Logistics App Development Guide 2026: Features, Cost & Tech Stack

Complete guide to building a logistics and supply chain app. Learn essential features, fleet management, route optimization, and development costs for logistics apps.

Hevcode TeamJanuary 13, 2026

The logistics industry is undergoing digital transformation, with mobile apps becoming essential for fleet management, shipment tracking, and supply chain optimization. This guide covers everything you need to build a successful logistics application.

Market Overview

Key Statistics:

Global logistics app market: $18.2 billion (2024)
Expected growth: 12.4% CAGR through 2030
90% of logistics companies investing in digital solutions
Last-mile delivery apps growing fastest

Top Players:

Uber Freight (freight matching)
Flexport (supply chain)
Project44 (visibility platform)
Samsara (fleet management)
Convoy (digital freight)

Types of Logistics Apps

1. Fleet Management Apps

Vehicle tracking
Driver management
Maintenance scheduling
Fuel monitoring

Examples: Samsara, Verizon Connect, GPS Trackit

2. Shipment Tracking Apps

Real-time tracking
Delivery notifications
Proof of delivery
Customer communication

Examples: AfterShip, ParcelTrack, 17TRACK

3. Freight Matching Apps

Load boards
Carrier matching
Rate negotiation
Document management

Examples: Uber Freight, Convoy, DAT

4. Warehouse Management Apps

Inventory tracking
Pick and pack
Barcode scanning
Stock management

Examples: Fishbowl, Sortly, Zoho Inventory

5. Last-Mile Delivery Apps

Route optimization
Driver apps
Customer tracking
Delivery scheduling

Examples: Onfleet, Circuit, Routific

6. Supply Chain Visibility Apps

End-to-end tracking
Analytics & reporting
Exception management
Supplier collaboration

Examples: Project44, FourKites, Descartes

Essential Features

Core Features (MVP)

Shipment Management
├── Create shipments
├── Assign carriers/drivers
├── Track status
├── Update delivery info
└── Generate shipping labels

Real-Time Tracking
├── GPS tracking
├── Live location updates
├── ETA calculations
├── Route visualization
└── Geofencing alerts

Driver/Carrier App
├── Job assignments
├── Navigation integration
├── Status updates
├── Proof of delivery (photo/signature)
└── Communication tools

Customer Portal
├── Track shipments
├── Delivery notifications
├── Rescheduling options
├── Feedback/ratings
└── Support chat

Admin Dashboard
├── Fleet overview
├── Performance metrics
├── Driver management
├── Reports & analytics
└── Billing management

Advanced Features

Route Optimization
├── AI-powered routing
├── Multi-stop optimization
├── Traffic consideration
├── Time window constraints
├── Load balancing
└── Fuel efficiency routing

Fleet Management
├── Vehicle maintenance alerts
├── Fuel consumption tracking
├── Driver behavior monitoring
├── Compliance management
├── Asset utilization
└── Cost analysis

Warehouse Integration
├── Inventory sync
├── Pick list generation
├── Barcode/RFID scanning
├── Stock level alerts
├── Cross-docking support
└── Returns processing

Analytics & Reporting
├── Delivery performance
├── Driver scorecards
├── Cost per delivery
├── Route efficiency
├── Customer satisfaction
└── Predictive analytics

Integration Hub
├── ERP systems (SAP, Oracle)
├── E-commerce platforms
├── Accounting software
├── CRM systems
├── TMS platforms
└── IoT devices

Technical Architecture

System Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Mobile Apps                           │
│         (Driver App / Customer App / Admin App)          │
└─────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                          │
┌─────────────────────────▼───────────────────────────────┐
│                    API Gateway                           │
│            (Authentication, Rate Limiting)               │
└─────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                          │
    ┌─────────────────────┼─────────────────────┐
    │                     │                     │
┌───▼───┐           ┌────▼────┐          ┌────▼────┐
│Tracking│           │Shipment │          │  Fleet  │
│Service │           │ Service │          │ Service │
└───┬───┘           └────┬────┘          └────┬────┘
    │                    │                    │
┌───▼───┐           ┌────▼────┐          ┌────▼────┐
│ Redis │           │PostgreSQL│          │TimescaleDB│
│(Real-time)│       │         │          │(Time-series)│
└───────┘           └─────────┘          └──────────┘

External Services:
├── Maps API (Google, Mapbox, HERE)
├── Route Optimization (Google OR-Tools, OSRM)
├── SMS/Push (Twilio, Firebase)
├── IoT Platform (AWS IoT, Azure IoT)
└── Weather API (OpenWeather)

Tech Stack

Mobile Apps:

