The verdict in three sentences
A mid-sized refrigerated haulier in Amsterdam should budget EUR 8,000 to 15,000 for a website that actually works, delivered in 6 to 9 weeks. Two features justify the spend: a quote request form structured by route, pallet count and temperature range, and a driver recruitment page with a 2-minute mobile application. With 40 vacancies to fill every year, the site often pays for itself on recruitment alone.
The two engines of the site: quotes and recruitment
A food shipper in the Randstad looking for a temperature-controlled carrier wants to know in under a minute whether you cover their lane, at which temperature and with which certifications. A CE driver checks vacancies on a phone between drops and gives up if the form demands a PDF CV.
| Feature | Expected content | Cost (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Quote form | Origin, destination, pallets, weight, temperature range (+2/+4 °C, -18 °C), frequency | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 |
| Request routing | Sent to the right planner by region, automatic acknowledgement | EUR 500 to 1,200 |
| Regular lanes map | Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Venlo, Antwerp, Hamburg with departure days | EUR 800 to 1,800 |
| Certifications page | ATP, IFS Logistics, GDP for pharma, Lean and Green, cargo insurance | EUR 300 to 700 |
| Driver recruitment | Filterable vacancies, 2-minute mobile application, no CV required | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 |
| Application tracking | HR dashboard, export to payroll software | EUR 800 to 2,000 |
| Additional languages | Dutch, English and German for cross-border shippers | EUR 800 to 1,500 |
The mobile application is the most profitable lever. A 5-field form (name, phone, C or CE licence, valid Code 95, availability) with a planner callback within 48 h usually converts 3 to 4 times better than a page pointing to an email address.
Budget, timeline and cost per hire
The table below compares three project levels for a haulier with 60 to 120 vehicles.
| Level | Scope | Price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 8 pages, simple quote form, static job ads | EUR 8,000 | 6 weeks |
| Standard | Structured quotes, routing, mobile application, lanes map | EUR 11,500 | 7 to 8 weeks |
| Complete | Standard + HR tracking, 3 languages, local SEO in 6 cities | EUR 15,000 | 9 weeks |
| Maintenance | Security, backups, 2 h of changes | EUR 120 to 250/month | Ongoing |
| Recruitment campaign | Sponsored ads to the application page | EUR 600 to 1,500/month | 3 months |
To measure return, compare with the current cost of hiring a driver. An ad on a specialist job board costs EUR 300 to 600, while a recruitment or staffing agency charges 15 to 20% of annual gross salary, or EUR 6,000 to 8,000 for a CE driver earning EUR 40,000 to 44,000 gross a year in the Netherlands.
Mini case study
Pieter runs a refrigerated haulier near Schiphol with 85 rigid trucks and semi-trailers and 40 driver vacancies a year between departures and growth. Today, 15 hires go through staffing agencies at EUR 6,500 on average, or EUR 97,500 a year.
He invests EUR 11,500 in the Standard level and EUR 900 a month of campaigns for 3 months. If the application page lets him hire 8 of those 15 drivers directly, savings reach EUR 52,000 in year one against a total investment of EUR 14,200. On the sales side, 2 new shippers signed through the quote form, at EUR 9,000 of monthly revenue each, would more than double that gain.
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FAQ
Should a haulier show prices on its website?
Rarely: rates depend on diesel, empty returns and volumes. A quote form answered within 4 business hours works better, and around 70% of shippers accept that delay.
How many fields should a quote request have?
Between 7 and 10: origin, destination, pallets, weight, temperature, frequency, start date and contact. Beyond 12 fields, abandonment often exceeds 50%.
Can the site connect to our TMS?
Yes, if your TMS exposes an API or accepts CSV import. Integration costs EUR 2,000 to 5,000 and removes manual re-entry by planners.
How do we make the recruitment page visible?
By publishing each vacancy with JobPosting structured data for Google Jobs, targeting 6 to 8 cities and sharing on social media. Allow 2 to 3 months for stable traffic.
Who updates the job ads?
The HR assistant or planning team, from a simple back office. Publishing a vacancy takes under 5 minutes and needs no technical skills.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your fleet size, main lanes and hiring needs, and we will price a website between EUR 8,000 and 15,000 delivered in 6 to 9 weeks. 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.
