Track and Trace and IT for Transport and Logistics: Managing Devices on the Road

For transport and logistics companies, the business network is no longer just that bundle of cables in the office. It now reaches into every driver's cab, every handheld in the warehouse and every delivery van on the road. In this article you'll learn how to bring track and trace, TMS, WMS and tachograph IT together into one workable whole, which legislation is heading your way in 2026 and 2027, and the practical hurdles small and mid-sized hauliers run into.

Track and trace: from customer expectation to compliance requirement

For Dutch shippers, track and trace is no longer a differentiator but a baseline expectation. When your customers order from an online shop, they want the same visibility into their delivery as they get with a consumer parcel. B2B customers want to see when the lorry leaves the depot, where it is right now and when it will realistically arrive. A modern TMS includes this as standard, with live GPS links to on-board computers and tachographs.

Compliance plays a role alongside customer expectations. The EU Mobility Package has tightened driving and rest time rules, including mandatory recording of loading and unloading. To meet those requirements demonstrably, you need an integrated system that ties together trip logging, tachograph data, the order system and the TMS. Keeping separate records on paper is no longer a realistic option in 2026.

The IT layers of a modern haulier

In practice, a transport company with 10 to 100 vehicles has six IT layers that need to fit together:

1. Office workstations and network. Windows laptops or Macs for planners, administration and management, with secure access to business applications.
2. TMS (Transport Management System). Planning, dispatch, route optimisation, pricing, invoicing.
3. WMS (Warehouse Management System). Stock, receiving and shipping management in the warehouse.
4. On-board computer and tachograph. Fixed equipment in the lorry: driving behaviour, driving and rest times, on-board communication.
5. Telematics/track and trace platform. GPS, fuel, temperature (refrigerated), tank, loading and unloading records.
6. Handhelds and mobile apps. Ruggedised barcode scanners for the warehouse and drivers, mobile apps for POD (proof of delivery).

What often goes wrong is that these layers are bought as separate islands. The planner works in the TMS, the driver in a separate app, the warehouse in the WMS and the tachograph data sits in yet another portal. The real value only appears once these systems exchange data through integrations. Almost every modern TMS offers API integrations with ERP systems such as SAP, Exact Online, Unit4 and Microsoft Dynamics. The same applies to links between TMS and WMS.

Our earlier article covers IT solutions for logistics companies more broadly; here we zoom in on track and trace, device management on the road and tachograph IT.

Smart tachograph 2: what changes in 2025 and 2026

The smart tachograph version 2 (SMT2, or G2V2) is the most important legislative change in the sector. In short:

• Since 21 August 2023: New vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and buses carrying more than 8 passengers must have an SMT2 fitted at first registration.
• Since 1 January 2025: Analogue and first-generation digital tachographs are no longer permitted in vehicles used for international goods transport.
• Since 19 August 2025: Smart tachograph version 1 must have been replaced by SMT2 in vehicles used for international transport.
• From 1 July 2026: SMT2 also becomes mandatory for all vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used for international road transport or cabotage. This affects vans with trailers and lighter transport that previously fell outside the rules.

For a small or mid-sized haulier, this means a replacement round across the fleet and an upgrade of your back-office systems. SMT2 automatically records border crossings as well as loading and unloading. Manually entering the country code at the border (mandatory on older equipment since 2 February 2022) is no longer needed with SMT2. On top of that, SMT2 stores driver data for 56 days, compared with 28 days on version 1, which affects your retention periods and download processes.

If you have to replace equipment in 2026, it pays to reconsider your track and trace platform and tachograph download infrastructure at the same time. Two separate projects in one year cost more and carry more risk than a single combined programme.

Telematics and fleet management: what it costs

The big names in telematics and fleet management in the Netherlands are Webfleet (headquartered in Amsterdam, number two in Europe with around 735,000 units), Geotab (Canadian, strong on integrations with 300+ marketplace partners), and players such as Fleetlogger, Frotcom, Squarell, VDO and others. Prices are indicative, in USD, and vary widely by package and integration:

• Webfleet: from around $15 per vehicle per month for the basic package, $23 to $35 per vehicle per month for extended packages. Hardware costs a one-off £60 to £200 per vehicle, depending on type.
• Geotab: around $15 to $35 per vehicle per month through resellers. A software plus rented hardware bundle typically runs to $30 to $40 per vehicle per month. Buying hardware: roughly $80 to $120 per unit.

On top of these amounts, expect a contract of at least 3 to 5 years, plus implementation and integration costs. What you get in return is real-time visibility of your fleet, better route planning, verifiable driving hours, and savings on fuel and maintenance. For a fleet of 20 vehicles you're quickly looking at €12,000 to €20,000 a year in telematics subscriptions, plus a one-off €4,000 to €8,000 or so for hardware.

Ruggedised handhelds: why you need different equipment

In a warehouse or loading dock, an ordinary smartphone doesn't last long. Drops, dust, moisture and temperature swings make short work of consumer devices. Ruggedised handhelds from Zebra, Honeywell, Datalogic and Unitech are built to survive that environment. They meet IP65 or higher for dust and moisture resistance and MIL-STD 810H for shock resistance.

For a driver on the road, a different scenario applies: a ruggedised handheld for scan-and-sign on delivery, or a tablet with a mobile app. Either way, a centrally managed platform is important, so that if a device is lost or stolen you can remotely wipe business data and update applications centrally. For Windows devices you do this through Microsoft Intune with compliance policies and Conditional Access; for pure Android, through Android Enterprise within Intune or a specialist MDM such as SOTI or VMware Workspace ONE.

