Freight forwarder website with shipment lookup in Singapore (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a freight forwarder operating out of the Port of Singapore, a website with shipment lookup by bill of lading number costs between 18,000 and 40,000 SGD in 2026, ships in 8 to 10 weeks and runs on hosting of about 120 SGD a month. The tracking module answers the question behind most of the 200 weekly calls: "where is my container?". It frees operations staff for customs and documentation work and reassures importers, who increasingly pick forwarders on transparency.

What the client wants to see at each stage

An importer follows a container through about ten stages: vessel arrival, manifest, customs declaration via TradeNet, duty payment, permit approval, release at the terminal and delivery. The site lets them enter a BL or job number and see the current stage, last update time, missing documents and the contact of the assigned coordinator. A WhatsApp or SMS notification at each stage change removes most chasing.

Data comes from the forwarder's freight management system or a structured sheet maintained by the team. The module does not replace TradeNet or terminal systems: it turns internal progress into a status the client can read.

Budget, timeline and recurring costs

The Site + tracking package around 28,000 SGD covers most forwarders handling 150 to 400 jobs a month. The full portal makes sense beyond that, or when large shippers require history and exports for their own accounting.

Mini case study

Wei Ling runs a 25-person forwarding company in Singapore with 300 active jobs a month. Her coordinators take about 200 status calls a week, averaging 6 minutes each, so 20 hours a week. With a 28,000 SGD site + tracking, 120 SGD of hosting and 450 SGD of maintenance a month, the company targets 65 % fewer calls thanks to notifications. That frees 13 hours a week, about 56 hours a month. At a loaded coordinator cost of 45 SGD an hour, direct savings are about 2,500 SGD a month. The bigger gain is capacity: those hours allow roughly 30 extra jobs a month at an average fee of 450 SGD, or 13,500 SGD of potential revenue. The site pays back in 3 to 4 months if half of that capacity is sold.

FAQ

Is online tracking connected to TradeNet or the terminals?

Not directly in most projects: the site shows the statuses your team records in its software or back office. An update takes under 30 seconds per stage and triggers the client notification.

How do we stop a third party from viewing a client's shipment?

The lookup combines the BL number with a client code or a phone number verified by SMS. Attempts are capped at 5 per hour and every view is logged, in line with the PDPA.

What do WhatsApp notifications cost?

The WhatsApp Business API charges roughly 0.01 to 0.05 SGD per utility message depending on category, and SMS 0.05 to 0.08 SGD. For 300 jobs and 8 notifications each, expect 50 to 200 SGD a month.

Do we need a Chinese version of the site?

It is recommended if you work with shippers in China or Taiwan. A Simplified Chinese version adds about 2,500 to 4,000 SGD to the project.

What if the site goes down during a peak of vessel arrivals?

Hosting at 120 SGD a month includes monitoring and daily backups, with restore in under 4 hours. Staff can still look up jobs in the freight software in parallel.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your job volume, your freight software and the stages to display, and we will price a site with tracking, delivered in 8 to 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.