If you run a transport business, cash flow is everything. The faster you get invoices out, the sooner the payment comes in and the smoother your operation runs.
But, invoicing can be a nightmare – hours chasing PODs, double-checking rates, pricing extras, and reconciling charges – it all adds up. One wrong mile, a missing PO, or an unpriced waiting time and you’re stuck firefighting instead of moving freight.
Invoicing doesn’t have to be so stressful. Qargo’s intelligent TMS is designed to make invoicing faster and simpler so you can get cash in the bank sooner and spend less time buried in endless admin.
It’s also important to note that the invoicing process can vary depending on whether you’re invoicing a customer or a sub-contractor.
In this article, we’ll specifically be focusing on customer invoicing, but we’ll be writing in depth about sub-contractor purchase invoicing in a separate article soon.
Why transport invoicing takes so long
Think about a typical week. Planners, dispatchers and admin teams juggle jobs-orders, subcontractors, and last minute changes. After vehicles return and you’ve received the PODs, someone then has to create invoices manually.
That often means digging through spreadsheets, double-checking rate tables, and email trails. Every step takes up too much time.
Below are some of the common invoicing bottlenecks you may face as a transport company:
- Missing or invalid PODs
- Unmatched rates or outdated rate cards
- Extras like waiting time, additional drops, tail-lift, out-of-hours, or demurrage
- PO or reference mismatches
- Consolidation rules by site, PO, or week that require manual grouping
And all these blockers have a knock-on effect, including:
- Delayed invoices pushes DSO out by days or weeks
- Write-offs and disputes rise when details aren’t consistent
- Teams spend too long reconciling instead of planning new work
How Qargo speeds up transport invoicing
With Qargo TMS, invoices move from manual to an automated flow.
Here’s how.
Auto-generated on receipt of the POD
When delivery is marked complete and a valid POD is received, Qargo prepares the invoice automatically against the correct rate card and job-order data. Missing PODs are routed to an ‘Exceptions’ queue with a clear reason to help you quickly identify what’s gone wrong.
Rate cards and extras applied correctly
Contracted rate cards with effective dates, weight/pallet bands, minimum charges, and rounding rules are applied automatically. Extras like waiting time (from geofenced timestamps), extra drops, and accessories are priced by your rules.
Flexible consolidation to match customer requirements
Create single invoices per job-order, per site, per PO, or per week – including multi‑drop and groupage scenarios – with correct VAT and multi‑currency where needed.
Approvals by risk
Auto‑send clean invoices, or queue for approval based on value, customer, or exception status. The system flags issues like unmatched rates, PO mismatches, zero quantities, or duplicate jobs-orders.
Customers see the impact fast – CS Ellis cut their weekly invoicing time by 75%, and Wyvern Cargo used bulk invoicing and rate cards to reduce turnaround from weeks to days.
They’re all inputted automatically which frees up our administrative employees to focus on other tasks because a whole layer of manual work can be stripped out – and just as importantly, the margin for input errors is reduced massively. – Amin Geense, Project Manager at Roosenboom
Integrated accounting for smoother transport invoicing
Qargo doesn’t just generate invoices faster, it connects directly with your accounting platforms via native integrations. Platforms like Exact Online, Sage 50, and Easi (Adfinity) can automatically receive your invoices, sync data in real time, and reduce manual entry. That means fewer errors, less back-and-forth, and that all important fast cash flow.
A real impact on cash flow
Faster, first-time-right invoicing brings payments forward and reduces disputes. Real-time receivables visibility improves planning for fuel, maintenance, and payroll – and let’s you track what matters:
- Invoices sent without manual touch
- Exceptions by reason: PODs, rate, PO, extras
- DSO trend and aged debt for credit control
All these hours saved on admin can be invested into operations and growth.
Take control of your cash flow
Automating customer invoicing speeds up payments, reduces errors, and frees your team up to keep freight moving. With Qargo TMS, invoicing, cash flow, and admin finally work together seamlessly.
Discover how Qargo can streamline your invoicing today. Book a demo to explore Qargo TMS.
