Logistics App Development
Our logistics app development team builds driver, dispatch and warehouse apps for Canadian couriers, carriers, distributors and delivery startups. These apps run all day on rough roads and weak signal, so offline behaviour and battery use matter more than animation.
- Fixed-scope quoteA written price and milestone plan before any work starts.
- From $4,999 CADTypical single-platform apps $5,000 to $12,000.
- You own the codeSource, designs and store accounts are yours.
- Reply within 24 hoursMon to Fri, Toronto time. Call +1 (365) 440-1786.
Who this is for
Logistics app development is for couriers and last-mile delivery companies replacing paper manifests, carriers and 3PLs that need driver and dispatch tools tied to their transport system, distributors modernising the warehouse floor, and delivery startups that need a reliable driver app before anything else. A logistics delivery app is judged at 6am on a cold dock with no signal, so that is where we design from.
Apps we build for logistics
- Driver apps with job lists, navigation handoff and status updates
- Dispatch and route planning tools for planners and depot managers
- Fleet tracking apps with live vehicle positions and history
- Warehouse apps for receiving, picking, scanning and stock counts
- Proof of delivery apps with photos, signatures and exception codes
- Customer tracking apps showing live ETA and delivery windows
Key features
- Offline-first design: jobs work with no signal and sync when the device reconnects
- Barcode and QR scanning using the phone camera or a paired handheld scanner
- Photo and signature capture attached to each stop with time and location
- Background location that is accurate enough for tracking without draining the battery
- Geofenced arrival and departure events that update status without driver input
- Integration with the transport management, ERP or warehouse system you already run
Systems we typically integrate with
- Transport management, ERP and warehouse management systems
- Route optimisation and mapping services
- Telematics and ELD platforms for vehicle data
- Customer notification channels for SMS and email tracking links
- Handheld scanners, label printers and Bluetooth devices
- Customer order sources such as e-commerce platforms and EDI
Integration access is confirmed during discovery, before we quote, because vendor onboarding often takes longer than the code. Our backend and API service covers the server side of these connections.
What discovery covers for a logistics project
The first week or so answers these questions, and the answers set the fixed-scope quote:
- A day in the life of a driver, dispatcher and warehouse picker, step by step
- Where signal drops and what must keep working there
- Which system is the source of truth for jobs, stops and inventory
- The devices your team carries, including shared and rugged units
- What proof of delivery your customers and insurers require
- How exceptions (missed stops, damage, refused deliveries) are handled today
Build custom or use an off-the-shelf tool?
Custom is not always the right answer. This is how we advise logistics clients in the first call:
| Need | Off-the-shelf is usually enough when | Custom makes sense when |
|---|---|---|
| Route planning for a small fleet | Routing SaaS tools with driver apps cover many small operations | Custom when your job types, proof rules or integrations do not fit the tool |
| Driver app tied to your TMS | Some TMS vendors ship a basic driver app | Custom when offline behaviour, scanning or exception handling are weak |
| Customer tracking page or app | Notification services offer tracking links | Custom when tracking is part of your brand and customer account |
| Warehouse scanning and picking | WMS vendors offer handheld apps | Custom for phone-based scanning, unusual workflows or small operations without a full WMS |
Compliance and considerations
Location tracking of employees is personal information, so drivers need clear notice of what is collected, when tracking is on and how long the data is kept. We build tracking that stops outside working hours and keep retention configurable so your policy, not the app, decides. Apple and Google both require a written justification for background location and reject apps that collect more than the stated purpose needs, so we scope location precision and frequency to the job at hand and document it for store review.
What drives the cost of a logistics app
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, with complex platforms from about $25,000. These drivers decide where yours sits, far more than the screen count does. See our price sheet.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Offline-first behaviour | Local storage, queued updates, conflict handling and sync testing are the biggest engineering cost. |
| Background location | Accurate tracking that respects battery limits and store policies takes careful tuning per platform. |
| Integrations | TMS, WMS, ERP and telematics each bring their own API, data model and testing. |
| Hardware | Scanners, printers and rugged devices need device-specific testing. |
| Roles and dispatch tooling | A dispatcher console or admin web app is often as large as the driver app. |
Timelines
- Focused first version. 6 to 10 weeks for an iOS and Android driver app with jobs, status, proof of delivery and offline support.
- Full platform. 3 to 6 months for dispatch, tracking, warehouse and customer apps together.
What moves these ranges:
- Access to your TMS or ERP and its sandbox
- Field testing time with real drivers
- How quickly decisions and feedback come back each week
- Scope changes mid-build, which we quote before starting
Common mistakes we help you avoid
- Testing only in the office on Wi-Fi
- Tracking location more often than the job needs, which drains batteries and fails store review
- Skipping exception flows, so drivers fall back to phone calls
- Building for one phone model when the fleet carries many
- Leaving the dispatcher tools until last
What a first version can look like
Illustrative example: a regional courier runs on paper manifests and phone calls. Version one gives drivers an app with the day's stops from the existing TMS, navigation handoff, photo and signature proof of delivery, exception codes and offline queueing. Dispatch sees live status on a web console. Customer tracking links and warehouse scanning follow after the first month of field use.
Why logistics companies choose us
- Offline-first is our default for field apps, tested with the network switched off
- Battery use is measured on real devices across a full shift, not assumed
- We build for scanning speed, big touch targets and gloves, because drivers are moving
- Integration experience with dispatch, transport management and warehouse systems
- Fixed-scope quotes covering driver app, dispatch tools and backend as separate milestones
- Support plans that cover peak season, when a broken build costs you deliveries
See every industry we serve, compare project pricing, or read how a project runs before you send us a brief.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We build field apps offline-first: jobs, routes and forms are stored on the device, drivers keep scanning and capturing proof of delivery with no connection, and everything syncs in order once signal returns. Conflict rules are agreed during discovery.
It does not have to. We tune update frequency and accuracy to the job, use geofences instead of constant polling where possible, and test across a full shift on the actual devices your drivers carry.
Yes. We integrate with the transport management, ERP or warehouse system you already run through its API or an agreed file exchange, so dispatchers keep one source of truth and drivers get jobs on the phone.
A driver app with jobs and proof of delivery sits at the lower end, while route optimisation, dispatch tools and deep system integration sit higher.
A driver app MVP with jobs, scanning and proof of delivery usually launches in 6 to 10 weeks on iOS and Android, or 4 to 8 weeks on one platform. A full platform with dispatch, tracking and integrations takes 3 to 6 months.
A logistics delivery app gives drivers their stops, navigation, status updates and proof of delivery, and gives dispatch live visibility. The essentials are offline support, scanning, photo and signature capture, exception handling and integration with the system that holds the jobs.
We build custom mobile apps and the backend or web consoles that go with them, and connect them to the transport or warehouse systems you already run. We do not sell a packaged TMS.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
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