Logistics teams handle a long list of tasks every day: booking carriers, tracking shipments, dealing with customs paperwork, and responding to last-minute changes. When those details are spread across emails, spreadsheets, and carrier portals, it’s easy to lose track. Logistics department software (or transport management software) brings everything together in one system, making life easier for everyone on the team.
Logistics managers frequently hop between carrier portals, emails, and spreadsheets. Each carrier might have its own login and process, leading to mix-ups and time lost on repetitive tasks.
Rate confusion and updates
Carriers often use contract-based pricing or ad-hoc quotes, each with its own fuel surcharge (sometimes called BAF). As Aivo Kurik mentions in “The European road transport price list is like a restaurant menu with 10,000+ dishes”, keeping track of all these variables can be overwhelming. Many teams still rely on spreadsheets or log into multiple carrier systems to manually calculate each shipment’s cost. Even a small oversight—like missing an updated surcharge—can lead to overspending or billing issues.
Manual data entry and errors
Copy-pasting details into various portals isn’t just tedious—it’s also prone to mistakes. A single typo in an address or weight can lead to billing disputes or shipment delays.
Limited visibility for other departments
Warehouse personnel, finance teams, and purchasing departments often need shipment updates too. When data is scattered, you end up with repeated phone calls, emails, or guesswork.
Logistics department chaos
Core features of logistics department software that solve common headaches
Centralized shipment management
Enter shipment details once, choose from your preferred carriers, then book. All documentation, tracking information, and price lists live in one place—so you don’t have to remember multiple passwords or juggle browser tabs.
Live cost visibility
Software that stores your contract prices and can request real-time quotes makes it straightforward to compare carrier costs. You see your total freight cost before booking, protecting the budget and eliminating surprises.
Collaboration and transparency
Logistics department software gives access to everyone who needs it: purchasing, sales, warehouse teams, and managers. Real-time updates mean fewer back-and-forth emails, minimizing delays.
Analytics and reporting
Accurate data helps you spot inefficiencies, measure carrier performance, and calculate cost-per-shipment. It also offers insights into CO2 emissions or other metrics that matter to your company’s goals.
Real-world gains: what teams are saying
1. Faster and easier communication
Viru Elektrikaubandus found that emailing back and forth with different carriers was getting out of hand. After using Cargoson, the team said:
“We no longer have to ask anywhere how far the shipment is, we can monitor the information in real time, we don’t have to call over or do silly manual work. Everything that Cargoson initially promised us has come true.”
2. Better visibility for management
Data Print, a label manufacturer, struggled to find the right carrier for each of its many shipping destinations. In their words:
“With the help of Cargoson, it’s only a few clicks away, and in moments you can see offers in what terms various carriers have promised to deliver our goods. Cargoson makes the logistics work much faster and clearer, but also more transparent for management, purchase & sales department.”
3. Direct cost and time savings
Nefab reported a measurable impact on daily operations:
“It is estimated that we spend 20-30% less time per day ordering transport, which also means direct cost savings. Transport partners have also said that they have less manual work and life has become easier.”
4. Coordinating multiple locations
Onninen needed a solution for a large team with many sites and hundreds of salespeople who all needed to order transport.. Using Cargoson's logistics department software, they simply enter their shipping needs in one system, and the logistics manager periodically reviews and finalizes each request. The entire process is visible to every department—even accounting can confirm costs without extra emails or calls. According to Toomas Veskus, their Baltic logistics manager:
“Everything happened by e-mail, but it became complicated because there are many parties and we are working in two shifts [...] In the case of Cargoson, the carriers enter the data themselves, and this is an important time saving for us.”
Onninen also gained better insights into overall shipments and costs:
“Of course, saving time also means saving money, and although we have not calculated this precisely, it is safe to say that without Cargoson, there would probably be more people at work who would keep an eye on the whole process and bring the content of conversations to common Excel spreadsheets. Cargoson is doing this work automatically for us.”
Additional resources
If you’re a manufacturer looking for more specialized guidance, take a look at our article on transport management software for manufacturers. It covers how to handle heavy pallet loads, compare carriers, and improve processes unique to manufacturing.
Ready to bring order to your logistics department’s work?
Logistics department software centralizes carrier selection, cost comparisons, and communication between colleagues, customers and partners. It means fewer mistakes, faster bookings, and better transparency for everyone involved.
Book a free 30-minute consultation and let's discuss your current processes and possible improvements. Change isn’t always easy, but we’ve helped hundreds of European businesses make the switch—and the benefits speak for themselves. Check out our references.
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