Road Haulage TMS Software Cost in Amsterdam (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For an Amsterdam haulier running 85 trucks across the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, a TMS must first make three things reliable: transport orders, driving time compliance and invoicing with a fuel surcharge. A package handles simple lanes well, but custom software pays off when subcontracting, Mobility Package rules and road tolls weigh heavily on margin. The decision rests on cost per vehicle over five years, planner hours saved and fuel surcharges that no longer slip off invoices.

What a TMS must handle for cross-border haulage

A planner near Schiphol or the port of Rotterdam juggles constraints that spreadsheets handle badly. The EU Mobility Package requires trucks to return to the operating centre every 8 weeks, caps cabotage at 3 operations in 7 days followed by a 4-day cooling-off period, and requires driver postings to be declared on the EU portal. German LKW-Maut is charged per kilometre by CO2 class, and the Dutch truck charge (vrachtwagenheffing) adds a per-kilometre cost on Dutch roads from 2026.

On invoicing, most Dutch shipper contracts carry a diesel surcharge clause tied to a published fuel index. A TMS that applies the monthly adjustment automatically avoids misses that often amount to 0.3 to 0.8% of revenue. The Netherlands also leads on eCMR, so digital consignment notes should be native.

2026 costs: per-vehicle subscription or project

The following are 2026 ballpark figures for an 80 to 100 vehicle fleet in the Netherlands.

A package at 90 EUR per vehicle costs 91,800 EUR a year for 85 trucks, 459,000 EUR over five years. A 105,000 EUR custom project with 15% annual maintenance comes to about 184,000 EUR over the same period, plus hosting. The gap is real, but custom work needs serious scoping and a lead planner available one day a week during the project.

To see how we structure this kind of build, visit our custom web applications page.

Mini case study

Sander, operations director at an Amsterdam haulier with 85 trucks, turns over 15,300,000 EUR a year. His 2 planners each spend 1 hour a day re-keying transport orders and checking driving time. The TMS gives them back 2 hours a day, 440 hours a year over 220 working days, about 22,000 EUR at 50 EUR per loaded hour.

The second gain is invoicing: an audit shows 0.5% of revenue in fuel surcharge is never recharged, 76,500 EUR a year. Added to the hours saved, that is 98,500 EUR a year. The 105,000 EUR project pays back in about 13 months, before counting fewer driving time fines.

FAQ

Can we keep our current telematics units?

Yes, a custom TMS connects to the installed units through their API. The connector usually costs 8,000 to 20,000 EUR depending on how many brands the fleet runs.

How does the TMS handle cabotage in Germany?

It keeps a counter per truck: at most 3 operations in 7 days after an international delivery, then 4 days off. The planner is alerted before assigning a trip that would break the rule.

Is a package better under 40 trucks?

Often yes: at 40 vehicles and 80 EUR a month, the subscription costs 38,400 EUR a year, and a 70,000 EUR project takes almost 3 years to pay back before productivity gains. Custom mainly makes sense above 60 vehicles or with heavy subcontracting.

How long does go-live take?

Plan for 5 to 7 months: 4 weeks of scoping, 3 to 4 months of build in releases, then 4 to 8 weeks running in parallel. The orders and planning release can be live by month four.

Is the fuel surcharge automatic?

Yes, the TMS imports the monthly diesel index and applies each contract's formula. For a haulier this size, 0.3 to 0.8% of revenue is often recovered in year one.

Let's scope your project. We define transport orders, subcontracting, driving time and invoicing with you, then a phased go-live plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.