Carrier integrations, modernised
Migrated legacy SOAP connections to REST integrations for FedEx, UPS and DHL, the external dependencies every shipment relies on, made easier to maintain and change.
TBB EXPRESS / PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Modernising a logistics platform step by step
Ricardo van der Spoel developed and modernised the customer portal and transport management system for TBB Express. Business customers used it to book shipments through its own fleet and carriers such as FedEx, UPS and DHL. Daily logistics operations needed to continue throughout development.
Project experience of Ricardo van der Spoel, carried out under Van der Spoel Development. These case studies describe his contribution to the projects shown. More about Ricardo’s background.
The challenge
- Legacy carrier integrations had become a maintenance and change burden.
- The platform had to evolve without disrupting day-to-day operations.
- Business logic around logistics and pricing required stronger structure.
- Scalability and performance had to improve as operational demands increased.
TBB Express
Ricardo’s contribution
Route optimisation
Implemented route optimisation using Tabu Search, bringing algorithmic planning into a live operational workflow rather than a research exercise.
Dynamic logistics pricing
Built an advanced surcharge module for dynamic pricing, giving structure to the commercial logic behind every quoted shipment.
Architecture with a direction
Restructured a monolithic Laravel/Vue application toward microservices and event-driven architecture, with APIs documented to OpenAPI 3.0.
Asynchronous and real-time
Set up asynchronous processing with Redis queues and Laravel Horizon, and implemented real-time updates and payment integration.
Performance under load
Improved performance through query optimisation and indexing, keeping the platform responsive as operational demands grew.
What the work delivered
- Reduced technical debt in the core external integrations.
- Made the platform easier to extend and operate.
- Improved system scalability and architectural readiness.
- Supported live logistics workflows with more robust software foundations.
- Aligned platform evolution with real business operations, no rewrite-first approach required.
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These cases describe Ricardo’s work and contribution through Van der Spoel Development. Look for similarities in the technical challenge: connecting existing systems, modernising software while it is in use or defining responsibilities within a team. The appropriate approach also depends on your source data and operating environment.