Framework: React Native / Flutter
Maps: react-native-maps / Google Maps SDK
Location: Background geolocation
Offline: WatermelonDB / Hive
Barcode: react-native-camera
Push: Firebase Cloud Messaging

Backend:

Runtime: Node.js / Go
Framework: NestJS / Gin
Database: PostgreSQL + TimescaleDB
Cache: Redis
Queue: Bull / RabbitMQ
Real-time: Socket.io / WebSockets
Search: Elasticsearch

DevOps:

Cloud: AWS / GCP
Container: Docker + Kubernetes
CI/CD: GitHub Actions
Monitoring: Datadog / Prometheus
Logging: ELK Stack

Database Schema

Shipments Table

CREATE TABLE shipments (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  tracking_number VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE NOT NULL,

  -- Sender info
  sender_name VARCHAR(200),
  sender_address JSONB,
  sender_phone VARCHAR(20),

  -- Recipient info
  recipient_name VARCHAR(200),
  recipient_address JSONB,
  recipient_phone VARCHAR(20),
  recipient_email VARCHAR(255),

  -- Shipment details
  weight DECIMAL(10, 2),
  dimensions JSONB, -- {length, width, height}
  package_type VARCHAR(50),
  contents_description TEXT,
  declared_value DECIMAL(10, 2),

  -- Assignment
  carrier_id UUID REFERENCES carriers(id),
  driver_id UUID REFERENCES drivers(id),
  vehicle_id UUID REFERENCES vehicles(id),

  -- Status
  status VARCHAR(30) DEFAULT 'created',
  -- created, picked_up, in_transit, out_for_delivery, delivered, failed

  -- Dates
  pickup_date DATE,
  estimated_delivery DATE,
  actual_delivery TIMESTAMP,

  -- Location
  current_location GEOGRAPHY(POINT),
  last_location_update TIMESTAMP,

  -- Proof of delivery
  pod_signature TEXT,
  pod_photo_url VARCHAR(500),
  pod_received_by VARCHAR(200),

  -- Pricing
  shipping_cost DECIMAL(10, 2),
  currency VARCHAR(3) DEFAULT 'USD',

  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

-- Indexes
CREATE INDEX idx_shipments_tracking ON shipments(tracking_number);
CREATE INDEX idx_shipments_status ON shipments(status);
CREATE INDEX idx_shipments_driver ON shipments(driver_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_shipments_location ON shipments USING GIST(current_location);

Tracking Events Table

CREATE TABLE tracking_events (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  shipment_id UUID REFERENCES shipments(id),

  event_type VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
  -- pickup, departure, arrival, out_for_delivery, delivered, exception

  description TEXT,
  location GEOGRAPHY(POINT),
  location_name VARCHAR(200),

  recorded_by UUID, -- driver or system
  recorded_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

CREATE INDEX idx_tracking_shipment ON tracking_events(shipment_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_tracking_time ON tracking_events(recorded_at DESC);

Vehicles Table

CREATE TABLE vehicles (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),

  -- Vehicle info
  license_plate VARCHAR(20) UNIQUE,
  vin VARCHAR(17),
  make VARCHAR(50),
  model VARCHAR(50),
  year INT,
  vehicle_type VARCHAR(30), -- van, truck, motorcycle

  -- Capacity
  max_weight DECIMAL(10, 2),
  max_volume DECIMAL(10, 2),

  -- Status
  status VARCHAR(20) DEFAULT 'available',
  -- available, in_use, maintenance, retired
  current_driver_id UUID REFERENCES drivers(id),
  current_location GEOGRAPHY(POINT),

  -- Maintenance
  last_service_date DATE,
  next_service_date DATE,
  odometer_reading INT,

  -- IoT
  tracker_device_id VARCHAR(100),
  fuel_sensor_id VARCHAR(100),

  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

Route Optimization

Implementation with Google OR-Tools

from ortools.constraint_solver import routing_enums_pb2
from ortools.constraint_solver import pywrapcp

def optimize_routes(depot, locations, num_vehicles, demands, vehicle_capacities):
    # Create routing model
    manager = pywrapcp.RoutingIndexManager(
        len(locations), num_vehicles, depot
    )
    routing = pywrapcp.RoutingModel(manager)

    # Distance callback
    def distance_callback(from_index, to_index):
        from_node = manager.IndexToNode(from_index)
        to_node = manager.IndexToNode(to_index)
        return calculate_distance(locations[from_node], locations[to_node])

    transit_callback_index = routing.RegisterTransitCallback(distance_callback)
    routing.SetArcCostEvaluatorOfAllVehicles(transit_callback_index)

