An Orbit Resource Number (ORN) is a unique identifier that Orbit assigns to resources such as tours, shipments, and loads. ORNs enable features like Cockpit Identify and scannable QR codes on printed labels.
Key Highlights
Unique identification: Every ORN uniquely identifies a resource across the entire Orbit system
Structured format: A consistent orn:<tenant-id>:<resource-path> pattern that covers Tours, Shipments, and Loads
Scannable labels: Embed ORNs as QR codes on shipping labels using the Document Engine
Cross-feature support: Used by Cockpit Identify, the load status scanner, and the Document Engine Format
Every ORN follows the same structure:
orn:<tenant-id>:<resource-path>
orn: a fixed prefix identifying the string as an Orbit Resource Number.
tenant-id: the ID of the tenant that owns the resource.
resource-path: the type and ID of the resource, using / as a separator.
The short code you quote day-to-day, the tour code, shipment number, or order reference shown on screen in Orbit MissionControl, is the record's display name or reference. It is not the same thing as an ORN, and it helps to keep the two apart.
Everyday references are short. The code you and your team recognise a record by is a brief reference shown in the interface. An ORN, by contrast, is the longer, fully-qualified orn:<tenant-id>:<resource-path> string that works behind the scenes for scanning and labels.
Not everything has an ORN. ORNs exist for the resources that need to be scanned or deep-linked, chiefly Tours, Shipments, and Loads. Many records you work with are referred to only by their everyday code or number.
Quote the code you see. When talking to a colleague or to support about a record, the short reference on screen is the right one to use. Orbit resolves it to the underlying resource for you, so there is no need to build an ORN by hand.
When you generate shipping labels through Orbit's Document Engine, you can embed an ORN as a QR code on each label. Scanning this QR code with a phone camera opens Cockpit Identify and displays the associated Tour, stops, and loads.
The Document Engine provides the generateLoadDeepLink template filter, which produces a scannable deep link URL for any load. See the Cockpit Identify documentation for details on the scanning workflow.
The Identify function in Orbit Cockpit uses ORNs to resolve scanned barcodes. When a driver or warehouse worker scans a barcode containing an ORN, Cockpit looks up the corresponding Tour and displays its details. This works for tour, shipment, and load ORNs.
The barcode scanner in the load status panel also recognises ORNs. When a barcode containing a load ORN is scanned during the departure flow, the system matches it to the corresponding load at the current stop.
Note
Real Life Example:
Spaceport Shipping Co. in Berlin prints shipping labels for outbound deliveries using Orbit's Document Engine. Each label includes a QR code generated with the generateLoadDeepLink template filter. When a driver at the destination warehouse in London scans the QR code with their phone camera, Cockpit opens and shows that the Load belongs to Tour TUR-2024-112, with a delivery window of 14:00–16:00 at ACME Ltd, 45 King Street. The driver confirms the package is on the right vehicle without needing to check with a dispatcher.
In most cases, no. ORNs are generated automatically by Orbit, for example when using the generateLoadDeepLink filter in the Document Engine. If you are building a custom integration, you can construct ORNs from the resource IDs available in API responses and webhook payloads.
Can I use ORNs in the API?
ORNs are currently used for barcode scanning and label generation. They are not required for standard API calls, which continue to use resource IDs directly.
What barcode format should I use for ORNs?
We recommend encoding ORNs as QR codes. QR codes offer sufficient capacity for the full ORN string and are reliably read by the Cockpit scanner and standard phone cameras.
