Booking and rate
The account manager records the lane, cargo, body type, time windows and rate versions. Dispatch receives the agreed trip terms, including surcharges that need prior approval.
Custom Development
CRM for Road Freight Transport
We’ll build a CRM for road freight carriers that use their own fleet or subcontracted vehicles. The trip record lets the account manager pass the agreed rate, loading terms and contacts to dispatch, while accounting can see proof of delivery and the payment due date.
- Booking and rateAgreed terms, cargo details and time window.
- Vehicle assignmentDriver, body type, vehicle arrival time and replacement contact.
- Delivery and paperworkProof of delivery, document pack and invoice.
Where information gets lost between booking and payment
- The rate was agreed in a message thread, but dispatch receives the booking without the agreed price version or waiting-time terms.
- For a subcontracted vehicle, the driver’s details, arrival time and trailer number are scattered across messages.
- The client wants an update, but the account manager first has to confirm loading or unloading with dispatch.
- The trip is complete, but the signed consignment note is still missing and the invoice has no supporting document.
- Extra detention charges or road tolls reach accounting after the trip has been closed.
From rate approval to trip closure
These modules can be included in the project. We’ll agree on the scope and workflow rules after reviewing your processes.
Vehicle assignment
Dispatch selects fleet or subcontracted vehicles by availability and body type. The replacement history records the time, reason and details already shared with the customer.
Trip milestone tracking
Key milestones can be entered manually or received from an agreed source. Rules determine which changes to communicate to the client and when to escalate a delay to the trip owner.
Proof of delivery and documents
The trip can link the booking, consignment note, service acceptance record, invoice and proof of delivery. For international road transport, the pack can include a CMR consignment note when it applies to the trip.
Revenue, costs and payments
Finance compares the agreed rate, carrier payment and actual surcharges. Payment status can come from the accounting system or be recorded manually under agreed rules.
Terms for recurring shipments
The customer record keeps agreed routes, warehouse addresses, cargo requirements and payment terms. The account manager can use these to start a booking and review any changes before approval.
CRM Workflow Examples
How teams can divide responsibilities and handle exceptions after rollout.
Replacing a vehicle before loading
The account manager records the agreed rate and time slot. If the vehicle becomes unavailable, dispatch assigns a replacement, checks its dimensions and sends the updated details to the customer. The original assignment stays in the history.
Delivery is complete and paperwork is pending
Dispatch records unloading and attaches a photo of the consignment note. If the contract requires the original, finance can see a separate document status and verify whether it can issue the invoice.
What to Include in the First Release
For the first release, pick one typical route and one exception, such as replacing a vehicle on loading day. We’ll agree who can change the rate, which milestones dispatch records, when invoicing can begin and where payment confirmations come from. The pilot is ready for acceptance once the account manager, dispatcher and accountant have worked through both scenarios.
Spreadsheets work when one person handles trips and past agreements are easy to reconstruct. A CRM makes sense when quotes, vehicle assignments and paperwork pass between roles and require a change history. If you already use a transport management system (TMS), we’ll first agree which trip and customer data to exchange.
Once we agree on the requirements, we design the screens, build a pilot, and try it against the agreed use cases. We plan the rollout and follow-on modules with your team.
Discuss the First PhaseDevelopment FAQ
How do we calculate a rate that varies by lane and waiting time?
A booking can hold the base rate, currency, validity period and separate surcharges. The version approved by the customer stays in the trip history, and actual costs are tracked separately.
Can we get vehicle status from GPS data?
We’ll first check whether an interface is available and whether each vehicle can be reliably matched to a trip. We’ll provide manual milestone confirmation for subcontracted vehicles and for times when a signal is unavailable.
Do we need to replace our current TMS?
During discovery we’ll identify which system owns orders, routes, statuses and finances. If the TMS already handles operations, the CRM can focus on rates, customer communication and booking handovers.
What affects the development estimate?
The estimate depends on booking types, rate approvals, driver access, document workflows and status sources. For an initial estimate, share a typical trip, an example of an exception and the systems your team uses.
Show us a typical trip
For the first conversation, bring a sample booking with client details removed, your rate approval rules and one delay your team struggles to track.