Logistics / Outbound Transportation

Once an order is confirmed and inventory is allocated, the product still has to physically move. Pallets have to be picked, loads have to be built, vehicles have to be assigned, routes have to be planned, drivers have to be briefed, and the right paperwork has to travel with the goods. For an agribusiness shipping perishable produce on tight delivery windows, getting any of this wrong, an under-loaded truck, an inefficient route, a missing certificate, a late arrival, costs real money on every load.

AgriERP’s Logistics and Outbound Transportation capability is built on an enterprise-grade Transportation Management System (TMS), the same kind of platform that runs distribution operations at global manufacturers and retailers. AgriERP shapes that platform for agriculture, where loads carry perishable produce, deliveries have to align with harvest windows, and the documents that travel with the goods include compliance records that buyers and regulators require.

What this section covers

• Dispatch: building loads, assigning vehicles and drivers, generating paperwork, and getting the goods physically out the gate.
• Route planning (TMS): designing the most efficient way to move loads from origin to destination, choosing carriers, sequencing stops, and rating the freight cost.

The Transportation Management foundation

A Transportation Management System (TMS) is a comprehensive capability for planning, executing, and monitoring transportation operations. AgriERP’s TMS handles inbound and outbound shipments, carrier selection, real-time tracking, and freight rating, all integrated with the rest of the ERP so finance, inventory, and operations are working from one set of numbers.

Capability	What it means in practice
Load building	Combines multiple sales orders into optimised loads based on weight, volume, and delivery dates. A standard volume-based load-building strategy is included, with the option to add custom strategies for specific operations.
Routing and route guides	Determines the route for shipments using distance, cost, and time constraints. Route guides match shipments to scheduled routes; constraints can restrict specific items from specific destinations.
Carrier selection and management	Chooses carriers based on rates, service levels, and agreements. Stores and manages carrier contracts, tariffs, and fuel surcharges.
Rate Route Workbench	A single workbench for rating and routing shipments. The Rate function retrieves the lowest available rate; the Rate Shop function retrieves multiple rates and route options to compare.
Multi-modal transportation	Supports road, rail, air, and sea transportation, with separate rules for each mode where needed.
Tendering and communication	Sends shipment requests to carriers electronically. Confirms acceptance and books capacity.
Tracking and visibility	Monitors shipment status from dispatch to delivery, with real-time updates flowing back to the buyer and the operations team.
Document generation	Produces bills of lading, shipping labels, customs documents, and certificates of origin automatically, from the load and the order data.
Freight cost calculation and reconciliation	Calculates transportation cost automatically during planning, and reconciles carrier invoices against the agreed rate when freight bills arrive.
Engine extension model	For specific scenarios (third-party carrier APIs, mapping providers), a custom engine can be added to integrate with external systems through the Integration Layer.

Why this matters to you Most agribusinesses run logistics on a whiteboard. The dispatch supervisor manages it on paper. The accounts team reconciles freight invoices weeks later, often finding mistakes that are not worth chasing. A modern TMS is not just “a better whiteboard”; it is a structured operating system for transportation, with documented integration to the rest of the ERP, automatic cost flow, and audit-ready paperwork at every step.AgriERP delivers an enterprise-grade TMS as part of the platform, shaped for the realities of moving fresh and processed agricultural product. The dispatch team gets a real planning tool. Finance gets accurate freight cost. Buyers get reliable ETAs. Auditors get clean documentation.

1. Dispatch

In one line Build the right load on the right vehicle with the right paperwork, every time, and get it out the gate without phone calls, clipboards, or end-of-day reconciliation.

What dispatch actually involves

Dispatch is the moment of truth in outbound logistics. Picked pallets are sitting on the loading dock. A truck is at the gate. A driver is waiting. The dispatch team has to confirm what is being loaded, in what order, on what vehicle, with what paperwork, going where. Get any of it wrong, a missing pallet, the wrong customer’s order on the truck, an expired temperature record, a customs document not signed, and the consequences range from a delayed delivery to a rejected load to a lost buyer relationship.

AgriERP runs dispatch as a structured, step-by-step process, with every input verified at the system level before the truck leaves.

