Freight forwarding software should offer both: a native accounting module built for freight-specific billing, and the option to integrate with external accounting platforms like QuickBooks, SAP, or Xero. Forwarders without an existing accounting system benefit from software with finance built in; forwarders who already run QuickBooks or SAP need a TMS that connects to it without double entry. Logistaas supports both models, letting freight forwarders choose based on what they already have in place.
What is a Freight Forwarding Software?
Freight forwarding software, also called a Transportation Management System (TMS), is the platform freight forwarders use to manage their entire operation: quoting, booking, shipment execution, documentation, invoicing, and customer communication.
A purpose-built freight forwarding TMS is different from a generic logistics platform. It is designed around the specific workflows of a freight forwarder: managing HAWBs and MAWBs, handling FCL and LCL shipments, submitting eAWB data to airlines, connecting to carriers, generating freight documents, and tracking profit per job. It helps automate the repetitive parts of a freight forwarders operations, and automation reduces human error rates in freight forwarding. A built in CRM provides insights into customer behavior and preferences and improved customer engagement and satisfaction in the long run.
The best platforms handle all modes, air, ocean, land, customs clearance, and multimodal, in a single system, so your team is never switching between tools to manage different shipment types.
Why Generic Accounting Tools Fall Short for Freight Forwarders
Freight billing isn’t standard invoicing. A single shipment can involve multiple parties (shipper, consignee, agents), multiple currencies, weight and volume-based charges, and layered costs across origin, freight, and destination legs. Generic accounting software wasn’t built to handle that structure, which is why forwarders using disconnected tools end up re-entering the same shipment data into their TMS and their accounting system separately.
That double entry is where errors, delays, and reconciliation headaches come from, not from the accounting itself, but from keeping two systems in sync manually.
Option 1: Native Accounting Built for Freight
Logistaas includes a Native Accounting Module designed specifically around freight forwarding workflows, so forwarders without an existing accounting platform can manage finances entirely inside their TMS. It works from a single source of financial truth, fully synchronized with operations, which removes the need for double entry between shipment data and financial records.
The module is built around details specific to freight forwarding, including shipment dimensions, cost layers, and e-invoicing, so billing reflects how freight actually moves rather than being forced into a generic invoicing structure.
Eliminates the Need for Third-Party Integrations
Because accounting is native to Logistaas, data updates seamlessly across the platform without the need for double entry. There’s no separate accounting tool to sync, maintain, or reconcile against, one less integration to manage, and one less point of failure. That reduces redundant processes and cuts down on the errors that come from re-entering the same shipment or invoice data twice.
Características Especializadas para Transitarios
The module includes details tailored specifically to freight operations, shipment dimensions, cost layers, and e-invoicing, alongside all the basic and advanced accounting features of other softwares. That specialization allows for precise billing and financial tracking that reflects how freight forwarding actually works, from multi-leg cost breakdowns to volume, and weight-based charges.
Inside the module, forwarders can:
Register vendor invoices and manage received and paid payments
Set up credit facilities for customers and vendors
Generate invoices for single or multiple shipments, importing rates directly to keep billing accurate
Set up local tax schemes and meet e-invoicing requirements by country
Pull exchange rates directly from central banks for multi-currency operations
Run dynamic profit reports, aging reports, and statements of account
Option 2: Integrate with the Accounting Platform You Already Use
For forwarders already running an established accounting system, Logistaas connects directly to it instead of asking them to migrate. Supported integrations include QuickBooks, SAP and SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics (including DAX), Xero, Zoho Books, Sage, TallyPrime, AutoCount, Odoo, PayTraq, E-conomic, Dolphin, and Fortnox.
These integrations exchange invoices, payments, credit notes, exchange rates, and contact data between Logistaas and the external platform, so shipment and financial data stay aligned without manual syncing on either side.
Which Option Should You Choose?
|
Native Accounting Module |
Accounting Integration | |
|---|---|---|
|
Best for |
Forwarders without an established accounting platform |
Forwarders already running QuickBooks, SAP, Xero, etc. |
|
Setup |
Ready to use inside Logistaas |
Connects to your existing system |
|
Data entry |
Single entry, freight-specific |
Synced automatically, no re-entry |
|
Migration required |
No |
No, existing system stays in place |
Neither path forces a forwarder to change how their finance team already works. The decision comes down to whether accounting already lives somewhere else, not whether the TMS can support it.
FAQ
Does Logistaas have its own accounting module, or does it only integrate with external tools? Both. Logistaas includes a Native Accounting Module built for freight forwarders, and also integrates with external platforms including QuickBooks, SAP, Xero, Zoho Books, Sage, and others.
Can I switch from an external accounting platform to Logistaas’s native module later? Logistaas is built to support either model, so forwarders aren’t locked into one approach. Speak with the Logistaas team about your specific setup and migration path.
Does Logistaas’s accounting module handle multi-currency invoicing? Yes. It pulls exchange rates directly from central banks and supports multi-currency operations as part of its finance management functionality.
Which accounting software does Logistaas integrate with? QuickBooks, SAP, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics, Xero, Zoho Books, and more. Check our integration page to find out if it is integrated with yours.
Is the native accounting module included in every Logistaas plan? Feature availability can vary by plan.
See the accounting module and integrations in action. Request a demo.