Industries · Transport and logistics
The freight moves. The paperwork doesn’t.A calmer dispatch desk.
WEB-AZ builds digital and AI solutions for freight forwarders, hauliers and warehouses: data extracted from transport documents, answers to status requests and systems connected to each other. Dispatchers keep the routes, the exceptions and the customers.
Where a transport company can save time
Status requests, handled automatically
Customers, shippers and consignees call or write about the same thing: where the goods are and when they will arrive. The information already exists in the GPS or the TMS and can be shared without interrupting the dispatcher.
Transport documents sent as photos
CMRs, delivery notes, PODs and weighbridge tickets arrive as photos sent by drivers over WhatsApp, sometimes blurry or incomplete. Extracted and checked quickly, they reach invoicing sooner.
Subcontractor invoices, checked in good time
Every partner haulier sends invoices in a different format. Compared automatically with the transport order, the agreed rate and the delivery documents, discrepancies come to light before payment.
Driver communication, kept in one place
Instructions by phone, addresses on WhatsApp, last-minute changes by text message. When confirmations land in the system, it is clear who confirmed what if a complaint arises.
Visibility in the yard and at the loading bays
Lorries waiting at the gate, unevenly occupied bays, pallets left in transit areas. A clear picture of the yard supports unloading schedules based on data, not just experience and phone calls.
Digital and AI solutions for transport and logistics
Each solution below works alongside dispatch and accounts. Extracted data and important decisions go through a human check before they reach invoicing.
- Data extraction from CMRs, PODs and invoicesDocuments received by email or WhatsApp are read, the key fields (shipper, consignee, weight, signatures, dates) are extracted and compared with the order. Anything that does not match goes to an operator.
- Voice answers to status requestsAn AI voice agent takes “where are my goods” calls, identifies the shipment by order number or AWB, gives the last known position and transfers the call to the dispatcher when a decision is needed.
- Operations coordination across teamsAn agent that tracks loading confirmations, missing documents and reported delays, then creates tasks for dispatch, the warehouse or invoicing, instead of the information getting lost in conversations.
- Visibility in the yard and warehouseCameras that track bay occupancy, vehicle dwell times and areas crowded with pallets, so you can see where bottlenecks form in the flow.
- Container code reading at the gateGate cameras read each container’s code, check the check digit and send it to the terminal or warehouse system. Unclear codes go to an operator before they enter the records.
- Truck records at the gateLicence plates are read on entry and exit and linked to the dock booking, with clear data retention rules and a human check for uncertain reads.
- Integrations between TMS, WMS and ERPLinks between the transport system, the warehouse, accounting and customer platforms, so that an order is entered only once and flows correctly from there.
Use cases · Transport and logistics
Conceptual scenarios to illustrate what is possible. They are not completed projects.
From a photo of the CMR to an invoice ready to go
The driver sends a photo of the signed CMR. The system identifies the shipment, extracts the date and the proof-of-receipt signature, attaches the document to the order and marks the run as ready for invoicing. The accountant checks it and issues the invoice.
Conceptual exampleStatus calls handled out of hours
A consignee calls in the evening to find out when the delivery will arrive. The AI voice agent finds the order, gives the estimated time window from the TMS and logs the rescheduling request for the morning dispatcher.
Conceptual exampleSubcontractor invoices checked before payment
Invoices from partner hauliers are automatically compared with the rate in the transport order and with the delivery documents. Price differences or runs without a POD are sent for clarification before the payment is approved.
Conceptual example
Integration with TMS, WMS, GPS and ERP
Transport companies often work with several platforms, plus Excel and messaging apps. These are systems that integrations can be built with; what is possible in practice is confirmed once we have checked the access and documentation for each one.
- TMSs (transport management systems)
- Warehouse WMSs
- GPS and telematics platforms
- ERP and accounting (for example SAP, WinMentor, SmartBill)
- RO e-Transport (ANAF)
- RO e-Factura
- Freight exchanges (Trans.eu, TIMOCOM)
- WhatsApp Business
- Email and shared spreadsheets
Integration challenges
- Paper documents photographed in poor conditions, which need a human check for critical fields
- Old or in-house TMSs without an API, where data can only be obtained through exports
- Different identifiers for the same run at the customer, the freight forwarder and the haulier
- Position data from different GPS providers, at different frequencies and in different formats
Location data, e-Transport and safety
Drivers’ location data
A vehicle’s position becomes personal data when it can be linked to a driver. Using it requires a clear purpose, must be proportionate and must be communicated to employees, in line with GDPR and the rules on workplace monitoring.
Accurate tax declarations
Data submitted to RO e-Transport (ANAF’s road freight monitoring system, ANAF being the Romanian tax authority) or RO e-Factura (Romania’s national e-invoicing system) remains the company’s responsibility. Automatic extraction prepares the information, but fields with tax implications are validated by a person before submission.
Cameras in the yard and warehouse
Video surveillance must be signposted, limited to its declared purpose and configured so that the analysis tracks vehicles, bays and pallets, not people.
Road safety
Automated messages to drivers are sent in a way that does not require interaction while driving, and important instructions are still confirmed by the dispatcher.
Projects in this sector
Useful guides
Before you decide, read
- AutomationHow to choose the first process to automate in your companyA practical method for choosing your first process to automate: an inventory of tasks, scoring on clear criteria, a small measurable case, human validation.Read the guide
- Automatione-Factura automation: what you can automate in RO e-Factura and what you check by handRO e-Factura can be integrated with your invoicing software, accounting and internal workflows. What can be safely automated, what stays checked by a person and what to ask before you start.Read the guide
Frequently asked questions
What can be automated with AI in a transport company?
The repetitive work around each run: extracting data from CMRs, PODs and invoices, answering “where are my goods” calls, tracking missing documents and confirmations, visibility in the yard and at the bays, and the links between TMS, WMS and ERP. Decisions with tax and commercial impact stay with people.
How well can a system read a handwritten CMR?
It depends a lot on the quality of the photo and the handwriting. Printed fields are usually extracted more reliably than handwritten ones. That is why the system shows how confident it is for each field, and anything uncertain goes to an operator for checking.
Where are the documents and transport data stored?
Documents stay in your systems or in a storage space chosen together, with role-based access. AI models receive only the document being processed, through providers that do not use it for training, and every access can be traced in the log.
Do we have to replace the TMS we use?
No. The aim is to connect what you already have. If the system has no API, we look for alternatives such as scheduled exports or file imports, and we tell you openly if an integration is not worth the effort.
Where is a good place to start?
With the document or question that takes up most of your time. For many companies that is the POD workflow for invoicing or the status calls. We test on a small volume of real documents, then decide together whether to expand.
Can’t find the answer? Write to us and we’ll reply directly.
Tell us which documents you want to move faster
Send us a description of your workflow from order to invoice and a few anonymised sample documents. We will show you what can be automated and what stays with the dispatcher.