The verdict in three sentences
For a haulier running 70 trucks out of Amsterdam with a mix of groupage and full truckloads, a custom TMS costs EUR 60,000 to 110,000 excluding VAT in 2026, versus EUR 150 to 300 per vehicle per year for an off-the-shelf TMS, which is EUR 10,500 to 21,000 a year. Custom makes sense when operating rules are specific: heavy subcontracting, groupage through the port of Amsterdam or Rotterdam, shippers with their own EDI portals. With a realistic target of 8% fewer empty kilometres, the project pays back in 12 to 20 months.
What the whiteboard really costs
A whiteboard works as long as two planners know every driver, every customer and every time window. It hits its limits around 40 to 50 vehicles: unplanned empty returns, subcontracted jobs invoiced late, lost paper CMRs that delay invoicing by 10 to 15 days.
| Indicator | Whiteboard (typical finding) | With a TMS (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Share of empty kilometres | 18 to 24% | 16 to 21% (8% relative reduction targeted) |
| Invoicing delay after delivery | 10 to 15 days | 1 to 2 days with e-CMR |
| Daily planning time (2 planners) | 5 to 6 h | 2.5 to 3.5 h |
| Subcontracted jobs not re-invoiced | 1 to 3% of subcontracted revenue | Under 0.5% |
| Proof of delivery disputes | 3 to 5 per month | Under 1 per month (photo + geolocation) |
| Customer visibility on ETA | Phone calls | Automatic tracking link |
Off-the-shelf or custom TMS: 2026 comparison
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf TMS | Custom TMS |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost excl. VAT | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 (setup, data migration) | EUR 60,000 to 110,000 |
| Recurring cost excl. VAT | EUR 150 to 300 per vehicle per year, so EUR 10,500 to 21,000 | EUR 10,000 to 16,000 a year (maintenance, hosting) |
| Go-live | 6 to 10 weeks | 5 to 7 months |
| Mixed groupage and full loads | Often one or the other | Modelled on your flows |
| Subcontracting invoicing | Standard module | Margin rules and subcontractors built in |
| e-CMR | Imposed partner | Any e-CMR provider via API |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
Rule of thumb: if 80% of your operation fits the standard model of an off-the-shelf TMS, buy it. If more than 30% of your activity runs on in-house rules (subcontracting, complex customer rates, port interfaces), custom becomes cheaper over 5 years.
Typical scope and budget per module
| Module | Content | Budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Orders and pricing | Entry, EDI or email import, customer rate cards | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 |
| Route planning | Drag and drop, time windows, driving time | EUR 15,000 to 28,000 |
| GPS tracking and ETA | Integration of existing telematics boxes, delay alerts | EUR 8,000 to 14,000 |
| Driver app and e-CMR | Signature, photos, reservations, e-CMR link | EUR 10,000 to 20,000 |
| Subcontracting and invoicing | Subcontractors, margins, accounting export | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 |
| Dashboards | Load factor, empty kilometres, profitability per customer | EUR 7,000 to 12,000 |
A first EUR 60,000 package (orders, planning, driver app) can be live in 4 months, with invoicing and analytics following.
Mini case study
Nadia runs a 70-truck haulier near Schiphol. Her fleet drives 7.7 million kilometres a year, 21% of them empty, which is 1.62 million kilometres. A EUR 85,000 custom TMS targets 8% fewer empty kilometres: 129,000 km avoided at EUR 0.55 variable cost per kilometre (diesel, tolls, tyres), or EUR 71,000 a year. On top of that come 2.5 hours of planning saved per day and invoicing 10 days faster, which frees about EUR 180,000 of cash. Payback: about 14 months.
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FAQ
Does a custom TMS handle regulatory driving times?
Yes, EU rules (9 hours of driving per day, 56 hours per week) are built into planning and fed by tachograph data through the telematics API.
Is e-CMR accepted in the Netherlands in 2026?
Yes, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to ratify the e-CMR protocol and most shippers accept it. The TMS connects to an existing e-CMR provider for about EUR 1 to 2 per consignment note.
Can we keep our current GPS boxes?
In 90% of cases, yes: the main telematics vendors expose an API. Integration costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000 per vendor.
How long does planner training take?
Allow 2 days of training and 3 weeks of controlled parallel running. Drivers pick up the app in under 30 minutes.
Who owns the software at the end?
You do. Source code and documentation are handed over, which avoids vendor lock-in and yearly licence increases.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your fleet size, share of subcontracting and current tools: we will price a TMS between EUR 60,000 and 110,000 with a first package live in 4 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
