Differences Between SAP LE-TRA and SAP TM
When SAP customers talk about transport management, two acronyms appear: LE ‑TRA (the Logistics Execution – Transportation component) and SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM). LE‑TRA belongs to the Logistics Execution module of SAP ECC and provides basic shipping functions such as grouping deliveries into shipments, simple route and schedule definition, delivery monitoring and freight cost calculation. It integrates tightly with Sales & Distribution and Materials Management, but its capabilities are limited to classical outbound shipping.
SAP TM was introduced to handle the entire transportation life cycle. SAP explains that LE‑TRA remains in the compatibility package with usage rights until the end of 2030; after that the basic shipping process will have to be realised with embedded TM in S/4HANt】. LE‑TRA is no longer the strategic architecture, and no new functions are planned, so new implementations are advised to adopt TM. Basic TM (sometimes called Transportation Management) replaces LE‑TRA and offers a streamlined version of Advanced Transportation Management using the same master data and configuration【ot】. Unlike LE‑TRA it manages freight units and freight orders instead of shipments and does not require a separate licence.
SAP TM offers features that LE-TRA never had. Advanced TM provides package building, automatic load consolidation, optimizer-based route planning, carrier selection and tendering. These tools consider capacity, transit times, rates and constraints to produce optimal plans; LE-TRA relies on manual shipment creation and simple determination rules. TM supports multi-modal transport (road, rail, ocean and air), inbound and outbound processes in a single system, and event-driven execution with integration to SAP Event Management and real-time telematics. It also includes charge management to calculate freight costs and automate settlement with carriers; LE-TRA only suppor
ted basic freight costing. Furthermore TM offers collaboration portals for carriers and subcontractors, Fiori-based user interfaces, analytics and the SAP Business Network for logistics.
In summary, LE‑TRA is a legacy component for basic transportation that will be phased out in the coming years. SAP Transportation Management is the strategic solution that delivers comprehensive planning, execution and settlement capabilities along with advanced optimisation and collaboration. Companies relying on LE‑TRA should begin planning their migration to embedded TM in S/4HANA to benefit from modern transportation management and ensure long-term support