To address these challenges, we partnered with our client to design and implement a Freight Management Dashboard directly within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central - eliminating the need for a separate transportation management system while delivering powerful, real-time logistics capabilities.
The Challenge
Our client needed a way to:
- Accurately estimate freight costs for both third-party carriers and internal shipments
- Apply carrier-provided rate tables for external logistics providers
- Use a custom internal cost formula for company-owned fleet deliveries
- Efficiently schedule and dispatch shipments by date
- Centralize logistics operations without relying on external systems or manual processes
While standalone Transportation Management Systems (TMS) could offer similar functionality, they would require either duplicate data entry or complex integrations - adding cost and operational overhead.
The Solution: A Native Freight Dashboard in Business Central
Instead of introducing another system, we built a custom freight management dashboard directly within Business Central, allowing the logistics team to manage everything from a single, familiar interface.
This dashboard provides a real-time view of all approved and released Sales Orders, giving the logistics team immediate visibility into shipments ready for planning and dispatch.
Key Scheduling & Planning Fields
To ensure accurate scheduling and cost estimation, the dashboard captures several critical data points:
- Scheduled Shipment Date - When the order is planned to ship
- Planned Carrier - Assigned external carrier (if applicable)
- Planned Driver - Driver responsible for the delivery
- Planned Truck & Trailer - Equipment allocation
- Type of Truck - Impacts cost calculations and routing
- Fuel Cost - A key variable in estimating total freight cost
These inputs allow the logistics team to fully plan each shipment while maintaining flexibility across both internal and third-party operations.
Enhancing Accuracy with PC Miler Integration
A major factor in freight cost estimation is distance and route data. To automate and improve this process, we integrated the system with PC Miler, a leading route optimization and mileage calculation tool.
Here’s how it works:
- When a Sales Order is scheduled, the system sends an API request to PC Miler
- Route coordinates are passed automatically
- PC Miler returns:
- Total mileage
- Estimated toll costs
- Optimized routing data
This integration eliminates guesswork and ensures that every estimate is based on accurate, real-world routing information.
Intelligent Freight Cost Calculation
With all relevant data in place (shipment details, equipment, fuel cost, and route metrics), the system can automatically calculate estimated freight costs using:
- Third-party carrier rate tables for outsourced shipments
- Custom internal formulas for company fleet deliveries
This dual approach gives the client complete flexibility while maintaining consistency and accuracy across all freight calculations.
The Result
By embedding freight management directly into Business Central, our client achieved:
- Elimination of manual data entry and system switching
- Improved accuracy in freight cost estimation
- Streamlined dispatching and scheduling processes
- Real-time visibility into logistics operations
- Reduced dependency on external TMS platforms
Final Thoughts
This solution demonstrates how extending your ERP system can unlock powerful operational efficiencies without introducing additional complexity. By combining a custom dashboard with intelligent integrations like PC Miler, businesses can take full control of their logistics processes - right from within their core system.
If your organization is facing similar challenges with freight management, there may be an opportunity to simplify and optimize your operations in the same way.