Steplane › Process tool for freight forwarders
Updated 18 October 2026 · Steplane is built by a logistics process specialist with over 13 years in logistics, including at some of the biggest freight forwarders in the world.
Short answer: yes. Steplane is an online tool made for small and medium freight forwarding and transport companies. You answer simple questions about how you quote, book, invoice and get paid, and it draws your process with an owner, a trigger and a record for every step, shows where money leaks with estimates, and gives you ready templates to fix them.
The check is free. The quote-to-invoice kit with editable Word and Excel templates is a one-time €49 or $49. If you mainly need to draw diagrams or run checklists, general whiteboard or checklist tools are good options too; the table below shows when each type fits.
An honest overview. Each tool is good at a different job. Prices change, so check each vendor's site.
| Type of tool | What it is for | Made for freight? | How you start | Price level | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steplane | Creating your freight processes: steps, owners, triggers, records, money leaks, templates | Yes | From questions about how you work today | Free check; €49 / $49 one-time kit | You have nothing written down and want a finished process fast |
| Online whiteboard | Drawing flows and running team workshops | No, general | Blank board or general templates | Free plan and paid plans | You already know the process and want to draw it with the team |
| Diagram software | Diagramming: flowcharts, swimlanes | No, general | Blank page or general templates | Free plan and paid plans | You need formal flowcharts for a manual |
| Checklist and workflow app | Running checklists and workflows so people follow the steps | No, general | Build your own checklists | Paid plans | Your process is defined and you want staff to tick it off every time |
| Forwarding software (TMS) | Running daily operations: shipments, documents, accounting | Yes | Set up the system around your workflow | Subscription, usually quoted | You need to manage shipments, not design how work flows |
| Word and Excel | Writing procedures and logs by hand | No | Blank document | Usually already owned | You know exactly what to write and have the time |
Many companies combine them: define the process first, then draw it, run it as a checklist or set up the TMS to follow it.
Steplane does steps 2 to 4 for you from a short questionnaire, starting with quote to invoice. For a full worked example, read the step-by-step guide to freight forwarding processes.
| Process | Starts when | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Quote to invoice | A customer asks for a price | Most money leaks here: unbilled waiting time and storage, quotes without exclusions, late invoices. Start here. |
| Booking and carrier | The customer accepts the quote | Wrong or missing booking details cause failed pickups, extra stops and disputes. |
| Documents and customs | A shipment needs export, import or transit papers | Missing documents mean delays and storage costs; AEO expects clear control here. |
| Claims and damage | Goods arrive damaged, short or late | Clear steps and time limits decide whether you recover the cost from the carrier or pay it yourself. |
| Carrier onboarding | You want to use a new subcontractor | Checking licence, insurance and references before the first load protects you and the cargo. |
| Customer onboarding | A new customer is won | Credit check, payment terms and contacts agreed up front mean fewer late payments. |
Both look for the same thing: work that follows a documented process, with clear responsibility and proof that it happened.
Steplane gives you the documented structure as a starting point. You still need to follow it and keep the records, and the certification body or customs authority makes the final assessment.
Yes. Steplane is made for this: you answer simple questions about how your company handles quotes, bookings, invoices and payments, and it draws the process with an owner, a trigger and a record for every step. General whiteboard, diagram or checklist tools also work, but you start from a blank page and need to know what to draw.
No. Most small freight companies start with nothing on paper. The questions walk you through how the work happens today, and the process is drawn from your answers.
A TMS or forwarding system runs the daily work: shipments, documents, invoicing. A process tool decides how the work should flow and who owns each step. Many companies need both: first a clear process, then a system that follows it.
The check, the process map and the money-leak estimates are free. The quote-to-invoice kit with editable Word and Excel templates and the rollout plan is a one-time €49 in Europe or $49 in the US. No subscription.
Yes, as the starting point. Both expect documented processes with clear responsibilities and records. Steplane gives you that structure. You still need to follow it and keep the records, and the certification body or customs authority makes the final assessment.
Quote to invoice. It touches sales, operations and billing, and it is where most money leaks: extras that never reach the invoice, quotes without exclusions and invoices sent late.
Yes. The questions ask whether you use your own drivers or subcontract carriers, and the process and leaks change with your answers. It also covers warehouse storage and handling.
Yes. Prices show in dollars or euros, and the templates come in a US version (sales tax, bill of lading, USDOT/MC) and a European version (VAT, CMR).
Answer simple questions about how your company works today. You get the process map with owners, triggers and records, the money leaks with estimates and a written procedure. Free, no sign-up.
Start the free check