Bilty Tracking by SMS and WhatsApp: What Your Customers Expect Now
Senders and receivers now expect a message when goods are booked, dispatched and arrive, and a page to check the bilty. Here is how to give them that without flooding your phone lines.
Customers of a goods transport company now expect two things: a message at each step — booked, dispatched, arrived, delivered — and a page where they can type the bilty number and see where their goods are. Give them both and the phone calls asking "has my maal arrived?" mostly stop, which on a busy counter is worth hours a day.
Which messages should you send?
| Step | To | What it should say |
|---|---|---|
| Booked | Sender and receiver | Bilty number, destination, number of packages, Paid or To-Pay, tracking link |
| Dispatched | Receiver | Goods on the way, expected arrival |
| Arrived | Receiver | Ready to collect at the station, To-Pay amount if any, what to bring (bilty number and CNIC) |
| Delivered | Sender | Handed over, and when |
The arrival message does the most work: it is what brings the receiver in, and it is what shortens the time goods sit in your godown.
SMS or WhatsApp?
Both have a place. SMS reaches every phone, including basic handsets, and does not depend on the receiver having saved your number. WhatsApp is cheaper per message and familiar, but messages to a number that has never talked to you need an approved business template. Many transporters send SMS as the default and use WhatsApp where the customer prefers it.
In Pakistan, bulk SMS to customers goes through a provider, and some providers accept only wording approved by the PTA as a template. Keep your messages short, factual and the same every time — "Bilty LHR-00412: 5 packages arrived at Karachi station. To-Pay Rs. 4,200. Bring bilty no. and CNIC." — so they can be approved once and used forever. Use two providers if you can, so a message still goes out when one is down.
What should the tracking page show — and hide?
Show the status and every step with its date and station: booked at Lahore, dispatched on vehicle LES-1234, arrived at Karachi, delivered. Show the package count and whether To-Pay is due.
Hide, or mask, the personal details: anyone who knows or guesses a bilty number can open the page, so names and phone numbers should appear only partly ("Ka*** Tr***", "0321-****222"). A tracking page that shows full names and numbers publishes your customers' details to the internet.
Does tracking really cut phone calls?
It cuts the calls that are only asking where the goods are, which on most counters are the majority. The calls that remain — a damaged carton, a changed delivery address — are the ones that need a person. Put the tracking link in every message and print a QR code on the sender's copy of the bilty so nobody has to type anything.
Doing it in software
Irsaal for Goods Transport sends SMS or WhatsApp alerts to senders and receivers at booking, departure, arrival and delivery — through a main and a backup SMS provider, with the wording laid out ready to submit for approval — and gives every company a tracking page at its own address, with names and phone numbers masked, plus a QR code on every bilty. Read more on what a bilty should show.
Frequently asked questions
How can customers track a bilty online?
By entering the bilty number on the transporter's tracking page, or scanning the QR code printed on their copy of the bilty, which shows each step with its date and station.
Should a transporter use SMS or WhatsApp for alerts?
SMS reaches every phone and is the safest default; WhatsApp is cheaper and familiar but needs approved templates for business messages. Many transporters use both.
Is it safe to show customer details on a tracking page?
Only partly. A tracking page should mask names and phone numbers, because anyone with a bilty number can open it.
Which message matters most?
The arrival message to the receiver, with any To-Pay amount and what to bring. It brings receivers in quickly and keeps goods from sitting in the godown.