How To Develop A Transportation & Logistics Mobile App?

Last Updated on January 21, 2022

Name ‘logistics’ and the first thing that comes to our mind is hectic processes, long & chaotic paperwork, manual labor, and constant monitoring. But thanks to technology and its advancement in the last few years, the logistics industry has transformed on many levels. Meager tasks that earlier required to stand in long queues for hours waiting to send a courier can now be managed easily with just a tap on the mobile phone screen.

With the help of Logistics apps, proper communication between the shippers & drivers becomes effortless. At the same time, it also helps to optimize the route, reduce costs, offer convenience, while helping to expand the business, increasing individuals’ efficiency.

Today more and more tech entrepreneurs are keen on embracing this technology considering its many benefits so they can make big in this industry. In case, you are someone looking to make a mark in the logistics industry, then in this article, we have covered all the information required to create a logistics mobile app.

How Does A Logistics Mobile App Works?

The Logistics apps greatly help the retail industries as they allow them to manage everyday businesses quite efficiently. These apps are capable of managing a number of things such as fleet tracking, transportation, shipment management, real-time monitoring, analysis and a lot more, and thus successfully help the industries in carrying out their business operations.

Market Statistics Regarding Logistics Industry

Research from MarketWatch states that the logistics industry across the world will grow by $287.1 million between 2020 to 2024. This means there will be a 5 percent increase in the CAGR. Even the year-over-year growth rate is estimated at 4.13% for the year 2020 by end of the forecast period. In fact, the CAGR is said to be highest between 2019 to 2023.

Another report by Transparency Market Research states that the logistics industry is going to be worth $15.5 trillion by 2023, and this tells a lot about the bright future of on-demand logistics industry.

Leading Logistics Markets In 2018, Based On Logistics Performance Index

Size Of The Global Logistics Market In 2018, By Region (In Billion Euros)

What Are The Different Types Of Logistics Companies?

Fleet Management

This category of Logistics App is useful to record data and information regarding fleets and vehicles. Resultantly, these apps prove useful to organize, manage, and coordinate vehicle from a central information system. This way these apps allow to run the entire fleet operations in a hassle-free way, while also reduces costs, increases performance, and provides compliance with the government regulations.

Logistics On-Demand

Apps developed for this category deals with goods delivery according to the users’ requirements. Not only these apps meet users’ needs in no-time but are also helpful to build connections.

Warehouse Apps

These categories of apps are useful for storing a huge amount of data regarding the products stored in the warehouse. The app allows to make the entire process very simple and thus it gets easy to access the necessary data at any time.

Tracking & Forwarding Apps

These kinds of apps are useful at delivering information in real-time regarding routes and the delivery of goods & products. For this, the app displays even the drivers’ location and this is one of the significant features of the app.

Leading Logistics Apps & Businesses

Some of the popular logistics apps and services are DHL Express, Navisphere Carrier, Drive XPO, Carrier 360 by J.B. Hunt, Flexe, Uber Freight, UPS Mobile, and Cargomatic.

What Are The Benefits Of Owning Logistics Mobile App?

So, it is clear that it is beneficial to invest in a Logistics Mobile App, but how exactly? Hence, here we are shedding some light on the benefits:

Manage Fleet & Warehouse

The success of any logistics business depends on how efficiently it manages fleets & warehouses, as this ultimately results in enhanced productivity & functioning. These apps allow to store data in a way more efficient manner as compared to the manual process, and thus there are little to no chances of data loss or misplacing. Ultimately, these apps are extremely useful to keep errors & inaccuracies coming with the manual processes, at bay.

Track Vehicle

Accuracy is one of the crucial aspects of the Logistics app, as it deals with the delivery of goods at right time and at the right place. This is achieved with the help of Geolocation functionality, which allows the admin/users to track real-time vehicle location and at the same time notifies customers as well. In emergency situations, GPS also comes useful.

Confirmations

The logistic apps ensure real-time confirmation of the delivery procedure. This way, both the logistics firm as well as the customers can confirm in real-time about the product delivery.

No Paperwork

It is not at all an easy task to manage a whole lot of paperwork, especially the kind that comes with the logistics business. Thus, by getting a logistics mobile app developed, this issue can be solved easily with everything being streamlined.

Effortless Online Booking

Nowadays everyone likes to handle most of their work through mobile phones, and with these apps, the customers can be provided that convenience. This way they can book cargo or a courier with a few taps on their mobile screen.

General Features To Include In A Logistics App

Features Of User App Panel

• Registration & Create Profile
• Save Delivery Address/Location
• View Nearby Vehicles available for transportation
• Choose Vehicle Type
• View Fare Estimation
• Book A Vehicle
• View Estimated Time Of Arrival (ETA)
• Manage/Schedule Trip
• In-App Calling with driver
• Push Notifications for arrival & delivery of goods
• Rate & Review services availed
• Cancel Service/Booking
• View History of bookings
• Multiple Payment Options
• View Invoice via Email & SMS
• View Driver Details
• Share transportation details

Features Of Trucker/Driver App Panel

• Login & manage profile
• Upload Documents for Id verification
• View Rate Card as per the distance & weight of goods
• View Revenue Breakdown & earnings report
• Cancel Trip
• Select Vehicle Type driver is operating
• Toggle Availability for Ride
• In-App Calling with customers
• Accept/Reject Pickup Requests
• View User & Consignment Details
• Push Notifications
• Set Route & Use Navigation Map
• Multiple Language Support

Features Of Admin & Dispatcher App Panel

• Manage Users/Drives/Fleet
• Manage User Complaints
• Manage Billing & Invoice
• Assign Sub-Admins
• Manage & Track Trips
• View/Generate Reports To Track Revenue & User Acquisition Stats
• Create Multi-Stop Routes
• Manage Rate Card
• Offer Discounts
• Offer Subscription Plan to regular users

Advanced Features To Add In A Logistics App

Notifications

This feature will allow the app to instantly notify the customers regarding their shipment whereabouts, its delivery, and other important information.

