Review Transport Cost Estimates

Use transport estimates to compare the likely cost of assigning a vehicle or cost structure. They support planning; they do not post supplier invoices, expense claims, customer freight charges or stock valuation adjustments.

Set up the costing choices

1. Review Enable Transport Costing in Transport Settings and the operating distance/weight/volume units.
2. Define Transport Cost Component records for the costs your operation tracks, with the appropriate fixed or variable nature.
3. Build and submit a Transport Cost Structure containing the permitted components and calculation bases. Its Vehicle Owner scope must suit the vehicle/onboarding owner.
4. Create and submit an active Transport Cost Structure Assignment for the company, currency and validity period. Apply it to the intended vehicle, supplier or category scope; an assignment cannot be restricted to both one vehicle and one supplier.
5. Provide the required rates and UOMs or flat amounts. Destination-rate components need configured destination rates. Select the appropriate structure on the Vehicle.

A structure defines which components are used. The assignment supplies the applicable rates and scope. Selecting a structure without an active matching assignment does not produce a reliable estimate; it produces warnings or an empty estimate.

Understand the bases

The implemented bases include Flat Per Trip, Per Distance, Per Fuel Quantity, Monthly Fixed, Destination Rate and Manual / Actual. Configure only the bases that you can support with meaningful rates and inputs.

Destination rates can distinguish the origin and destination geography used by the configured assignment. Review exact configuration rather than assuming every town has inherited a rate. Manual / Actual components still require the appropriate separate business evidence; an estimate is not a claim approval.

Review a planning estimate

Use the planning resource/cost information and the allocation's Costs area to inspect distance, source, currency, selected assignment, component breakdown and warnings. Correct missing rate or distance inputs before comparing totals.

The available distance estimate is a straight-line planning estimate to the farthest destination where coordinates/reference points are available. It is not the actual road kilometres for an ordered multi-stop route. Do not present its cost result as a guaranteed carrier quote.

Fixed and marginal amounts are not interchangeable

Monthly fixed costs are reported separately and are not automatically distributed into each trip's full-cost estimate. The current calculation exposes fixed/unallocated fixed amounts while the trip estimate uses the supported marginal components. Do not assume the label Full Cost proves all fleet overhead was allocated.

Missing distance, consumption, rate conversions or a matching assignment can change the usefulness of a comparison. Review warnings even where a numeric total is shown; zero is not proof that the transport is free.

Keep financial follow-up in ERPNext

Use the appropriate purchasing, expense and accounting documents to recognise actual transport charges and payments. Supplier collection costs are not automatically capitalised into the purchased stock merely because a collection was planned.

[Screenshot: Vehicle Allocation Costs tab with assignment, distance source, component breakdown, fixed/unallocated amounts and warnings]

If the business needs road-based costing, fixed-cost distribution or purchase landed-cost treatment, agree those requirements separately rather than treating them as existing automation.