The dispatch flow, step by step

• Step 1, load building: the system combines confirmed sales orders into loads, using the Volume-based load building strategy. Sales orders bound for the same region, with compatible delivery windows, get grouped onto one load up to the weight and volume limits of the load template.
• Step 2, load review and adjustment: the dispatch team reviews the proposed loads in the Load Planning Workbench. They can split, merge, or rebalance loads based on operational judgment. Constraints (“item A0001 cannot go to the Philadelphia hub”) are enforced automatically.
• Step 3, vehicle and driver assignment: each load is assigned a vehicle and driver. The system checks vehicle capability (refrigerated, dry, capacity), driver certification, and current availability. Constraints are enforced before assignment is confirmed.
• Step 4, document generation: the bill of lading, packing list, customs documents, and any required certificates (organic, GlobalG.A.P., phytosanitary) are generated automatically from the load and the order data. No retyping, no missing fields.
• Step 5, physical loading: warehouse staff load pallets onto the truck in the documented sequence (heavier first, fragile on top, multi-stop sequence in reverse), scanning each pallet to confirm match to the load. Any mismatch is flagged at the dock.
• Step 6, gate-out and dispatch confirmation: the load is sealed, the driver receives the documents, the system records the dispatch event, and tracking begins. The sales orders move to In Transit status. The buyer can be notified automatically.

What the system enforces at the dock

Capability	What it means in practice
Pallet-level traceability	Every pallet has a traceability code. The system confirms the right pallets are on the right load. Wrong pallet, scan rejected.
Temperature and condition rules	For refrigerated or controlled-atmosphere loads, the system confirms the vehicle has the required equipment and the equipment is functioning. Pre-cool checks logged before loading.
Certification requirements	If the buyer requires organic certification on every pallet, the system confirms each loaded pallet carries the certification flag. Non-compliant pallets cannot be allocated.
Driver and vehicle compliance	Driver licenses, vehicle registration, insurance, and weight limits are verified before assignment. Out-of-compliance combinations are blocked.
Customs and export requirements	For cross-border shipments, the system generates the required documents and confirms required information (HS codes, origin, quantities) is complete before dispatch.
Buyer-specific protocols	Some buyers require specific labelling, sealing, photo evidence, or hand-signed forms. Buyer-specific dispatch protocols are enforced at the gate.

What this changes for the dispatch team Before: the dispatch supervisor runs the gate by phone and paperwork. Three loads stage in the wrong sequence. The buyer rejects a pallet because the cert code is wrong. The bill of lading is wrong on one load and has to be reprinted. The driver waits an extra 45 minutes. The retailer’s distribution centre is now expecting the next load before the current load even leaves.After: each load is built, reviewed, and assigned in the system. Documents come pre-populated. Pallet-level scanning catches mistakes at the dock, not at the customer. The truck leaves on schedule, with full traceability, full documentation, and a tracking record that starts the moment the gate closes.

2. Route planning (TMS)

In one lineDesign the most efficient way to move loads from origin to destination, choose carriers based on real cost and capability, and have the freight cost flow into the order before the load even leaves.

What route planning actually is

Route planning, the planning side of a TMS, is the discipline of choosing how each load should physically travel from origin to destination. It covers carrier selection, route choice, stop sequencing, freight rating, and multi-modal decisions where they apply. Done well, it reduces freight cost, improves on-time performance, and surfaces the true logistics cost of every sale before it ever gets dispatched.

AgriERP delivers route planning through the standard Rate Route Workbench, the single form that ties rating and routing together. Configurations from the rating and routing setup feed the workbench; users access it from sales orders, load planning, and direct shipment management.

What the Rate Route Workbench does

Function	What it does
Rate	Retrieves the best rate available (lowest cost), based on the configured rating engines, carrier contracts, and tariff data.
Rate Shop	Retrieves multiple rate and route options side by side, so the dispatcher can compare cost, service level, and transit time, and choose based on the priority of the shipment.
Route	Retrieves only the available routes that match the source and destination criteria, useful when the routing choice is constrained but the rate is fixed.
Direct origin access	The workbench can be accessed from sales orders, from load planning, or from a load directly. When opened from a sales order, all the relevant data, origin, destination, weight, volume, items, is auto-populated.
Cost flow into the order	When a rate is accepted, freight cost is allocated to the order. The order’s true delivered cost is known before the load leaves. No after-the-fact reconciliation surprise.