    # Capacity constraint
    def demand_callback(from_index):
        from_node = manager.IndexToNode(from_index)
        return demands[from_node]

    demand_callback_index = routing.RegisterUnaryTransitCallback(demand_callback)
    routing.AddDimensionWithVehicleCapacity(
        demand_callback_index,
        0,  # slack
        vehicle_capacities,
        True,  # start at zero
        'Capacity'
    )

    # Time windows (optional)
    # routing.AddDimension(...)

    # Solve
    search_parameters = pywrapcp.DefaultRoutingSearchParameters()
    search_parameters.first_solution_strategy = (
        routing_enums_pb2.FirstSolutionStrategy.PATH_CHEAPEST_ARC
    )

    solution = routing.SolveWithParameters(search_parameters)
    return extract_routes(manager, routing, solution)

Real-Time Location Tracking

// Driver app - sending location
import BackgroundGeolocation from 'react-native-background-geolocation';

const startTracking = async (shipmentId) => {
  await BackgroundGeolocation.ready({
    desiredAccuracy: BackgroundGeolocation.DESIRED_ACCURACY_HIGH,
    distanceFilter: 50, // meters
    stopOnTerminate: false,
    startOnBoot: true,
    url: `${API_URL}/tracking/location`,
    params: { shipmentId },
    headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
  });

  await BackgroundGeolocation.start();
};

// Backend - receiving and broadcasting
io.on('connection', (socket) => {
  socket.on('subscribe_shipment', (trackingNumber) => {
    socket.join(`shipment:${trackingNumber}`);
  });
});

// When location received
const updateLocation = async (shipmentId, location) => {
  await redis.setex(`location:${shipmentId}`, 60, JSON.stringify(location));

  io.to(`shipment:${shipmentId}`).emit('location_update', {
    shipmentId,
    location,
    timestamp: new Date()
  });
};

Monetization Strategies

1. SaaS Subscription Model

Plan	Price	Shipments/mo	Features
Starter	$99/mo	500	Basic tracking, 2 users
Professional	$299/mo	2,500	Route optimization, API
Enterprise	$799/mo	Unlimited	Custom integrations, SLA

2. Transaction-Based Pricing

Per-shipment fee: $0.10 - $0.50
Route optimization: $0.05/stop
SMS notifications: $0.03/message
API calls: $0.001/call (after free tier)

3. Additional Revenue Streams

White-label licensing: $10,000+ setup + monthly fee
Integration marketplace: Revenue share with partners
Data analytics: Premium insights packages
Insurance partnerships: Referral commissions

Development Cost Breakdown

MVP Logistics App

Design: $8,000 - $15,000
├── Driver app UI/UX
├── Customer tracking interface
├── Admin dashboard
└── Brand identity

Development: $40,000 - $70,000
├── Driver mobile app
├── Customer tracking (web/mobile)
├── Real-time tracking system
├── Basic route management
├── Push notifications
├── Admin panel
└── iOS + Android

Backend: $15,000 - $25,000
├── API development
├── Real-time infrastructure
├── Database design
├── Maps integration
└── Cloud setup

Third-Party: $3,000 - $5,000
├── Maps API
├── SMS gateway
├── Cloud infrastructure
└── SSL/Security

TOTAL MVP: $66,000 - $115,000
Timeline: 4-6 months

Full Platform

TOTAL: $150,000 - $300,000
Timeline: 8-14 months

Includes:
├── Complete fleet management
├── Advanced route optimization
├── Warehouse integration
├── Multi-tenant architecture
├── ERP/TMS integrations
├── Advanced analytics
├── Driver mobile app
├── Customer portal
├── Admin dashboard
└── API platform

Compliance & Regulations

Key Requirements

ELD Mandate (US):

Electronic logging devices required
Hours of service tracking
FMCSA compliance

GDPR (Europe):

Location data protection
Driver consent management
Data retention policies

Industry Standards:

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
GS1 standards for barcodes
ISO 28000 (supply chain security)

Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch

Real-time tracking tested at scale
Offline mode working for drivers
Route optimization validated
Push notifications reliable
Integration APIs documented
Security audit completed

Driver App

Battery optimization
Background location working
Offline data sync
Camera/barcode scanner tested

Operations

Support team trained
SLAs defined
Escalation procedures
Monitoring dashboards

Conclusion

Building a logistics app requires handling real-time data, complex route optimization, and reliable offline functionality. Start with core tracking features, prove reliability, then expand to advanced fleet management.

Ready to build your logistics platform? Contact Hevcode for expert logistics app development. We have experience with real-time tracking, route optimization, and supply chain solutions.