A manufacturer's freight runs in two directions. Steel, resin, packaging and components come in; finished goods go out on pallets, in crates and sometimes as single heavy items that no parcel network will take. The logistics manager usually holds a separate arrangement for each shape of freight, and finds out what a consignment really cost when the invoice arrives.
Senditt is a managed freight platform (4PL) for high-volume Australian business shippers: book on Senditt's negotiated rates across 35+ carriers, and track and reconcile every consignment from one dashboard. In manufacturing freight, that means inbound and outbound consignments booked in the same place, on rates Senditt has negotiated, while Senditt holds and runs the carrier relationships.
The pressure on manufacturing logistics
Supply chains have not settled down for Australian producers. In an Ai Group research note on supply chain resilience, 47% of industrial businesses reported disruptions in mid-2025, and 44% of manufacturers said they intend to raise their investment in supply chain resilience in 2026 (read 2 October 2026).
Freight is part of the cost of that disruption. Of the manufacturing businesses whose operating expenses rose in May 2026, 78% put it down to freight or delivery costs and 94% to fuel prices, according to ABS survey data released 26 May 2026.
For a plant, that pressure lands in a few specific places:
- a late inbound delivery can hold up a production run, and an idle line costs more than the freight did;
- heavy and oversize items attract surcharges that were not in the quote;
- outbound customers expect delivery in full and on time, and a missed window can cost the next order.
Inbound and outbound in one list
Inbound freight on Senditt is an ordinary consignment with the addresses the other way round: the pickup is your supplier's site and the delivery is your receiving dock. Booked that way, a delivery of raw material sits in the same consignment list as your outbound orders, carrying its own service, despatch date, ETA and status. Your purchasing team and your despatch team look at one record, whichever carrier is moving the freight.
Raw materials booked to the production plan
When a run depends on an inbound delivery, book the consignment as soon as the supplier confirms the goods are ready. The consignment then sits in the list with its ETA and latest status, where the production planner can check it against the run. Because your team books the inbound leg, it also chooses the carrier and service, instead of inheriting whatever the supplier arranges.
A planner who prefers not to log in can email or phone the booking through, and Senditt enters it on the platform, so it still lands in the same list.
Measuring outbound delivery performance
Your customers judge you on whether orders arrive in full and on time. With every outbound consignment in one list, each carrying its despatch date, ETA and status, you have despatch dates, ETAs and statuses to start measuring it yourself rather than relying only on each carrier's own report. Our guide to measuring DIFOT and carrier performance shows how to work it out from fields you already hold.
Manifests for the end of each shift
At the end of a shift, the booked consignments are split into a manifest per carrier. The manifest list gives the carrier and service against each one, so the despatch lead can see which pallets are going with which carrier before pickup.
Heavy, long and awkward freight
Manufacturing freight is where carrier limits and surcharges bite hardest, so it is worth being plain about how they work.
Every carrier has dimension and weight limits
Under the published carriage terms, an item that exceeds the dimension or weight limits of the carrier selected must not be tendered to that carrier, and goods tendered in breach may be refused, held or returned at the customer's cost. Those limits are displayed on the platform or advised by Senditt in writing, so check them for each carrier in the Senditt network before booking a long or heavy item.
Quotes follow the items you enter
A freight quote is built from the actual items: the dimensions, weight and quantity of each pallet, skid, crate or pack. Each pallet, skid or crate is entered as its own type of handling unit, which matters for heavy industrial freight because carriers price and plan around them.
Re-measures, oversize and manual handling
A carrier that finds the freight heavier or bigger than booked, or records a different item count, service or address, triggers a re-invoice at the corrected figures, plus any carrier surcharge for re-measurement, oversize items or manual handling. Heavy freight booked from a bill of materials weight instead of a scale weight can trigger a re-measure charge. Weighing finished pallets before booking reduces that risk.
Your obligations as the consignor
In the states and territories where the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies, which is every one except Western Australia and the Northern Territory, according to the NHVR, consigning goods for transport by heavy vehicle makes a business a party in the chain of responsibility. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator explains that each party has a primary duty to ensure the safety of transport activities, so far as is reasonably practicable (read 2 October 2026). That duty stays with the consignor whoever books the freight.
The carriage terms set out the practical side. The customer warrants that the weights, dimensions, quantities and other details entered are complete and accurate, and that goods are packed and secured for the ordinary risks of carriage. Dangerous goods must not be tendered unless they are declared in full at booking, packed and labelled under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, and within the classes and quantities the selected carrier accepts. Booking every consignment in one platform gives you one record of what was declared.
Connected to your ERP
Senditt connects to the ERPs manufacturers run, including SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor M3, Pronto, Fishbowl, Odoo, Sage 300, MYOB, Cin7, Unleashed and Zoho Inventory, plus CargoWise, CartonCloud and Linnworks for warehouse and logistics systems. The integrations list shows each one. A connection is built for you, never self-installed, and is billed as setup plus ongoing support. SAP and Infor M3, among other enterprise ERPs, are custom work, quoted against the way your system is set up.
When freight is damaged
When freight arrives damaged, Senditt will pursue the carrier on your behalf at no extra cost if you ask, and hand over anything recovered. The carriage terms require written notice of damage or shortage within seven days of delivery, with the damage marked on the proof of delivery when it is received where possible. Carriers pay out only to a limit, so high-value equipment needs its own transit insurance, arranged by you unless Senditt has confirmed cover in writing when the booking was made.
Getting started
Start with a freight review: a free thirty-minute look at what comes in, what goes out and who books it. Your account is then opened with carrier pricing loaded, and inbound and outbound freight can be booked from that day. An ERP connection is scoped and built over two to four weeks, depending on the system, while bookings carry on through the form.
Frequently asked questions
Can Senditt book inbound freight from our suppliers?
Yes. An inbound delivery is booked as a consignment with your supplier as the pickup and your site as the delivery, and it appears in the same consignment list as your outbound freight.
What happens if an item is too big for a carrier?
An item that exceeds the selected carrier's dimension or weight limits must not be tendered to that carrier. Check the limits displayed on the platform, or ask Senditt, before booking it.
Why was a consignment re-invoiced?
The carrier recorded different dimensions, weight, item count, service or address from those entered at booking. The charge is adjusted to match, with any carrier surcharge that applies.
Which ERPs does Senditt connect to?
SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor M3, Pronto, Fishbowl, Odoo, Sage 300, MYOB, Cin7, Unleashed and Zoho Inventory. Each connection is scoped and built for you.
Can our team book by email or phone?
Yes. Email it to customercare@senditt.au, or phone 0433 173 504, and the booking is entered on the platform in your name, alongside everything booked online.
Does using Senditt change our chain of responsibility duties?
No. Where the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies, a business that consigns goods for transport by heavy vehicle keeps its primary duty under it. Senditt gives you one record of what was booked and declared.