The verdict in three sentences
For a Berlin road haulier with 60 trucks, a SaaS TMS costs EUR 80 to 150 per vehicle per month, or EUR 58,000 to 108,000 a year, while a custom TMS means EUR 60,000 to 120,000 of upfront investment plus EUR 12,000 to 20,000 of annual maintenance. Custom is justified when the business has specific pricing rules (indexed fuel surcharges, waiting time, dedicated rounds, toll pass-through) that SaaS forces you to handle outside the tool. Either way, telematics and e-CMR integration plus automatic invoicing remove about 2 days of re-keying per month, for a 5 to 7 month custom project.
The hidden cost of stacked tools
The classic setup: a 12-year-old TMS for transport orders, a telematics portal for tracking and driving hours, Excel for diesel surcharges, and invoices re-keyed into DATEV or the accounting system.
| Item | Today | After integration |
|---|---|---|
| Re-keying between TMS, telematics and invoicing | 2 days per month | Near zero |
| Missed or miscalculated fuel surcharges | 1 to 2 % of revenue | Under 0.2 % |
| Invoice issue time | D+10 to D+15 | D+1 after delivery |
| Average customer payment time | 48 days | 38 to 41 days |
| Waiting time actually billed | 30 to 40 % of real cases | 90 % thanks to timestamps |
| Lost paper consignment notes | 3 to 5 % | 0 % with e-CMR |
On EUR 7.5 million of revenue, recovering 1 point of surcharges and waiting fees is worth EUR 75,000 a year. These are 2026 orders of magnitude.
SaaS vs custom: the numbers
| Criterion | SaaS TMS | Custom TMS |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 setup | EUR 60,000 to 120,000 |
| Annual cost (60 vehicles) | EUR 58,000 to 108,000 | EUR 12,000 to 20,000 maintenance and hosting |
| Cumulative 5-year cost | EUR 295,000 to 555,000 | EUR 120,000 to 220,000 |
| Time to go live | 1 to 3 months | 5 to 7 months |
| Specific pricing rules | Partial, Excel workarounds | Fully modelled |
| Telematics integration | Standard connectors for major units | Custom, any unit with an API |
| Product roadmap | Vendor's | Yours |
| Main risk | Vendor lock-in, price increases | Supplier quality, documentation |
Above 40 vehicles, custom is usually cheaper over 5 years. Below 25 vehicles, SaaS remains the rational choice.
Building blocks of a custom TMS
| Building block | Content | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Transport orders and planning | Entry, EDI import from shippers, driver and vehicle assignment | EUR 15,000 to 28,000 |
| Telematics integration | Positions, driving hours, loading and delivery timestamps | EUR 10,000 to 20,000 |
| e-CMR and proof of delivery | Smartphone signature, photos, remarks | EUR 8,000 to 16,000 |
| Pricing engine | Customer rate cards, indexed fuel surcharge, toll, waiting time | EUR 10,000 to 22,000 |
| Invoicing and accounting export | Automatic invoices, XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, DATEV export | EUR 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Dashboards | Margin per customer and round, empty-km rate | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Driver app | Jobs, documents, incident reporting | EUR 4,000 to 6,000 |
Total: EUR 60,000 to 120,000. German B2B e-invoicing obligations, phasing in through 2027 and 2028, must be built in from day one.
Mini case study
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Lukas, managing director of a haulier in Berlin-Spandau, 60 trucks, EUR 7.5 million revenue. He chooses a custom TMS at EUR 95,000. Calculation: 2 days of re-keying saved per month, 24 days a year at EUR 300 loaded, EUR 7,200. Recovered surcharges and waiting fees reach 0.8 % of revenue, EUR 60,000. The avoided SaaS subscription would have cost EUR 72,000 a year. Over 5 years, custom costs about EUR 175,000 against EUR 360,000 for SaaS. Estimated payback: 16 months including invoicing gains.
FAQ
Does the custom TMS handle German e-invoicing?
Yes, XRechnung and ZUGFeRD formats are included in the invoicing budget. Receiving e-invoices has been mandatory for German businesses since January 2025, issuing phases in by 2028.
Which telematics units are compatible?
Any unit exposing an API or standard data feed, which covers over 90 % of the market. Each connector costs EUR 3,000 to 6,000 per provider.
Will our customers accept e-CMR?
Germany has ratified the e-CMR protocol and major shippers accept it. A 2 to 3 month dual paper and digital period is recommended.
What happens to our history in the old TMS?
Customers, rates and 3 years of transport orders are migrated for EUR 4,000 to 8,000. Older data stays available as an archive.
Can we go SaaS first, then custom?
Possible, but the double migration costs 15 to 25 % more. If the fleet exceeds 40 vehicles and is growing, going straight to custom is cheaper.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your fleet size, telematics units and accounting software for an estimate between EUR 60,000 and 120,000 and a 5 to 7 month plan. 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.
