Trip plan: what it is and how to organise it
How to build and keep a trip plan for a small fleet: orders, resources, driving times, tachograph, priorities, buffers and updates.
Read resourceTrucksOut Observatory
Resources and insights for people running a small transport company
Practical guides and evergreen insights on orders, drivers, trucks, documents and the daily organisation of road haulage. The Observatory also brings together industry analysis and updates.
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How to create a daily plan for drivers and trucks
How to build the daily plan for a small fleet, taking account of orders, vehicles, drivers, driving times, breaks, rest periods and unforeseen events.
Read resourceHow to organise transport orders in a small company
A practical method for managing transport orders: data collection, contract, planning, changes, documents, checks and archive.
Read resourceTransport order: what it is, what it contains and how to manage it
A practical guide to the transport order: how it differs from a contract, data to collect, references to Legislative Decree 286/2005, an example and an operational checklist.
Read resourceWhy new truck parking areas matter more than they seem
Between ports, freight villages and congested routes, safe parking is increasingly a matter of operational reliability. And it does not concern only large carriers.
Read articleWhy digital cargo standards matter to those who work on the road
The adoption of standards such as One Record in cargo points in a clear direction: more shared data, less ambiguity and greater attention to information continuity across the supply chain.
Read articleLow-value shipments: why a customs rule can change the work on the road
Changes to customs rules for low-value shipments do not concern only those handling clearance. For carriers, they can mean more checks, more documents and closer attention to operational handovers.
Read articlePlanning in a small fleet: how to keep orders, drivers and unexpected events together
When schedules often change, organisation makes the difference. Here is a practical approach to managing orders, drivers and updates without chaos.
Read articleFake carriers and logistics fraud: simple checks a small business can make
Logistics fraud does not affect only large flows. Here is a practical guide to reducing risks with essential, manageable checks.
Read articleAll resources by topic
The complete directory of evergreen guides from the TrucksOut Observatory.
Digitalisation
- How to avoid losing orders between email, WhatsApp and phone calls
- How to manage a small road-haulage business with Excel
- Excel for transport management: when it works and when it becomes a limitation
- How to move from Excel to transport management software
- Transport management software: what it is and what it does
- TMS: what a Transportation Management System is and how it works
- Transport management software and TMS: what is the difference
- How to choose management software for a small transport company
- Management software for 5 trucks: which functions are really needed
- Management software for 10 trucks: what changes compared with Excel
- How to digitalise a small road-haulage company without changing everything
Operations
Planning
Drivers
- How to organise drivers' work between working time, driving and rest
- How to communicate deliveries and collections to drivers
- How to manage changes to drivers' schedules
- How to organise drivers' holidays, rest periods and unavailability
- Driver apps: what they simplify and which privacy rules to consider
Orders and trips
Transport documents
- DDT: what it is, when it is used and what information it contains
- CMR: what it is and when it is used in international road transport
- DDT and CMR: practical differences
- Consignment note: what it is and what it is for
- Transport order and consignment note: practical differences
- POD: what proof of delivery is and how to manage it
- Which documents may accompany a freight transport