SMS for transport and logistics — the run completed on time
A delivery that fails because nobody is present costs a second trip. A driver who learns about a changed assignment too late drives a detour. In both cases the problem is the same: information that is not in the right place on time.
SMS solves that without your customers or drivers having to install anything. A message arrives in the cab, at the recipient's home or at the warehouse — even where mobile coverage is too weak for an app or a data connection.
Where does it go wrong today?
Failed deliveries
Nobody present means a second trip, extra kilometres and an unhappy customer.
Reaching drivers on the road
Calling while driving is not possible; a text message gets read at the first stop.
Waiting times at the dock
Without advance notice, drivers stand waiting or arrive at the wrong moment.
This is what it looks like in practice
The examples below are illustrations. The parts between percentage signs are tags: you fill them in from an Excel list or through the API, so that every recipient gets their own version.
Your delivery %orderno% arrives tomorrow between %from% and %until%. Not present? Reply NO.
Your driver is on the way and will arrive in about 30 minutes.
New assignment: loading at %location% at %time%. Reference %ref%.
Attention: unloading address changed to %address%. Confirm with YES.
We could not deliver today. Pick a new moment via %link%
How do you use SMS in transport and logistics?
Decide the moments
Choose which events deserve a message: scheduled, on the way, almost there, not delivered.
Connect your planning system
Have your TMS or planning package call the API on every status change, or send an email via Mail2SMS.
Capture responses
Send from a number customers can reply to, so a "not present" reaches you before the run departs.
What you use for this
Automatic notifications
Messages that leave your planning as soon as a run changes status.
Connection to your TMS
REST API with code examples and an official SDK.
Connect without an API
Can your system only send email? Then that email automatically becomes a text message.
See what arrived
A delivery status per message, so you know whether the driver was notified.
Good to know
Delivery notifications and assignments are operational messages and require no separate consent. If you work with subcontractors, agree on who sends which notification — duplicate messages to the same recipient cost double and irritate.
At SMSBOX you pay per message sent, from €0.06 per SMS to Belgium (excl. VAT). No subscription, no setup costs: a month without any sending costs you nothing. All processing takes place on Belgian servers, within the GDPR.