The components that make planning possible

Before the workbench can rate or route a shipment, the setup behind it has to be in place. AgriERP comes with the standard structure configured for typical agricultural logistics; specific contracts and routes are added per business.

Rating components

• Rating profiles: the top-level configuration that determines which rating engine and rate master apply to which shipments.
• Rate masters: the actual rates and tariff tables for each carrier, including base rates, fuel surcharges, accessorials, and special tariffs.
• Rate base assignments: link rating profiles to specific carriers, lanes, and shipment types.
• Break masters: define pricing breakpoints based on physical dimensions: weight, distance, volume, with comparison criteria and units.

Routing components

• Route guides: the master configuration that matches shipments to scheduled routes, based on source, destination, and shipment characteristics.
• Scheduled routes: routes that run on defined days, with assigned carriers and capacity. Used for regular delivery patterns (“the Friday run to the Sydney market”).
• Routing constraints: restrictions on what can go where (“organic certified loads only on this carrier,” “this item cannot be shipped to this region”). Enforced at planning, not after.
• Load building templates: rules that determine how loads should be built for specific scenarios, with weight, volume, and stop-sequence parameters.

Carrier management

Carriers are the partners that actually move the freight. Whether the business uses its own fleet, contracted carriers, or a mix of both, AgriERP treats them as managed entities with contracts, performance metrics, and freight cost flow.

Capability	What it means in practice
Carrier master	Every carrier has a master record: contact details, services offered, equipment types, geographic coverage, and contract status.
Contracts and tariffs	Carrier contracts, with rate tables, fuel surcharge formulas, accessorial charges, and service level agreements, are stored in the system and used by the rating engines automatically.
Service-level tracking	On-time performance, damage rates, and dispute history are tracked per carrier, so carrier selection decisions are made on real data.
Tendering	Where required, shipment requests are sent to carriers electronically through the Integration Layer; acceptance and capacity confirmation flow back automatically.
Self-fleet management	Where the business owns its own vehicles, the same TMS handles internal fleet planning, with vehicle availability, driver scheduling, and internal cost rates.
Freight invoice reconciliation	When carrier invoices arrive, they are matched against the rated cost on each shipment. Discrepancies are surfaced for review. The standard three-way match handles freight just like other procurement.

Multi-modal and multi-stop

Agriculture has a mix of transportation needs. Domestic deliveries by truck. Export loads by sea or air freight. Long-haul rail for bulk grain or processed product. Local multi-stop runs for direct-to-retail deliveries. The TMS supports all of these:

• Road, rail, air, and sea: all transport modes are supported, with their own rating, routing, and document requirements.
• Multi-stop route sequencing: for routes that serve multiple buyers in one run, the system sequences stops to minimise driving time and fuel cost, while respecting delivery windows at each stop.
• Cross-docking and trans-shipment: where loads have to be moved through intermediate hubs (regional distribution centres, port facilities), the planning handles the hand-off automatically.
• Reefer and controlled-atmosphere logistics: temperature-controlled loads have their own equipment requirements, monitoring, and certification. The TMS handles them as a special class of shipment.
• Returnable assets and equipment: pallets, bins, and other returnable equipment are tracked across the supply chain, so the business knows what is out, where it is, and what to expect back.

3. Tracking and visibility

In one lineFrom the moment a load leaves the gate to the moment delivery is confirmed at the buyer’s site, the operations team and the buyer see the same live picture, without phone calls.

What tracking actually delivers

• Live shipment status: every load has a current status, dispatched, in transit, at a hub, out for delivery, delivered, available in real time.
• GPS and milestone events: where carriers provide tracking through their own systems, AgriERP pulls the data through the Integration Layer and shows it on the same view as internally-tracked loads.
• Temperature and condition monitoring: for refrigerated loads, temperature data from sensors flows in continuously. Excursions are flagged with the right people before they become claims.
• Proof of delivery: when delivery is confirmed, electronic proof of delivery (signature, photos, timestamp) is captured and stored against the order, available immediately to finance and the buyer.
• Buyer notifications: status updates, dispatch confirmations, ETA changes, and delivery confirmations can be sent automatically to buyers, with templates per buyer or per channel.
• Internal alerts: if a load is running late, deviates significantly from plan, or has a condition issue, the right people get an alert. Exception management, not blanket monitoring.