Ratings & Reviews

With the help of this functionality, the app users would be able to rate and review the mobile app as per its performance.

Get a Quote

This functionality allows the customers to request for a quote from service providers as per the available deals, so to get an idea regarding cost & time of services.

In-app Chat

This actually is an integral feature for a Logistics app, as it enables the app users to easily get in touch with the service provider to ask queries regarding the pending delivery or anything related.

Chat Support

Chatbots are crucial for the B2B & B2C sectors and today most apps that provide service or products comes equipped with the chatbot app development.

Multi-Language Support

Often the drivers using the app may not be familiar with the English language and hence integrating multi-language functionality enables them also to use the app effortlessly. Hence the functionality makes the logistics business more scalable by allowing to properly coordinate with the drivers of different regions.

Link & Upload documents

This is a useful feature for the dispatchers as it allows them to upload crucial documents regarding shipping, like insurance documents, and more.

Trip Log Reports

This functionality will allow the admin to record trip details, like start to end trip time, covered distance, and a lot more.

Manage Fuel & Vehicle consumption

In this section, the details regarding fuel consumption can be stored and managed by all the running vehicles. Hence, it is possible to keep track and manage vehicles, to know whether a service or pollution check is required.

Global Positioning System

The GPS functionality allows determining the routes taken by the app. It gets easier to understand the small details regarding the driver’s journey and calculate time & cost.

Driver Safety

Through this functionality, the drivers can be monitored as it helps to track their behaviour as such speed, phone usage, speed, and a lot more. On the basis of that, a scorecard is generated which helps the users in choosing drivers and at the same time, it also ensures their safety.

Multiple Payment Gateway Integration

It is helpful for the Logistics mobile apps to have multiple payment methods, as it allows the users to make easy payments. Various payment gateways, such as Braintree, PayPal can be used and at the same time, it is also useful that the app allows making a payment with different currencies.

Cloud Storage

A logistics business deals with a huge amount of data and for storing that much of data it is required to have cloud storage. Having Cloud integrated not only helps in storing the data but it also helps in accessing data regarding users and drivers anytime and from anywhere.

How To Monetize The Logistics Mobile Apps?

Commission

Here the app owners can directly earn money by associating with a number of drivers who are seeking mobile logistics services. This way, the commission can be earned from the earnings and in exchange, the drivers are being allowed to use the platform. Hence, this helps both the parties this way.

Advertisement

One of the most common and easy way to earn revenue by displaying relevant ads to the users using the free version of your app.

Freemium Model

This strategy of monetization is enticing to users. As the basic features are free to use but for advanced features, the users have to pay a premium

Paid Apps

This monetization model allows the user to purchase the app with a one-time fee for a lifetime license to use.

Paymium Model

If your app is very useful and has a good USP then the users will pay for the app when downloading as well as pay for the premium features available.

Technology Stack For Logistics App Development

• For push notifications: Twilio or Push.io
• For Frontend Development: Swift, Java, CSS, BootStrap
• For Credentials authentication login: Nexmo or Twilio
• For BackEnd Development: JavaScript, Ruby, Angular, Python
• For Payment Gateways: PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, or other Ewallets
• For Application and Data: jQuery, Bootstrap, Angular, Amazon Elasticache, Groovy, Amazon RDS
• For Database requirements: MongoDB, Cassandra, Postgress, Hbase
• For Utilities: Amazon SNS, Heap
• For Cloud platform solution: Google, Azure, or AWS
• For DevOps: Chef
• For Real-time analytics: BigData, Apache, Flink, IBM, Cisco, Loggly, Spark

What Should Be The Team Structure For Logistics Mobile App?

For a quality mobile app, an entire team is required, such as:

Project Manager

This is the person who is responsible to look after the entire development process of a Logistics mobile app. Be it communication with the team and its management or coming up with the required solutions, a Project Manager handles it all.

App Developers

For the development of an app, one requires a team of developers, which may comprise of iOS app development or Android app developers, or both, depending on the number of platforms the app is being developed for. This team needs to be adept with the latest tools and technologies and have vast knowledge and experience in the app development.

Designers

This team of professionals are responsible for the look and feel of the app. They do not just make the app look good but it also makes it easier to navigate so the user like the experience of using the app and keep coming back to it.

Quality Analysts

This team of professionals ensure that the app matches the necessary standards and is free of any errors. This team runs several tests on the app that helps in determining the same.

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Logistics Mobile App?

There are several factors that affect the app development cost of a Logistics mobile app, such as:

Choice Of Platform

Here, if the app is being developed for a single platform, then it is going to cost less as compared to when the app is being developed for more than one platform. It is because, for development for a single platform, the app would require one team, while developing for two platforms, the app would need two development teams, hence double the cost.

Choice of Outsourcing Country

Now in this aspect, the development cost is going to differ as per the country you are choosing to develop the app. The hourly app development rate differs from country to country, like in the USA and Europe, the hourly development rates are way higher when compared to the Asian countries. Hence, you need to decide where you want to invest in app development as the difference usually is huge.

Features & Design

This is again a crucial factor in determining the cost, as an app with basic features and simple design would cost less as compared to an app with advanced features and complex design.

All in all, the app with basic features and for a single platform, when chosen Asian region for development, should cost around $25000-$35000, whereas an app with advanced features and for both Android and iOS platform most certainly will cost around $50000-$60000