Loading a trailer from a clipboard
The transport planner has a list of what is ready to go: finished jobs and call-offs, some on full pallets, some on part pallets, for customers across a region. Some customers need a delivery slot booked through their warehouse's system. One will not accept pallets over a certain height. The planner builds loads on a sheet, the warehouse loads from it, and a customer rings at noon because their slot was at eleven.
Occasionally the wrong pallet goes on the wagon, because two jobs for the same customer look identical when wrapped.
Packaging is bulky and customers are strict
Empty boxes and cartons take up a lot of space for their value, so loads fill up quickly by volume rather than weight. Many customers are manufacturers or distribution centres with booking systems and rules about pallet type, height and labelling. Planning all of this on paper depends on the planner remembering every customer's quirks.
- Loads are planned on paper from a list of pallets.
- Customer delivery rules are remembered, not recorded.
- Booking slots are made by phone or portal and tracked by hand.
- Pallets are identified by eye when loading.
- Proof of delivery is a signed paper note.
What poor load planning costs
Part loaded vehicles and extra runs cost money on every delivery. Missed booking slots mean refused deliveries and a second trip. Wrong pallets delivered cause line stops at the customer and a return journey. Delivery disputes are hard to resolve when the proof of delivery is a faded signature. And customers who cannot see when their delivery is coming ring customer service.
Customer service carries a lot of this. Every missed slot or refused load means calls to the customer, to the haulier and to the planner, and the next day's plan has to be rebuilt around a load that came back. None of that work shows up anywhere except in people's time.
Delivery planning we build
- Finished jobs and call-offs ready for despatch are read from your MIS or stock records, with pallet count, footprint, height and weight.
- Each customer delivery point holds its rules: slot booking method, opening times, maximum pallet height, pallet type and labelling needs.
- Loads are suggested per vehicle by region and customer rules, with a visual trailer layout, and the planner adjusts.
- Slot bookings are recorded against the delivery, with reminders to book those that require it, and confirmation sent to the customer.
- Load sheets and pallet labels are printed, and pallets are scanned onto the vehicle, so a wrong pallet is flagged before it leaves.
- Drivers record proof of delivery on a phone with photos and signature, updating the job and triggering invoicing.
| Problem | On paper | With delivery planning |
|---|---|---|
| Load building | Planner's experience | Suggested loads, planner adjusts |
| Customer rules | Remembered | Held per delivery point |
| Booking slots | Tracked by hand | Recorded with reminders |
| Wrong pallet | Found at customer | Flagged at loading |
| Proof of delivery | Paper signature | Photo and signature in the app |
Despatch afterwards
Loads are fuller and planned faster. Customer rules are applied every time, so deliveries are not refused for the wrong pallet or height. Wrong pallets are caught in the yard. Customers know when to expect their delivery, and disputes are settled with photos. If you use a haulier for some routes, they receive the same load sheets and booking details.
Is despatch planned on paper?
- Loads are built on paper from a pallet list.
- Deliveries have been refused for missed slots or pallet rules.
- Wrong pallets have been delivered.
- Proof of delivery is paper only.
- Customers ring to ask when their delivery is coming.