Steplane › Freight forwarding SOP template
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: a good freight forwarding SOP fits on one or two pages and covers eight things: purpose, scope, owner, what starts it, the steps in order, the record each step leaves, how exceptions are handled, and when it is next reviewed. Below is a complete example for quote to invoice that you can copy, and a blank template for your other processes.
Want it filled in for your company? The free Steplane check writes this procedure from your answers in about 10 minutes.
| Section | What to write | Example (quote to invoice) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Why the process exists, in one sentence | Turn every price request into a paid invoice with all extras billed |
| Scope | Where it starts and ends, and what it covers | From price request to payment received, all road jobs |
| Owner | The one role responsible for the whole process | Operations manager |
| Trigger | What starts it | A customer asks for a price |
| Steps | In order, one owner per step | See the example below |
| Records | What each step leaves behind as proof | Quote, job record, extras log, POD, invoice, reminder log |
| Exceptions | What to do when something goes wrong | Quote expired, delivery refused, damage reported, customer disputes extras |
| Review date | When it is checked next | Every six months, or when a system or service changes |
Purpose: every price request becomes a paid invoice, with all extras billed. Scope: from price request to payment received. Owner: operations manager. Review: every six months.
| # | Step | Owner | Starts when | Record kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sends price request | Customer | Customer needs transport | Request by email, phone or form |
| 2 | Checks cargo details | Sales | Request received | Completed request checklist |
| 3 | Builds and sends quote | Sales | All cargo details confirmed | Quote with validity date and exclusions |
| 4 | Accepts quote | Customer | Quote received | Written acceptance quoting the quote number |
| 5 | Opens job, books carrier | Operations | Acceptance received | Job record with the quote attached |
| 6 | Records extra costs | Operations | Waiting time, storage or an extra stop happens | Extras log entry with proof |
| 7 | Delivers, gets proof of delivery | Drivers or carrier | Goods collected | Signed proof of delivery |
| 8 | Checks invoice | Billing | Proof of delivery received | Completed invoice checklist |
| 9 | Sends invoice | Billing | Invoice check passed | Invoice sent within 24 hours of delivery |
| 10 | Chases payment | Billing | Due date approaching | Reminder log |
| 11 | Pays | Customer | Invoice due | Payment received, job margin recorded |
Exceptions: if the quote has expired, sales re-quotes before operations books. If delivery is refused or goods are damaged, the driver or carrier photographs it on the POD and operations opens a claim the same day. If the customer disputes an extra, billing sends the extras log entry with its proof.
With your own trucks, step 5 becomes "plans truck and driver" and step 7 is owned by your drivers.
Process: ______ · Purpose: ______ · Scope: from ______ to ______ · Owner: ______ · Next review: ______
| # | Step | Owner (role) | Starts when | Record kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |
Exceptions: ______ · Related documents: ______
Write roles, not names, in the owner column. Keep the names in a separate list so the SOP does not change when people do.
The free Steplane check asks simple questions about how your company works today and writes this procedure for you, with the money leaks and estimates. The quote-to-invoice kit (€49, about $55, one-time) adds editable Word and Excel files: the process and rollout plan, a quote template with exclusions, an extras log, an invoice checklist and payment reminder emails, in EU and US versions.
A standard operating procedure: a short written description of how one process is done, with the trigger, the steps in order, one owner per step and the record each step leaves.
Purpose, scope, owner, what starts it, the steps with an owner and a record for each, how exceptions are handled, the related documents, and the date of the next review.
Usually one or two pages. If it gets longer, it is probably two processes, or it contains software instructions that belong in a separate work instruction.
Quote to invoice. It touches sales, operations and billing, and it is where most small freight companies lose money: extras that never reach the invoice, quotes without exclusions and invoices sent late.
It gives the structure both expect: documented steps, clear responsibility and records. You still need to follow it and keep the records, and the certification body or customs authority makes the final assessment.
Yes. Copy the tables into Word or Excel and change them to fit your company. The free Steplane check fills in a version for your company from your answers, and the paid kit adds editable templates for the steps where money leaks.
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.
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