Tomato AutomateTomato Notes
Freight & Logistics · 4 min read

Logistics automation: what it is, examples and where to start

"Logistics automation" means robots to some people and software to others. For freight and 3PL companies, start in the office, where every shipment still gets typed, checked and chased by hand.

One shipment in two layers: goods move from warehouse to dock to truck to customer, while its paperwork moves from order email to TMS, tracking, POD and invoice, with tick marks where someone types it again GOODS WAREHOUSE DOCK TRUCK CUSTOMER PAPERWORK ORDER EMAIL TMS TRACKING POD INVOICE FIG. 1 · ONE SHIPMENT, TWO LAYERS TICKS = RETYPED BY HAND
Fig. 1 The goods move once, but the paperwork behind the same shipment gets typed again along the way.

Logistics automation is using machines or software to do logistics work that people used to do by hand. It comes in 3 kinds.

The 3 kinds of logistics automation

The three kinds of logistics automation: a robot arm for physical work, a route map for planning, and an email turning into a screen entry for office work, marked as the place to start PHYSICAL robots move goods PLANNING routes · loads START HERE PROCESS (OFFICE) paperwork · messages
Fig. 2 Robots move goods, planning software decides, and office automation handles the paperwork around every shipment.
1

Physical automation.

Robots and machines that move goods. Think automated storage and retrieval, conveyors, sorters, pick-and-pack systems, guided vehicles and automatic truck loading. It's powerful, but it costs a lot, takes months to install and suits large warehouses best.

2

Planning automation.

Software that decides: route planning, load building, carrier matching, inventory forecasting. It can come with a TMS or WMS.

3

Process (office) automation.

Software that does the paperwork and messages around every shipment. It reads orders and rate cons and enters them in the TMS. It sends tracking updates, matches PODs, builds invoices and chases payment. It's the least visible kind. If you're a freight broker, 3PL or carrier, it's the place to start.

Examples of logistics process automation

WorkBy handAutomated
Order or load entryRead the email, type into the TMSRead automatically; a person reviews
QuotesLook up rates, write a replyDraft priced from your history and rules
TrackingCheck calls and update emailsUpdates collected and sent; only late loads flagged
Carrier onboardingPDFs, lookups, retypingPacket, checks and TMS setup in one flow
PODs and invoicingMatch documents, build invoicePOD matched, invoice out the same day
Carrier payCompare invoices to rate consMismatches flagged; the rest scheduled

Our freight guides go deeper on each one: - Freight broker back office automation - Carrier vetting and double brokering - Carrier packet and onboarding checklist - AI freight quoting - Freight broker AI agents - AI for freight brokers - Digital freight brokerage - How to scale a freight brokerage

Why start with office automation

Where to start

Where to start, as five rising steps: map one shipment, pick one step, automate it, measure it, then move to the next step 1 MAP ONE SHIPMENT typed twice? waits? 2 PICK ONE STEP repetitive · checkable 3 AUTOMATE a person reviews 4 MEASURE time · mistakes 5 NEXT STEP once it runs clean
Fig. 3 Start by mapping one shipment, then automate one step at a time and measure before moving on.
  1. Map one shipment end to end. Every step, who does it and where something is typed twice or waits. See how the Redprint works.
  2. Pick one step that's repetitive and easy to check.
  3. Automate it, with a person reviewing every result at first.
  4. Measure time per task and mistakes, before and after.
  5. Move to the next step once the first one runs without surprises.

Where we come in

We're a small team based in the Hudson Valley, NY, spread across the globe, serving clients in many countries. We build process automation for freight brokers, 3PLs and carriers, on top of the systems you already use. That covers rate cons into the TMS, check calls and ETAs, PODs and BOLs to billing, detention, settlements and compliance. It starts with your Redprint, a map of how your work runs today, delivered within 48 hours of your intake. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee: if you don't like what we plan to build, you get all your money back. After the build comes the Optimizing Phase. We stay on as your operational partner and keep improving the system as AI and your business change. You can cancel anytime. The automations run on our system, so they stop when the Optimizing Phase does.

Find the office work in your logistics operation that should run itself. Book a 20-minute call

Questions

What is logistics automation?

Using machines or software to do logistics work people used to do by hand. It covers moving goods (robots, conveyors), planning (routes, loads) and office work (order entry, tracking, invoicing).

What are examples of logistics automation?

In warehouses: automated storage and retrieval, sorters and guided vehicles. In planning: route and load planning software. In the office: reading orders into the TMS, automatic tracking updates, POD matching and invoicing.

What is logistics process automation?

Automating the paperwork and messages around each shipment. That means order entry, quotes, tracking updates, carrier onboarding, PODs, invoicing and carrier pay.

Is logistics automation only for big companies?

Warehouse robotics suits large warehouses best. Process automation works for small brokers, 3PLs and carriers because it runs on the systems they already have.

Where should a logistics company start with automation?

Map one shipment end to end, then automate the most repetitive office step first. Good first picks are load entry, tracking updates and POD to invoice.