Transport Lane

Definition:

A Transport Lane means a fixed transport connection between two locations, plants, warehouses or geographical zones.
It forms the basis for planning, optimizing and executing logistical transports and typically contains information on transport options, modes of transport involved, transport routes, service levels and costs.

Transport lanes are used in transport and supply chain systems to determine how and under what conditions goods can be moved between two points — including time windows, preferred carriers, means of transportation, capacities, and pricing structures.

Examples:

• Factory → Distribution Center
• Port → chemical park
• Production site A → company location B
• EU export zone → UK import zone

System context
Transport lanes are a central concept in TMS, ERP and SCM systems (e.g. SAP TM) to digitally map permitted and optimal transport routes.

_{Sources/further links:
SAP TM — Definition Transport Lane: SAP Transportation Management (SAPTM) | SAP Help Portal
Oracle SCM Cloud Transportation Planning Glossary: https://docs.oracle.com
APICS Dictionary — Supply Chain Terms: https://www.apics.org}

Challenges in transport lanes:

Incomplete or outdated data in transport lanes
Missing or out-of-date master data (e.g. incorrect addresses, charging conditions, carrier information) lead to incorrect planning, higher costs and inefficient routing decisions.
_{Sources/Further links:
McKinsey — Data Quality in Supply Chain Systems: https://www.mckinsey.com}

Location requirements are missing from lane definitions
Many systems include the connection (lane), but not the operational conditions at the start and finish point (e.g. PPE requirement, slot registration, coupling type, check-in process). Drivers only receive critical information on site.
_{Sources/further links:
ECTA — Digital Execution & Driver Safety Guidelines: Guidelines | ECTA - European Chemical Transport Association}

Loady's solution:

Connect lane data with location requirements
Loady adds transport lanes to TMS and ERP systems standardized, tested and multilingual location and charging point data — including:

• exact GPS coordinates to gates & charging points
• PPE and document requirements
• Hose & coupling types, safety devices
• Check-in processes & directions
• Opening times & slot information

TMS integration
Loady can be integrated into common TMS systems (REST API, deep links), allowing transport lanes with operational requirements be enriched — ideal for dispo and drivers.