4. Cost, performance, and analytics

Because every load is rated, planned, executed, and tracked in one system, the operating data builds up automatically. The Monitor Farms section covered dashboards generally; the logistics-specific views answer the logistics-specific questions.

Capability	What it means in practice
Cost per shipment, per load, per kilogram	True freight cost broken down by load, by carrier, by lane, per unit shipped. The cost-per-kilogram of moving Class 1 fruit from the packhouse to the retailer is a known number.
Carrier performance	On-time performance, damage rates, and dispute history per carrier. Carrier-selection decisions are made on real data, not gut feel.
Lane cost trends	How freight cost on each lane has trended over time, with the drivers (fuel, distance, mode) visible. Useful for tender negotiations and route redesign.
Fleet utilisation (where applicable)	For self-fleet, utilisation by vehicle, driver, and shift. Empty miles vs. loaded miles. The cost of running the fleet vs. the cost of contracted alternatives.
Planned vs. actual routes	Planned route, planned cost, planned ETA, compared against the route actually driven, the cost actually billed, and the ETA actually delivered. Deviations highlighted.
Carbon and sustainability metrics	Where the business reports on emissions and sustainability, the same data feeds the calculations: distance, fuel, mode, load efficiency.

5. Logistics in action

One day, one outbound processIt is Thursday morning at the citrus packhouse. Three buyers expect deliveries on Friday.Load building: the dispatch team opens the Load Planning Workbench. Confirmed sales orders for buyer A (Sydney market, 18 pallets), buyer B (Melbourne market, 12 pallets), and buyer C (regional retailer, 8 pallets) are visible. The Volume-based load building strategy proposes two loads: one for Sydney (separate truck, single stop), one combining Melbourne and the regional retailer (multi-stop, with the regional stop sequenced first because it is en-route).Rate route workbench: the dispatcher opens the workbench from the loads. Rate Shop returns three carrier options for the Sydney load (different rates, different transit times). For the Melbourne multi-stop, two contracted carriers are returned. The dispatcher chooses the lowest-cost option on Sydney and the most reliable on the multi-stop (the buyer has a tight Friday window).Vehicle assignment: both carriers are tendered. Acceptance comes back within 15 minutes. Vehicles are assigned. Driver names and contact details flow in. The system confirms refrigeration is included on both loads (citrus must travel cool).Documents and dispatch: bills of lading, packing lists, organic certificates (for one pallet on the Melbourne load), and a phytosanitary certificate (for the Sydney load crossing a fruit-fly zone) are generated automatically. Warehouse loads the trucks; pallet scans confirm every pallet against the load. Loads seal at 11:42am. Trucks gate out at 11:48 and 12:03.Tracking and notifications: tracking begins. Buyers A, B, and C all receive automatic dispatch notifications with tracking links. Throughout the afternoon, GPS milestones flow in. Temperature stays in range.Delivery and reconciliation: Friday: regional retailer signs off at 8:14am, Melbourne signs off at 11:36am, Sydney signs off at 2:22pm. Proof of delivery captured for all three. Invoices generated immediately, with contract pricing applied. By Monday, the buyers’ payments are processing. The carriers’ freight invoices arrive the following week and reconcile automatically against the rated cost.Two loads. Three buyers. Five carriers tendered. Zero phone calls between the dispatch team and the warehouse, the carriers, or the buyers. One audit-ready cycle, complete with cost flow and proof of delivery.

In summary

Logistics / Outbound Transportation is what AgriERP delivers when the order is allocated and the load has to physically move. The dispatch process is structured, from load building through vehicle assignment, document generation, physical loading, and gate-out, with the system checking compliance, traceability, and buyer-specific rules at every step. Route planning, through the standard Rate Route Workbench and its supporting rating, routing, carrier, and load-building configurations, determines the most efficient, cost-effective way to move every load, with carrier selection based on real data and freight cost flowing back into the order automatically. Tracking and visibility close the loop, with live shipment status, proof of delivery, and exception alerts replacing phone calls and end-of-day reconciliation.

For the agribusiness, the result is a logistics operation that scales: more loads, more buyers, more lanes, without proportionally more dispatch staff or proportionally more mistakes. The next section covers Inventory Management, the inventory layer that feeds dispatch and is updated by it.