Getting started with Truckscanner

Truckscanner is a closed network: it isn't an open marketplace anyone can join. Before signing up you need to figure out who you are in the freight chain, because there are two distinct paths with very different rules — selective application for freight forwarders, immediate but rigorous sign-up for carriers.

Forwarder or carrier? The difference

On the truckscanner.ai homepage you'll find two distinct CTAs. Picking the wrong one means filling in the wrong form and starting over.

Freight forwarders and logistics operators

That's you if you arrange transport on behalf of clients (shippers, industry, large retail), manage a network of subcontracted carriers, invoice the end customer for the transport, and run a dispatch desk that plans loads. Industry labels: 3PL, logistics operator, freight forwarder, shipping agent.

Carriers and owner-operators

That's you if you physically move the freight with your own vehicles (even just one) and your own drivers (even if the driver is you). You take loads from forwarders, direct shippers, or other carriers. You hold license plates, transport authorisations, freight liability insurance.

The two access paths

When you click Sign up from the homepage (or you land directly on /register), you see a page with two side-by-side cards titled "Sign up for Truckscanner". Each card has a different button at the bottom — and that button is the key signal of which path you're entering.

Forwarder path: selective application

The left card is titled "Freight forwarders and logistics operators" with the claim "An exclusive network for major industry operators, freight forwarders and logistics operators. Verified partners, secure supply chain and win-win collaboration to join European carrier networks." The bottom button is labelled "Apply" (not "Sign up"): that's a deliberate choice — you're submitting an application to the pilot, not a registration.

What that means in practice:

  • You complete a 2-step form (company data + your profile) and write a short free-text message about what you'd like to solve or automate with Truckscanner.
  • We verify your company data (VAT number, legal name, registered address) using public institutional sources. If your VAT is Italian the system can query the VIES registry to validate the number, and the chambers-of-commerce registries to fetch your legal name and address.
  • Our commercial team reviews the application and reaches out within 48 hours for a dedicated demo and a brief assessment of your volumes and operational needs.
  • While you wait for the call, after verifying your email you can immediately step into a gated demo of the platform: you see the dispatcher console, talk to Sara (our Supervisor AI for the Control Tower), and have access to an AI avatar to chat with for around 15 minutes about how Truckscanner solves your specific problem. It's the equivalent of a first commercial call, but self-serve and available 24/7.

Carrier path: direct sign-up + strict onboarding

The right card is titled "Carriers and owner-operators" with the claim "Join the Truckscanner network. Sign up for free. Receive loads, guaranteed payments from our freight forwarder partners." The button is labelled "Sign up": you go straight into a 5-step form.

What that means in practice:

  • The form is longer because we collect the operational data needed for automatic load matching: company data, transportable goods types (including ADR and ATP if applicable), vehicle list with dimensions and payload, covered geographic areas, user account.
  • Verifications are strict during the form itself: VAT is checked in real time (VIES + chamber of commerce), every plate is validated for format, and ADR/ATP choices apply specific rules because they bind you to certifications you'll have to upload later in the documents archive.
  • Once the email is verified, you go straight into the platform (not into a demo): it's the real carrier dashboard, where you start seeing inbound loads and complete the documentary onboarding.

Are you a carrier already invited by a forwarder?

If a forwarder in the network sent you an invitation link, the URL contains a token (?ref=...). In that case:

  • You land directly on the carrier form with the VAT number pre-filled and read-only: the company data arrives already verified by the inviting forwarder.
  • You see a welcome toast like "You've been invited by Acme Logistics. Complete the registration to start collaborating." (the forwarder name is dynamic and depends on who invited you).
  • The flow stays the same but your company verification was already done by the inviter, so you immediately become part of their carrier network after email verification.

The documentary onboarding stays mandatory anyway: even if you've been referenced by a forwarder, you still need to upload your documents in order to receive loads from other forwarders in the network and to keep a tidy personal archive inside the platform.

What happens after submitting (both paths)

Whichever path you take, when you click the final CTA at the bottom of the form — "Apply" for forwarders, "Sign up" for carriers — the system:

  1. Creates your account (company status: WAITLISTED for forwarders, PENDING for carriers).
  2. Shows a confirmation toast. For forwarders the message is "Application sent successfully!" For carriers it is "Registration completed!".
  3. Redirects you to the "Check your inbox" page, where you see text like "We sent a verification email to mario.rossi@azienda.it. Click the link in the email to activate your account." (the address is the one you typed in the form).
  4. Below it sits a hint: "Can't find the email? Check your spam folder." plus a "SEND AGAIN" button (with a 60-second cooldown between resends to avoid technical spam).

A dedicated guide for the email step (what to do if it doesn't arrive, verification link errors, what happens after clicking) is coming soon. In the meantime: if the email doesn't arrive within a few minutes, check the spam folder, and if it isn't there click "SEND AGAIN" on the verification page.

Already have an account?

If you completed the registration in the past and just want to log in, from /register click the "Already have an account?" link at the bottom and then the "Log in" link. You'll land on "Log in to Truckscanner" where you enter email and password. If your email isn't verified yet the system sends you back to the verification screen.

If you forgot your password, from the login page click "Forgot password?" and follow the email link to set a new one.

The page says "Sign-up temporarily closed": what to do

In some periods (typically during network maintenance windows or when we saturate the available pilot slots), the superadmin disables open sign-up. In that case, when you land on /register you don't see the two cards but a sober screen with the message:

"Open sign-up is temporarily closed. To request access to the network, please contact the Truckscanner team directly."

What to do:

  • If you're a carrier already invited by a forwarder, your ?ref=... link keeps working even with closed sign-up: the direct routes /register/forwarder and /register/carrier remain reachable through an invite token. Reopen the invitation email and click from there.
  • If you're a forwarder interested in the pilot, there's no workaround: email info@truckscanner.ai mentioning your company, VAT and reasons for joining. We'll reopen access manually.

Common questions before signing up

Coming next