A system for managing shipping parcels that includes a specially adapted set of load planning tables, or, from another aspect, a set of load planning tables for use with a system for managing shipping parcels. The system includes: a planning system for providing a rated route; and a shipping database for providing stored planning information and for providing a stored rated route for shipping the parcel. Some of the shipping database is organized as a set of load planning tables, including: a group table, for storing group identifiers, each group identifier used to identify a group of one or more parcels; a load table, for storing records of attributes associated with a load, which is in turn associated with a group; a stop table, for storing records of attributes associated with a stop, which is in turn associated with a load; a shipment header table, for storing records of attributes associated with a shipment, which is in turn optionally associated with a stop; and a cost table, for storing records of attributes associated with a component cost of a load, which is in turn associated with a load.