Courier dispatch software for small UK fleets

A drag-and-drop dispatch board that takes a courier job from booking to signed proof of delivery — and a marketplace that helps you find work for the way back.

In short: Smart Strix is UK-first courier dispatch software built for fleets running 2–50 vehicles. Dispatchers move jobs across a kanban board, drivers accept and update work from the iOS/Android app, and every delivery ends with photos and a customer signature. Because Strix sits on the Smart Taurus consumer marketplace, you can also quote on nearby jobs to fill empty return legs. It is free to get started, with Starter and Advanced plans.

What does the dispatch board actually look like?

It is a kanban board: columns for each stage of a job, cards you drag between them. A new booking lands as a card, you drag it onto a driver, and from that point the card updates itself as the driver works — no ringing round to ask where a parcel is. The board is the single screen a dispatcher keeps open all day, showing every live job, who holds it, and what state it is in.

Cards carry the details that matter for couriers: collection and delivery addresses, time expectations, the customer, and any notes. When something changes — a driver marks arrival, uploads a photo, captures a signature — the card reflects it immediately.

How does a job move from booking to proof of delivery?

Every job follows the same lifecycle: create, assign, status updates, photos, then proof of delivery. The stages are consistent whether the work came from your own customer, a quote you sent, or the marketplace.

StageWho actsWhat happens
CreateDispatcherJob is booked with addresses, customer and notes — or converted from a quote
AssignDispatcherCard is dragged onto a driver; the job appears in their app
StatusDriverAccepts the work, then checks in at each stage from the app
PhotosDriverCondition and loading photos attach to the job record
PODDriver + customerSignature and delivery photos close the job, ready to invoice

How do drivers accept and update jobs?

Through the Smart Strix driver app on their own phone. An assigned job appears with everything the driver needs; they accept it, then work through status check-ins as the day unfolds. Photos upload with offline retry, so a dead spot in a loading bay does not lose evidence — the app sends it when signal returns. The dispatcher watches all of this happen on the board rather than chasing it by phone.

What proof of delivery do customers get?

A customer signature captured on the driver's screen plus delivery photos, stored against the job. That record flows straight into invoicing, so a disputed delivery is answered by opening the job rather than digging through camera rolls. There is more detail on the proof of delivery page, including customer ratings and the POD-to-invoice flow.

You can also send customers a live tracking link — a signed, expiring URL showing the job's progress on a map, with no account or app needed on their side.

How does the marketplace fill empty legs?

Empty return miles are the quiet cost of courier work, and this is where Strix differs from a standard dispatch tool. The job marketplace lets you browse consumer jobs from the Smart Taurus marketplace by radius and quote on the ones that suit your routes. Auto-bid rules — margin strategy, minimum and maximum bounds, time-decay pricing, preferred partners — can quote on your behalf within limits you set. You can share your own jobs out too. No other UK fleet tool has an attached consumer demand side.

Who is Smart Strix courier dispatch for?

Same-day and multi-drop couriers, owner-drivers scaling into a small team, and van operators between 2 and 50 vehicles. If you dispatch from a whiteboard, a WhatsApp group or a spreadsheet, the board replaces all three. Larger operations with dedicated transport-planning departments will want heavier TMS tooling; Strix is deliberately built for the size of fleet where the person dispatching is often also quoting, invoicing and sometimes driving. See pricing — Starter covers up to 3 drivers and Advanced is unlimited.

Frequently asked questions

Is Smart Strix courier dispatch software suitable for a two-van operation?
Yes — it is designed for 2–50 vehicle fleets, and the Starter plan covers up to 3 drivers. You get the same kanban board, driver app and POD flow at any size, and it is free to get started.
Do my drivers need any special hardware to receive dispatched jobs?
No. Drivers use the Smart Strix app on their own iOS or Android phone to accept jobs, post status updates, take photos and capture signatures. There is no in-cab hardware to fit.
Can drivers decline or accept jobs from the app?
Drivers see assigned work in the app and accept it there, then update status as the job progresses. The dispatcher sees acceptance and every subsequent check-in on the board in real time.
What happens if a driver has no signal when uploading POD photos?
Photos queue with offline retry. The app holds the upload and sends it automatically once the phone has a connection again, so evidence taken in basements or rural drops is not lost.
How does the marketplace help with empty return journeys?
You browse consumer jobs from the Smart Taurus marketplace by radius and quote on ones that fit your routes. Auto-bid rules with margin strategy, min/max limits and time-decay pricing can quote automatically within your guardrails.
Does dispatch connect to invoicing?
Yes. The flow runs quote → job → POD with customer signature → invoice, and invoices can be exported to Xero or QuickBooks. Completed jobs are ready to bill without re-keying.
Can customers watch their delivery without creating an account?
Yes — send them a signed tracking link that shows the live map and job status. Links expire on a schedule you choose, from 5 minutes up to 14 days, and require no login.
Is there a long contract for the dispatch software?
No. Plans are monthly or yearly and you can cancel anytime. Starter and Advanced are the two tiers; GPS tracking sits on Advanced.

Run your fleet on Smart Strix

Dispatch, tracking, compliance records and invoicing for 2–50 vehicle fleets — free to get started, no hardware to install.

Free to get started · No card required · No hardware to install · Cancel anytime