Custom Logistics Software
F5 builds the software your TMS does not have: internal tools, driver and warehouse apps, sales dashboards, email and document automation and AI agents that work on top of CargoWise, Magaya, McLeod or your WMS, so your team stops filling gaps with spreadsheets.
Built on your systems
Tools on top of CargoWise, Magaya and HubSpot, running for logistics companies today.
Logistics companies we work with
Quick answer
What is custom logistics software development?
Custom logistics software development is building applications for a freight, 3PL or trucking company that off-the-shelf systems do not cover, such as internal quoting and pricing tools, mobile apps for drivers or warehouse staff, dashboards that join TMS and CRM data, and automations that read emails and documents. Most projects extend the TMS or WMS through its API instead of replacing it.
Replacing a TMS is rarely the answer. Building the missing piece around it usually is: faster to ship, cheaper to run and easier to change.
- Team experience
- Builds running for logistics clients: CRM integrations, quote tools, lead tracking
- Builds
- Internal tools, mobile apps, dashboards, automations, AI agents
- Runs on
- Your TMS, WMS and CRM APIs, cloud hosting you own
- Stack
- TypeScript, Python, React, Next.js, Postgres, REST and GraphQL
- Best for
- Forwarders, brokers, carriers, 3PLs and logistics software companies
- You own
- Code, data, credentials and hosting accounts
Benefits
Benefits of custom software for a logistics company
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Fits how you quote and ship
Your margin rules, approval steps and customer workflows in the tool, instead of bending the team around a generic product.
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Extends the TMS instead of replacing it
Built on the CargoWise, Magaya, McLeod or WMS interfaces you already license, so operations keep their system and gain the missing piece.
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Removes the daily manual step
Email triage, document intake and rate lookups that eat hours per rep move into software with a person approving edge cases.
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You own the code
Code, data, credentials and hosting accounts stay yours, documented so any team can take over.
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Proof from logistics companies
Interworld Freight, a Miami forwarder, went from referrals to 60 to 80 inbound leads a day. F5 has worked with more than 60 logistics companies and generated more than 5,000 qualified leads for them.
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Best fit for logistics companies with a repeated manual process and systems with an API. Not a fit if you want a full TMS built from scratch.
Get my software scope
Running a process on spreadsheets and email?
Show us the workflow. We tell you what to build, what to buy and what to leave alone.
What's included
What custom logistics software development includes
- 01
Internal quoting and pricing tools
Rate lookups, margin rules and quote builders that read carrier rates and push approved quotes to the CRM.
- 02
Driver and warehouse apps
Mobile apps for proof of delivery, photos, checklists, scanning and driver applications, connected to the TMS or WMS.
- 03
Email and document automation
Inbox triage that reads quote requests, bookings and documents, extracts the data and creates records, with a person approving edge cases.
- 04
Sales and operations dashboards
One view that joins TMS volume, CRM pipeline and invoiced revenue per account, lane and rep.
- 05
AI agents on your data
Assistants that answer shipment, rate and account questions from your own systems, with permissions and logs.
- 06
Hosting, security and support
Cloud hosting in your accounts, access control, backups, monitoring and a roadmap after launch.
How it works
How long custom logistics software takes, step by step
- Week 1
Workflow review
Shadow the process, list systems and access.
- Weeks 2–3
Prototype
Clickable version tested with the people who will use it.
- Weeks 4–10
Build
Production version, integrations, security and tests.
- After launch
Improve
Monitoring, support and the next tool on the list.
Build plan
The custom tools freight companies build first
The best first build removes a manual step your team repeats every day.
- 01
Quote builder
What it does: Reads rates, applies margin rules, sends the quote and logs it
Connects to: TMS or forwarding software, CRM, email
Value: Faster quotes, consistent margins
- 02
Email triage agent
What it does: Sorts quote requests, bookings and documents and drafts replies
Connects to: Inbox, TMS, CRM
Value: Hours back per rep every week
- 03
Driver or warehouse app
What it does: POD, photos, scans, checklists on mobile
Connects to: TMS, WMS
Value: Fewer calls and paper
- 04
Account dashboard
What it does: Volume, pipeline and revenue per customer and lane
Connects to: TMS, CRM, accounting
Value: Who to call this week
- 05
Partner or customer API
What it does: Rates, bookings and status for large customers
Connects to: TMS, customer systems
Value: Stickier enterprise accounts
Want a scope for your first build?
Get my software scopeCase study
Results from logistics clients: Interworld Freight
Interworld Freight: from referrals to 60–80 inbound leads a day
- Miami, FL
- International freight forwarder
- Caribbean and Bahamas lanes
A strong operation on Caribbean and Bahamas routes out of Miami, but a website with no organic traffic and no lead capture. New clients came through relationships, so growth had a ceiling.