Network and connectivity on the road

Track and trace and TMS integrations stand or fall on a stable connection. In a lorry cab, that typically means 4G or 5G. Practical points to watch:

• Choose a data contract with roaming coverage if you drive across the EU, with a fair-use policy that matches your mileage.
• Where possible, combine dual SIM (two providers) for fallback in areas where one network has poor coverage.
• Make sure critical data (completed PODs, trip records) is queued offline and synchronises as soon as a connection is available. Losing connection must never mean losing data.
• In warehouses with poor mobile coverage, a private Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E infrastructure is usually more reliable than mobile networks. Separate Wi-Fi VLANs for guests, staff and handhelds keep traffic manageable.

Our earlier article covers outsourcing network management and SLA requirements in more detail; for logistics companies, 24/7 monitoring is often genuinely necessary, because peaks happen at night and at weekends.

Cybersecurity in the logistics chain

Transport and logistics companies are a favourite target for ransomware, because downtime feeds straight through into deliveries and customer contracts. Attacks on Maersk, TNT and, more recently, several Dutch logistics firms show that a single workstation can be enough to bring a whole chain to a standstill. If you fall under the new NIS2 and the Dutch Cybersecurity Act (Cyberbeveiligingswet), a demonstrable security policy is also a legal requirement.

For small and mid-sized logistics businesses, that means in concrete terms:

• MFA on all accounts, including on-board computers and handhelds that log in from outside.
• Segmentation: the OT network (on-board computers, scanners) kept separate from the office network.
• Endpoint detection and response on all Windows and macOS workstations, not just on servers.
• A tested backup strategy that also covers TMS, WMS and tachograph data.

Data ownership and API vendor lock-in

A less discussed risk: many TMS and telematics vendors make it awkward to take your data with you to a competitor. When you switch, you can often only get historical trips back through an export, not the rich tachograph log or detailed driver history. Before you sign, agree in writing:

• What data are you entitled to when you cancel, in what format and within what timeframe?
• Does historical data remain readable without you having to keep paying for the licence?
• Is there a separate fee for exporting data at the end of the contract?

These agreements belong in the SLA for your IT services, alongside the classic uptime and response requirements.

Frequently asked questions about track and trace and IT in transport and logistics

When does my fleet have to switch to smart tachograph 2? New vehicles over 3.5 tonnes have required SMT2 at first registration since 21 August 2023. Since January 2025, analogue and first-generation digital tachographs are no longer allowed in vehicles used for international goods transport. Since 19 August 2025, SMT1 must have been replaced by SMT2 in the same category. From 1 July 2026, SMT2 also becomes mandatory for vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used in international transport or cabotage.

What is the difference between a TMS, a WMS and fleet management? A TMS (Transport Management System) plans and manages transport: routes, dispatch, rates and invoicing. A WMS (Warehouse Management System) manages the warehouse: receiving, storage, picking and shipping. Fleet management focuses on the vehicles themselves: driving behaviour, fuel, maintenance and telematics. In an integrated chain, these three talk to each other and to your ERP through APIs.

Can I use an ordinary smartphone as a handheld in the warehouse? On paper, yes; in practice, rarely. Damage from drops, dust and moisture makes short work of consumer devices, and the cost of replacements plus lost productivity quickly exceeds the extra cost of ruggedised equipment. For visibility on the road (for example POD), a consumer device can be enough, provided you use a central MDM solution and the app is offline-first.

How much does a telematics solution cost for an SME fleet? As a guide, expect $15 to $35 per vehicle per month in subscriptions, plus a one-off $60 to $200 per vehicle for hardware. For 20 vehicles, that means an annual cost of €12,000 to €20,000 plus €4,000 to €8,000 for hardware. Savings on fuel, maintenance and better routes often pay that back within 12 to 24 months.

Does my TMS need to be linked to my tachograph download system? It isn't strictly required, but it is essential in practice once your fleet exceeds 5 to 10 vehicles. Without the link, you have to enter driving hours into your planning by hand and risk breaching driving and rest time limits. Modern SMT2 devices make automatic data exchange easier, provided your back-office system supports it.

What happens to my data if I switch TMS vendor? That depends on your contract. As standard, you get historical trip data back through an export, usually as CSV or Excel. Raw tachograph logs and detailed driver history sometimes can't be taken with you without a separate export fee. Agree these terms before you sign, together with exit clauses and documentation requirements.

Conclusion

Track and trace and IT for small and mid-sized transport and logistics businesses comes down to six layers that need to talk to each other: office, TMS, WMS, on-board computer or tachograph, telematics and handhelds. The arrival of smart tachograph version 2 (SMT2) between 2023 and 2026 forces fleets to upgrade their on-board equipment anyway; connecting it intelligently to a fleet management platform and your TMS pays for itself in efficiency, demonstrable compliance and better customer communication. Don't forget cybersecurity, network segmentation and data ownership along the way, because an hour of downtime costs far more than a month's licence.

TRON Group sets up IT environments for small and mid-sized transport and logistics organisations across the Netherlands: from office IT and Intune management of handhelds to integrations between TMS, WMS and tachograph download platforms, plus cybersecurity that meets NIS2 and the requirements of your shippers. Want to know whether your current setup is ready for the SMT2 deadline, or for a shipper that sends you audits? Call us on +31 85 303 5869 or request a no-obligation logistics IT scan. We're happy to help, with real knowledge of your sector.