If I could guarantee you, that by the end of the day, you could make more money, reduce your costs, and eliminate most of your daily work headaches, would you be interested? Hopefully you would. And, by the end of reading this, you will know how.
Every one of the most profitable and efficient trucking companies, freight brokers and shippers have one simple thing in common. 100% of the time, they use a highly-tuned Transportation Management System (TMS).
Load Management Made Easy
I’ve literally seen trucking companies and freight brokers double in size, with half the cost, because they started using the right TMS software. Conversely, I’ve also seen trucking companies and freight brokers cease to exist because they refused to embrace the most basic technology needed to run their business (why companies are willing to go out of business because they aren’t willing to embrace the right technology is still a mystery to me).
It used to be that only the most sophisticated logistics companies could afford the money or the expertise for top-notch TMS technology. Today, if you’ve ever used email, texting or the Internet (you know, the thing that Al Gore invented – wink wink), then you should also be using the latest TMS technology to run your entire business operations more efficiently.
Manage You Business Anywhere
Still skeptical? How about I told you that with one simple software system, available in under 10 seconds from the time you finish reading this article, you could; manage all your daily loads, dispatch drivers, manage power units, trailers, do your billing, settlement, payroll, full accounting, IFTA reporting, advances, manage claims, driver onboarding, carrier verification, manage sales and credit checks, organize your branches and agents, document management, load tracking and driver messaging, loadboard postings, DAT load searching and matching, and complete ELD / GPS system connection, would you be impressed?
That’s what a TMS offers you – and it’s why the most successful trucking companies and logistics operations are so successful and so profitable.
So, where do you start? How do you know which TMS system is right for you? What’s the cost? How much technical expertise do you need?
A great place to start is reading reviews of as many systems as you can find. The top review website is www.CrowdReviews.com, It will give you a complete list of every mainstream TMS software, many with reviews. If nothing else, it’s a good place to narrow down your own list to just the TMS options that more closely meet your needs.
Connect to all the services you need from ONE place
TMS systems can cost as little or as much as you want to pay. The review websites above will often give you an idea of the price range and available features. Just be sure to follow the 5 suggestions below when making your decision:
- Never pay money upfront. The latest systems let you subscribe (per user) and pay “as you go”. If you pay upfront, and don’t like the system once it goes live, you will lose what you paid.
- Avoid annual license fees, support fees, and training fees. ASK if they apply. These extra “hidden” fees can double the cost of your new TMS so they are best avoided.
- Never sign a long term contract. If you don’t like the system you can’t get out of it.
- Unless you have your own skilled IT department, avoid systems you have to manage yourself.
- Make sure your TMS will work on ANY device you have handy (PC, Mac, phone, tablet). In todays “web world”, you should be able to use any device in front of you to access your TMS.
The bottom line is, if you want to compete, you need a TMS system that can run your entire business today and tomorrow. The right TMS will save you money immediately, help you grow (with less people), and set you up for a solid future.
Tim Higham is the president and CEO of AscendTMS (www.TheFreeTMS.com), the world’s most widely used TMS software. You can reach Tim directly at [email protected], or call 813-681-5000 x 1323.
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