A rebuilt, technically sound website; SEO aimed at shippers moving cargo to Caribbean destinations; and lead capture designed around how a freight buyer decides.
60 to 80 inbound leads a day. The website is now Interworld's primary business development channel, running 24/7 without a sales team behind it.
- 1Mmonthly visits at iContainers
- +5,000qualified leads for clients
- +60logistics companies
"F5 rebuilt our website page by page, put a form on every service page so we know where each lead comes from, and they understand tariffs and trade compliance well enough to write about it."
Compare
A logistics software team, an offshore dev shop or a new SaaS tool?
Short answer: A SaaS tool is fastest when it fits. An offshore shop builds to spec. A logistics team writes the spec with you, because it knows how quotes, loads and warehouses work.
| F5 | Offshore dev shop | New SaaS tool | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understands freight workflows | Yes | If briefed | Partly |
| Builds on your TMS and CRM | Yes | Yes | If it integrates |
| You own the code | Yes | Usually | No |
| Tied to sales and marketing | Same team | No | No |
| Time to first version | Weeks | Months | Days, if it fits |
Pricing
How much custom logistics software costs
Custom logistics software is priced per build, starting with a small first tool, plus optional hosting and support. Cost depends on the workflow, the systems it connects to and the users. F5 quotes after the free software scope and a 30-minute call.
Get a scope and priceWhat changes the price
- Workflow complexity and users
- Systems to connect (TMS, WMS, CRM, email)
- Web, mobile or both
- Hosting, security and support after launch
Monthly programs and projects, scoped to you. Every page, account and report we create is yours.
By industry
Custom software for each type of logistics company
Every model has a manual step that eats the day. That is where we start.
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Software for freight forwarders
Quote builders and email triage on top of CargoWise or Magaya.
Freight forwarders -
Software for freight brokers
Carrier onboarding, rate tools and load dashboards on top of the TMS.
Freight brokers -
Software for 3PLs
Client portals, billing checks and order dashboards on top of the WMS.
3PLs and fulfillment -
Software for trucking companies
Driver apps, POD capture and recruiting flows.
Trucking and drayage -
Software for customs brokers
Document intake and classification helpers with review steps.
Customs brokers -
Software for supply chain tech companies
Prototypes, integrations and internal tools while your core team ships the product.
Supply chain technology -
Not on the list?
Tell us what you move
Who works on your account
Who builds your software
10+ years of logistics SEO and marketing, from iContainers to F5. No account-manager layer: the founders plan your program and review every page before it ships.
Iván Tintoré
Co-founder
Coming from a logistics and business background, Iván co-founded iContainers (sold to Agility Group). He’s been coupling logistics and technology for 15+ years.
LinkedIn
Oriol Lampreave
Co-founder
Marketing and data geek. Oriol joined iContainers young and grew with the business, becoming CMO and shaping the company’s entire inbound strategy until its exit.
LinkedInFAQ
Custom logistics software FAQ
What software do logistics companies use?
+
What software do logistics companies use?
+Freight forwarders run forwarding software such as CargoWise, Magaya or Descartes; brokers and carriers run a TMS such as McLeod, Turvo or Rose Rocket; 3PLs run a WMS such as Extensiv, Logiwa or ShipHero; and most add a CRM, accounting and email. Custom software fills the gaps between them.
Should we build custom software or buy a TMS?
+
Should we build custom software or buy a TMS?
+Buy the core system and build around it. A TMS or WMS handles execution well; custom tools cover the steps specific to your business, such as your quoting rules or a customer workflow, through the system API.
Can you automate freight forwarding emails?
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Can you automate freight forwarding emails?
+Yes. An email triage agent reads incoming quote requests, booking confirmations and documents, extracts the shipment data and creates or updates records in the TMS or CRM, and routes anything unclear to a person. Read our guide to cold email for freight forwarders for the outbound side.
Do you build mobile apps for drivers and warehouses?
+
Do you build mobile apps for drivers and warehouses?
+Yes, for proof of delivery, photos, scanning, checklists and driver applications, connected to the TMS or WMS so data reaches dispatch and billing without retyping.
Who owns the code?
+
Who owns the code?
+You do. Code, data, credentials and hosting accounts are yours, with documentation, so another team can take over at any time.
Do you also connect the CRM?
+
Do you also connect the CRM?
+Yes. CRM sync with your TMS or WMS is part of our logistics software integration service, and custom tools write to the same records.
Guides from the team
Page reviewed by Oriol Lampreave · Updated October 2026
Free software scope
See what to build first
In two business days: your workflow reviewed, the first tool worth building, the systems it connects to and a plan.
- Workflow and systems review
- First build recommendation
- Build versus buy check
- Walkthrough on a 30-minute call
Prefer to talk now? Pick a 30-minute slot or write to hi@f5-out.io.