Why carrier API integrations fail in production and what patterns separate reliable systems from brittle ones.
The Integration Gap
Most developers treat carrier APIs like any other REST endpoint. They write a happy-path integration, deploy it, and wait for the first 3 AM page. Carrier APIs are different: inconsistent error formats, undocumented rate limits, partial success responses, and SOAP endpoints that haven't been updated since 2012.
Carrier Reality
A major US carrier returns HTTP 200 for every response — even errors. The actual status is buried three levels deep in an XML body. If you only check the HTTP status code, you'll mark failed shipments as successful.
What This Trainer Covers
This tool focuses on the real-world skills you need for carrier integration work: reading HTTP semantics correctly, building idempotent retry logic, parsing SOAP faults, and diagnosing production incidents. Each lesson includes drills that test your ability to apply concepts, not just recall them.
How to Use This Tool
Work through the REST and SOAP tracks in order. Each lesson ends with embedded drills. The Incident Arena presents realistic troubleshooting scenarios. Your progress is saved locally — no account needed.