The customer may need a vehicle’s position, confirmation of arrival or enough information to prepare receiving. These are different requests. Before adding a map or sending more messages, agree on the decision the update should help them make.
Understand the recipient’s question
One customer only needs confirmation of key stages. Another needs to know when to contact the warehouse. A third needs to review a deviation after delivery.
Ask: “What will you do differently after receiving this update?” The answer helps determine what to include and how often to communicate. A continuous map is not essential for every recipient, and a position does not replace a confirmed event.
Separate an observation, a report and an expectation
Use different wording for different evidence:
| Basis | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Recorded position | “The last known position was recorded at 12:40.” |
| Participant report | “The driver reported arrival at 13:05.” |
| Plan | “The agreed unloading window is 14:00–15:00.” |
| Unconfirmed expectation | “We are checking the arrival time with the carrier.” |
All examples are illustrative. A position near a warehouse does not establish that unloading has started. A planned time window is not an automatic arrival prediction either.
Agree on a short update format
Four parts make a useful starting point:
- A trip reference the recipient understands.
- A confirmed fact, with its source and time.
- What is still unknown or needs a follow-up.
- The next action and the person responsible.
Illustrative example: “Trip A → B. The last position was recorded at 12:40; arrival is not yet confirmed. The forwarder is checking progress with the carrier. We will update the information after their response.”
This wording makes the limits of available information clear. Do not promise a time for the next reply unless the team can meet it.
Limit the view to the task
If a customer receives a link, decide what they need to see and when access ends. Viewing one trip should not require opening the company’s entire workspace, other customers’ details or the driver’s personal history.
Check who grants access, who can revoke it and what happens when it expires. If a limited view is not available yet, an agreed message can remain the first way of keeping the customer informed.
Test a gap in information
Discuss the situation where a customer asks for an update but no fresh position is available. The team needs to see the age of the last point, have a contact at the carrier and record the result of checking with them.
Do not replace missing information with an assumption that the vehicle is moving or stopped. In a later trip review, keep observations distinct from interpretations.
Where to start with a new tool
Choose one trip type and a carrier willing to take part. Check whether the forwarder receives the information needed, whether the customer understands the update and whether the process can be repeated on the next trip.
Cargo Polis is developing a subcontracted trip view for the forwarder and a limited view for the customer. Link-sharing readiness is confirmed separately. TMS integration and automatic ETA are not presented as ready-made capabilities.