AI Studio · Logistics
Freight invoice processing automation for shippers
Freight bills look simple until you audit them. A transporter invoice may bundle dozens of LRs, each with its own lane rate, weight, loading charge and detention claim. Checking all of that against contracts and PODs is slow, so many teams pay first and question later. Finaley AI Studio audits each bill line by line, in the tools your logistics and finance teams already use, and sends every exception to a person before payment.
Where freight spend leaks
Rate cards change by lane, vehicle type and season, and they are often stored in emails and spreadsheets. Bills arrive in transporter formats with supporting LRs attached as scans. Common gaps include charging a higher vehicle size than was placed, billing the same LR twice, adding detention without the matching gate timings, or applying the wrong GST treatment under forward charge or RCM. Spotting these by hand takes time nobody has at month-end.
How the automation runs
- 1
Gather the bills
AI agentFreight invoices and annexures are collected from the logistics inbox, transporter portals and vendor uploads, with each LR listed separately.
- 2
Look up the agreed rate
AI agentFor every LR it finds the contracted rate for that lane, vehicle type and date from your rate master or contract sheet.
- 3
Check against delivery proof
AI agentWeights, vehicle numbers and delivery dates are compared with the LR, the POD and the e-way bill raised for the trip.
- 4
Test extra charges
AI agentDetention, loading, toll and halting claims are checked against gate-in and gate-out times and the terms your contract allows.
- 5
Finance approval
Professional checkYour logistics manager or a chartered accountant reviews flagged lines, approves the payable amount or sends a debit note back to the transporter.
- 6
Book the approved amount
AI agentThe cleared bill is posted in your ERP or accounting system with the audit notes attached for the payment run.
Uses your rate master and your ERP
There is no new freight audit platform to adopt. Finaley reads rate cards from wherever you keep them, checks bills against LRs and PODs in your TMS or shared drive, and posts approved amounts in SAP, Tally, Zoho Books or a similar system, through an API where one exists or the regular screens where it does not.
Payment decisions stay with finance
The automation flags; it does not pay. Every disputed line, unusual charge and GST question goes to your logistics manager, your own approver or a chartered accountant from the Finaley network. They see the bill line, the contract rate and the supporting proof together, and their decision is recorded against the invoice.
What you get
- Every LR checked against the agreed rate
- Duplicate and inflated charges stopped before payment
- Debit notes backed by contract and proof
- Transporters paid on cleaner, faster cycles
Questions
Our rate cards are in emails and Excel. Is that a problem?
No. During setup we gather the rate sheets and contract terms your team actually uses and organise them into a lookup the automation can read. When rates change, you share the new sheet and the automation applies it from the effective date you specify.
Can it handle reverse charge and forward charge transporters?
It checks the GST treatment on each bill against what you have recorded for that transporter and flags anything inconsistent. Tax decisions are not made by the automation; questions go to your accountant or a chartered accountant from the Finaley network for a decision before posting.
What about bills that cover hundreds of LRs?
Large annexures are handled line by line, which is where manual checks usually fall short. The summary shows which lines passed, which failed and why, so your reviewer only spends time on the exceptions rather than re-checking the entire bill.
Will transporters see any change?
Only if you want them to. Bills keep arriving the same way. Where a line is disputed, the automation can draft a debit note or query in your format, and your team decides whether to send it. Many teams find conversations with transporters become shorter because the evidence is attached.
How is the automation tested before it goes live?
We run it on a set of past freight bills your team has already audited and compare its findings line by line. It is switched on only when its results match your team's, and every later run is visible in the activity record.
More automations for Logistics
- Proof of delivery automation for courier companiesFinaley reads each POD, matches it to the AWB and invoice, flags missing stamps or signatures and sends disputed deliveries to a field verifier.Read more ›
- Shipment tracking automation for logistics companiesFinaley checks every AWB and LR on carrier and transporter portals, updates your system and tells customers about delays before they call to ask.Read more ›
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Show us how your team does it.
Send a screen recording or book a call. We build it, test it on your past work, and only switch it on when the results match your team's.