9.3
Editor’s Rating:
Best Overall
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Reporting & Analytics
Rose Rocket
  • Powered by the Network TMS
  • Track and trace shipments
  • Monitors ETA of in-transit orders live
8.5
Editor’s Rating:
Best For Trucking
AXON Trucking Software: Receivable Report
AXON Trucking Software
  • Designed for the transportation industry
  • Fully integrated management systems
  • 24/7 real-time satellite tracking
8.6
Editor’s Rating:
Strong Supply Chain Planning
Blue Yonder Luminate: Logistics
Blue Yonder Luminate
  • Dynamic eCommerce and in-store experiences
  • Predictive scenario planning for complete visibility, automation and control
  • Supply chain planning with transportation and logistics

Transportation management systems (TMS) help plan and optimize the physical movement of goods across the land, sea, and sky. Using our advanced review methodology, our team has carefully evaluated these platforms to find the best options for brokers, carriers, and freight forwarders.

Rose Rocket TMS - Best Overall

Rose Rocket TMS lets you report on important business metrics like on-time percentage, total spend, and IFTA. The features vary depending on whether you are a carrier, broker, or freight broker.

This TMS software includes popular functionality such as real-time reporting and IFTA. Additionally, there are customer and partner portals for easy access, along with a driver mobile app for updates on the road. Handle finances with consolidated invoicing and sales commission tools. Or just keep tabs on drivers with a calendar feature.

Best Overall:
Rose Rocket
★★★★★
★★★★★
(7)

Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Reporting & Analytics
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Driver Mobile App
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Dispatching
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Customer Visibility
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket AI Document Scanner
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Builders & Customizations
Rose Rocket: Rose Rocket Accounting
What We Like
Free trial available
Integrates with over 20 software systems
Has customer and partner portals where customers can request rates, book orders, and view invoices
What We Don’t Like
Limited intermodal support
Lack of carrier rate database and searchable lane histories
Overview
Price Range: $$$
Starting Price: $233/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Axon - Best for Trucking

Axon’s accounting module is specifically designed for the trucking industry and helps increase cash flow. The accounts receivable tool automatically updates invoicing and driver pay when trips and orders are entered. This allows you to receive payment as soon as possible after a trip is completed.

The accounts payable section automatically matches fuel and expenses to the carrier, maintaining accurate expense records. You can generate reports with drill-down capabilities into key metrics such as cost-per-mile and miles-per-gallon to identify inefficiencies. It even includes payables EDI order tenders, streamlining payment communications between carriers.

Additionally, Axon’s accounting module offers real-time financial analysis. You can easily analyze reports like profit/loss statements, cash flow, and balance sheet statements. The system also offers unlimited custom reporting so you can analyze metrics specific to your company. These can include load profitability analysis, IFTA, or maintenance expenses by vehicle or fleet, giving you full control over your trucking finances.

Best for Trucking:
AXON Trucking Software
★★★★★
★★★★★
(2)

AXON Trucking Software: Receivable Report
AXON Trucking Software: Orders
AXON Trucking Software: Orders Ready to be Invoiced Report
AXON Trucking Software: Trailers
What We Like
Designed for the transportation industry
Fully integrated management systems
24/7 real-time satellite tracking
What We Don’t Like
Difficult to import excel files
No quarterly tax option
Overview
Price Range: $$$
Client OS: Windows, Web
Deployment: Cloud or On-Premises

Blue Yonder - Strong Supply Chain Planning

Blue Yonder, previously known as JDA Demand Planning, is a supply chain planning software emphasizing transportation, warehouse, labor, and distribution networks. Predictive scenario planning grants your company complete visibility into automation and control practices.

Planning, logistics, and commerce come together with Blue Yonder Luminate. Each helps you better manage your supply chain operations with features like demand planning, transportation management, and merchandise operations.

