Transport and delivery: Quotation software for courier services
Quotation software for courier services that puts mileage, expected waiting time and surcharges into one proposal, with the assumptions shown so a shipper knows what the price rests on.
Where quotes for courier services get stuck.
At many courier services, a quote for a regular collection round or a series of express runs is put together in a spreadsheet and sent as a standalone email. It shows a price per trip, but not how many miles were assumed, how much waiting time is included or what an extra stop costs. When a shipper disputes a surcharge months later, nobody can find what was agreed at the time. The calculation also varies by person: one counts the return leg, another only the outbound journey. That makes margins unpredictable and conversations with clients awkward.
Quotation software for courier services
Example- 1
Record the trip profile and assumptions
DoneThe quote starts with a trip profile: collection and delivery points, expected frequency, a typical consignment and the windows the shipper wants.
- 2
Build the price from fixed rules
In progressThe calculation uses your own rates for mileage, call-out, waiting time and surcharges for evenings, weekends or express.
- 3
Keep the approval with the proposal
NextThe shipper receives a proposal with price, assumptions and terms and approves it there.
From enquiry to signed quote.
Record the trip profile and assumptions
The quote starts with a trip profile: collection and delivery points, expected frequency, a typical consignment and the windows the shipper wants. You record how much waiting time is included, whether the return leg counts and when a stop is charged as extra. Those assumptions appear word for word in the proposal.
Build the price from fixed rules
The calculation uses your own rates for mileage, call-out, waiting time and surcharges for evenings, weekends or express. Everyone prices the same way. If someone deliberately deviates, say to win a new shipper, the deviation is logged with a reason and the owner can see it.
Keep the approval with the proposal
The shipper receives a proposal with price, assumptions and terms and approves it there. That approval stays attached to the agreement, so planning and invoicing know exactly what applies later on. If the shipper asks for a change, a new version is created and the previous one remains visible.
Alongside your calculations and price lists.
Most courier services keep their rates in a spreadsheet, use a route planner for distances and invoice from an accounting package. The quotation software takes over the rate table and takes distances from the route planner or a mapping service, so nobody guesses mileage. Agreed prices flow on to planning and invoicing in the same software. Rates and discount rules belong to the courier; the shipper only sees their own proposal and the agreements attached to it.
Price per trip or per mile
A fixed price per trip is clear for the shipper but becomes unprofitable when runs keep turning out longer than expected. A mileage rate follows reality but makes invoices less predictable. Many courier services use a fixed price within a defined area and a mileage rate beyond it. The quote needs to make that boundary visible.
Waiting time included or separate
Including waiting time means building it into the trip price and taking a risk on shippers who are never ready on time. Charging it separately means being able to prove it stop by stop. The choice depends on how well drivers record waiting time. Without recording on the road, charging separately mostly creates arguments.
Contract rate or quote per job
For regular shippers a contract rate with agreements on volume and windows pays off; for one-off jobs a quote per trip makes more sense. Each needs a different structure. It is wise to start with whichever form currently takes the most time, and later let the other rest on the same rate table.
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Read the storyWhat we prepare in the quotes.
Your rate table, the trip profile with its assumptions and the price breakdown go into the quotation software at the start, together with a quote the shipper approves online. With your planner we recalculate two requests beforehand: a weekly collection round of the kind that comes in often, and a weekend express run with expected waiting time at a distribution centre. Passing agreed prices on to planning and a list of quotes still open are switched on when you are ready for them.
View pricingSupport and updatesGood to know.
Explore pricing and optionsCan we give discounts without muddying the calculation?
Yes. A discount is recorded as a separate line with a reason, on top of the standard calculation. You can still see what the normal price was and why you deviated. When a contract comes up for renewal, it is immediately clear whether that discount still makes sense.
How do we work out mileage without guessing?
The distance comes from a route planner or mapping service based on the actual addresses. You decide whether to include the return leg or apply a fixed uplift. That choice is stated in the proposal, so the shipper understands how the amount is reached.
What if a shipper wants to change the quote?
You create a new version of the same proposal. The previous one is kept, with its date and the change that was requested. If there is a dispute later, you can show which version was approved and which assumptions it contained.
Can evening and weekend surcharges be applied automatically?
Yes, as long as the requested windows are in the trip profile. If a window falls in the evening or at the weekend, the calculation adds the surcharge from your rate table. You can remove it by hand, but that is then recorded as a deviation.
What often connects to this.
- Enquiry form for courier servicesAn enquiry form for courier services that asks for parcel dimensions, weight and collection and delivery windows, so the planner can judge whether a trip is feasible.
- Digital job cards for courier servicesDigital job cards for courier services: each trip order with delivery instructions, contact and proof of delivery on the driver's screen, and back at the office.
- Invoicing software for courier servicesInvoicing software for courier services that turns signed-off trips, waiting time and surcharges from your own trip records into a verifiable invoice per shipper, sent with a payment link.
Quotes that match the work.
Start with a short intake. Then we schedule a call to show the software with your services, team and way of working.
WhatsAppinfo@vorlyo.com Quotation software for courier services: trip prices built from mileage, waiting time and surcharges, with visible assumptions and approval in the proposal.
- Record the trip profile and assumptions
- Build the price from fixed rules
- Keep the approval with the proposal