => vacs
            [Major] => 6
            [Intermediate] => 0
            [Minor] => 0
        )

    [Options] => Array
        (
            [0] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [Service] => FEDEX_GROUND
                    [TransitTime] => FOUR_DAYS
                )

            [1] => stdClass Object
                (
                    [Service] => GROUND_HOME_DELIVERY
                    [TransitTime] => FOUR_DAYS
                )

        )

)