Transport & Courier Invoice Template

A transport invoice differs from an ordinary invoice mainly in its line items: instead of products you bill trips, kilometres, stops, waiting time and surcharges. This free template is built for exactly that – for courier services, van operators, freight forwarders and self-employed drivers in Germany. It carries every mandatory field under § 14 UStG, and the Excel version calculates net, VAT and gross automatically.

Rather not fill in anything by hand? The free invoice generator creates the invoice in your browser – as PDF and e-invoice, no sign-up required.

When do I need this template?

Whenever you bill a transport service to a customer: a direct run for an online retailer, the weekly tour for a wholesaler, a pallet delivery to a construction site or the Saturday special. If you drive as a subcontractor for a forwarder or courier company you also issue an invoice – for that there is the dedicated subcontractor invoice template, which settles the § 13b and self-billing questions.

Which details are mandatory?

The tax office only accepts an invoice that contains the details listed in § 14 (4) UStG – if one is missing, your customer loses the input-tax deduction and asks for a corrected invoice. The template has a dedicated field for each:

• your full name and address as the supplier
• name and address of the customer
• your tax number or VAT identification number
• issue date of the invoice
• a sequential, unique invoice number
• nature and scope of the service – for transport: route from/to, date, shipment or order number
• service date (the delivery date) or the service period for consolidated invoices
• net amount per VAT rate, VAT rate and VAT amount, gross total
• where applicable, the note on tax exemption or reverse charge

For invoices up to €250 gross the small-amount rule (§ 33 UStDV) applies: recipient address, tax number and invoice number may be omitted, but the VAT rate must still be stated.

How to bill trips correctly

The most common mistake on transport invoices is a single line reading “Transport, flat rate”. That is not enough for the customer to check and not enough for an auditor as a service description. Split it instead:

• Trip: pickup and delivery address (at least postcode/town), date, vehicle class, shipment or transport order number as reference
• Kilometres or stops with quantity and unit price if that is how you price – the transport cost calculator shows typical market rates
• Waiting time beyond the agreed free period, in quarter hours or hours
• Surcharges: express, night, weekend, loading assistance, bulky goods, second delivery attempt
• Tolls as a separate line. They are part of your fee and carry 19% VAT – the truck toll calculator gives you the amount
• Empty run if the customer cancelled at short notice and that was agreed

A proof of delivery with the recipient's signature does not belong on the invoice but should be at hand – in a dispute it is your most important document. The proof of delivery template goes with it.

VAT on transport services

Goods transport within Germany for businesses and private customers is taxed at 19%. Three special cases come up in everyday work:

• Customer is a business in another EU country: the service is taxable there (§ 3a (2) UStG). You invoice net, add “Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers” (reverse charge) and state your VAT ID and theirs.
• Transport to or from a non-EU country: for exports, the exemption generally requires a direct supply to the consignor or consignee of the goods, not subcontracting to a forwarder. For imports, transport costs must be included in the import taxable amount. The conditions require supporting evidence (§ 4 No. 3 UStG). Note: “Steuerfreie Beförderungsleistung gemäß § 4 Nr. 3 UStG”.
• You are a small business (up to €25,000 revenue in the previous year and €100,000 in the current year): no VAT shown, but the note “Kein Ausweis von Umsatzsteuer gemäß § 19 UStG”.

Payment terms, discounts, default

Without an agreement an invoice is due immediately; default occurs at the latest 30 days after receipt. 14 to 30 days are common in transport. Write the due date as a date (“payable by 28 Sept 2026”), not as “14 days net” – it avoids arguments. An early-payment discount pays off with customers who otherwise pay late: 2% for payment within 7 days is widespread in the industry.

E-invoicing: what applies from 2027

Since 1 January 2025 every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices – an e-mail inbox is enough. For issuing to domestic business customers there is a transition period: PDF and paper stay allowed until the end of 2026; from 2027 companies with more than €800,000 prior-year revenue must use structured formats (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD), from 2028 everyone. Small businesses under § 19 are permanently exempt. If you serve larger forwarders or public-sector clients you often need the format already.

Create invoices straight from the order

Anyone who drives regularly types the same addresses, routes and prices into the template every week. In the Maxmove TMS invoices are generated directly from the completed order: route, stops, waiting time and surcharges are already recorded, the digital proof of delivery is attached, and the invoice goes to the customer by e-mail as PDF or e-invoice. Small courier companies and single drivers start for free.