Haulage TMS for transport orders and fuel control in Amsterdam (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A haulier with 75 trucks that still runs orders through email and reconciles fuel cards by hand typically loses around 5% of its diesel spend to leakage and invoices 15 days after delivery. A custom TMS covering transport orders, fuel card control, driver expenses, telematics and invoicing on delivery costs about 80,000 to 140,000 EUR for a 4-month project. Market TMS platforms at 30 to 60 EUR per truck per month handle planning well, but often fall short on fuel card reconciliation, tachograph data and client-specific tariffs.

Where fuel and cash go

The managing director of a typical Amsterdam haulier runs trucks from the Port of Amsterdam and Schiphol cargo zones to Rotterdam, Antwerp, the Ruhr and Hamburg. A truck covers around 120,000 km a year at about 30 litres per 100 km. Drivers use fuel cards from two or three networks, pay tolls through the German Maut and Belgian Viapass systems, and bring back CMR consignment notes at the end of the week.

Leakage is familiar: fuel card transactions that do not match the truck's position, idle time, empty kilometres from poor planning, unrecorded waiting time that is never billed. On the admin side, the signed CMR reaches the office days after delivery and the invoice goes out even later. Shippers then pay at 30 to 60 days.

Market TMS or custom software

European TMS platforms are strong on planning, mapping, eCMR and standard invoicing. Their limits show in fine-grained fuel card reconciliation against telematics, client-specific surcharges such as the diesel floater, and waiting time billing rules that differ by shipper.

At 75 trucks, a TMS subscription is comparable to custom over five years. Custom pays off when fuel, waiting time and tariffs are where the margin leaks, and when the company wants to own its data and integrations with telematics and accounting.

Scope of a 4-month project

Month one delivers transport orders and the assignment of trucks and drivers, with a planning board for dispatch. Month two covers fuel control: each fuel card transaction matched to the truck's GPS position, kilometres since last fill and expected consumption, with an alert above 5% deviation. Month three adds the driver app with eCMR, photos, geofenced waiting time and expenses. Month four connects invoicing on delivery, diesel floater surcharges, reminders and a client tracking portal.

GDPR applies to driver location data, so tracking is limited to working hours and access is logged. See our approach to custom web applications.

Mini case study

Daan, managing director of a haulier in Amsterdam, runs 75 trucks covering 120,000 km a year each at 30 litres per 100 km. Diesel costs about 1.75 EUR per litre at the pump in the Netherlands in 2026, as an order of magnitude.

• Annual volume: 75 × 120,000 × 0.30 = 2,700,000 litres.
• Fuel spend: 2,700,000 × 1.75 ≈ 4,725,000 EUR a year.
• Estimated leakage of 5%: about 236,000 EUR a year. Target: bring it down to 2%, recovering about 142,000 EUR.
• Waiting time: billing just 30 minutes a day per truck at 60 EUR an hour over 230 days yields 75 × 0.5 × 60 × 230 ≈ 518,000 EUR in potential revenue, depending on contracts.
• Cash flow: invoicing on delivery instead of 15 days later, on 15,000,000 EUR of annual revenue, frees about 15,000,000 × 15 / 365 ≈ 616,000 EUR of working capital.

On a 120,000 EUR build, fuel savings alone pay back the project in under 11 months.

FAQ

How much does a haulage TMS cost in Amsterdam in 2026?

Custom software costs about 80,000 to 140,000 EUR depending on modules. A market TMS costs 30 to 60 EUR per truck per month, or 27,000 to 54,000 EUR a year for 75 trucks.

Do we need new telematics hardware?

Usually not, most trucks built after 2019 have OEM telematics with an API, and existing boxes can be integrated. New units cost around 250 to 500 EUR each plus a monthly data fee.

Does the driver app support eCMR?

Yes, the Netherlands ratified the eCMR protocol and accepts electronic consignment notes. The driver captures the signature and photos on the phone, and the invoice can go out the same day.

How does fuel control detect fraud?

Each card transaction is matched with the truck's GPS position at the station, kilometres since the last fill and expected consumption. A deviation above 5% raises an alert to dispatch.

Is driver tracking GDPR compliant?

Yes, if tracking is limited to working time, drivers are informed and access is logged. The works council should be consulted, which typically adds 2 to 4 weeks to the timeline.

Let's scope your project. We map orders, fuel control, waiting time and invoicing with you, then roll the TMS out in stages over 4 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.