WhatsApp Templates · Logistics and Freight Forwarders
WhatsApp message templates for freight forwarders
Freight forwarders need six templates here: four utility messages that move a live shipment forward (booking confirmation, pickup scheduling, transit milestone and delay notice) plus a demurrage alert, one marketing message and one authentication code. The utility set follows the door-to-document journey, while the marketing message is only for a lane or service the customer has not used yet.
A shipment passes through many hands from booking to delivery, and most customers only call when they have not heard anything. WhatsApp keeps each milestone in one thread the customer reads without searching through email.
Booking received and document checklist
UtilitySend it when: A shipper has just booked and paperwork is still outstanding
Hi {{1}}, your booking for shipment {{2}} is confirmed. Please send the commercial invoice and packing list so we can raise the bill of lading, and reply here if any details have changed.Pickup scheduled
UtilitySend it when: The collection slot is fixed with the shipper
Hello {{1}}, your cargo is scheduled for pickup on {{2}} between {{3}}. Please have the shipment packed and labelled and keep a contact on site. We will confirm again once it is loaded.In-transit milestone update
UtilitySend it when: The shipment departs a port or reaches a transshipment point
Update on shipment {{1}}: it departed {{2}} on {{3}} and is expected at {{4}} on {{5}}. I will share the arrival notice as soon as it clears.Delay or schedule exception
UtilitySend it when: A sailing or road leg slips and the customer must be told early
Hi {{1}}, shipment {{2}} is running late because of {{3}}. The revised estimated arrival is {{4}}. We are monitoring it and will update you the moment it moves.Demurrage and free-time alert
UtilitySend it when: Free time at the terminal is about to expire
Hi {{1}}, container {{2}} at {{3}} starts attracting demurrage from {{4}}. Please arrange clearance to avoid extra charges, or reply and we will coordinate the lift.New trade lane invitation
MarketingSend it when: Offering a route or service the client has not booked before
Hi {{1}}, we now run weekly consolidations on the {{2}} lane at competitive rates. If your volumes on that route grow, reply and we will send a rate sheet, with no commitment needed.How the category changes what you pay
- Every template is submitted under one category, and Meta assigns the final one in review. A utility template that reads like a promotion can be reclassified as marketing, which changes both the rate and the opt-in requirement.
- Since 1 October 2026, service messages are charged per delivered message after the first 1,000 free service messages per business phone number per month. The allowance does not roll over and there are no volume tiers.
- Inbound messages are free, and a customer-initiated message opens the 24-hour customer service window. Anything you start outside that window needs an approved template.
Logistics and Freight Forwarders on WhatsApp: common questions
Templates for other industries
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