Strong Supply Chain Planning:
Blue Yonder Luminate

Blue Yonder Luminate: Logistics
Blue Yonder Luminate: Process KPIs
Blue Yonder Luminate: Production Planning
Blue Yonder Luminate: Planning
Blue Yonder Luminate: Playbook
What We Like
Formerly JDA Demand Planning
Predictive scenario planning tools
Includes dynamic eCommerce and in-store experiences
What We Don’t Like
Some users report disruptions due to backend job failures
Occasional delays and system freezes when handling large datasets
Some users report slow support response
Overview

ezLoads TMS - Great Mobile App

ezLoads TMS’s mobile app connects drivers to the TMS, allowing them to update load statuses and submit scanned Proof of Delivery (POD) or other receipts directly into the ezLoads TMS. It’s an all-in-one trucking solution that handles all the DOT safety compliance requirements and documents for drivers and equipment. This software keeps track of all expiration dates so you can remain compliant with all regulations.

With ezLoads, driver settlements are prepared in seconds. DS is emailed to a driver right from the system. Invoicing is done in just one click. Invoices can be sent directly to customers from ezLoads’ system. IFTA is done in one click. Since all miles and gallons are already in the system, ezLoads gives an IFTA report in just one click.

Great Mobile App:
ezLoads TMS and Driver App
★★★★★
★★★★★
(15)

ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Loads
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Load Detail
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Drivers
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Driver Profile
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: New Loads
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Menu
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Autocapture
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: New Waybill
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Waybill Scanner
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Waybill
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: BOL Scanner
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: New Loads
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: New Loads
ezLoads TMS and Driver App: Load
What We Like
All-in-one TMS software
Uses Driver App for real-time connection
Includes IFTA, financial reports
What We Don’t Like
No feature for split trips (changing trucks, drivers, trailers within a trip)
Only supports QuickBooks integration for accounting
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $99/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

MercuryGate TMS - Open Standard Architecture

Built on open-standard architecture, MercuryGate enables adaptors to all major ERP and warehouse management systems. Users can customize the software to their specific needs without specialized integrations and readily scale it to meet changing demands.

MercuryGate TMS combines power and accessibility to create a feature-rich yet easy-to-use transportation management system. The platform fully automates the transportation lifecycle and is used by top-tier third-party logistics providers (3PLs), shippers, brokers, carriers, and freight forwarders.

Open Standard Architecture:
MercuryGate

MercuryGate: Dashboard Overview
MercuryGate: Quote Dashboard
MercuryGate: Shipment Overview
MercuryGate: Route Board Details
What We Like
Handles inbound and outbound on land, air, or sea
Covers multiple geographies
Has dynamic rule sets
What We Don’t Like
Pricing details not provided by the developer
Requires some training to fully utilize
Overview
Client OS: Windows, macOS, Web
Deployment: Cloud or On-Premises

TruckMaster Envision - Strong Accounting Features

TruckMaster EnVision includes a fully integrated accounting system. The software offers support for custom ledger and multiple bank accounts. It also delivers standard and industry-specific reports for precise financial analysis. Any information users enter into the Dispatching module flows effortlessly through billing, driver settlements, payroll, and accounting. Last, the ability to generate tax forms and control changes to closed periods adds another layer of functionality.

Strong Accounting Features:
EnVision
★★★★★
★★★★★
(4)

EnVision: Maintenance Due
EnVision: Trip List Panel
EnVision: Manifest List Panel
What We Like
Text messaging functionality
Supports complicated loads
Offers full accounting package
What We Don’t Like
Crowded user interface
Not ideal for large-scale LTL operations
Not a great fit for oil field businesses
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $199/month
Client OS: Windows, Linux
Deployment: Cloud or On-Premises

Alvys - Unified Carrier-Broker Platform

Alvys combines carrier and brokerage operations together in a unified platform. This makes it ideal for hybrid businesses managing both fleets and external carrier partnerships. That’s because its interface allows you to seamlessly toggle between roles, giving you quick access to tracking, dispatching, rate confirmations, and accounting tools.

By consolidating fleet and brokerage data, Alvys simplifies tasks like reporting and billing; at the same time, it supports flexible load assignments between company trucks and third-party carriers. This streamlined approach allows you to control costs and improve delivery timelines. It can also help you maintain the flexibility needed to adapt to shifting demand.

Alvys also lets you manage every step of a load’s journey with drag-and-drop dispatching, document management, and even real-time driver communication. Drivers can receive shipment details and pickup and delivery times via the Alvys app. This reduces dispatcher workload and helps improve customer communication, ensuring your hybrid operations stay responsive and aligned.

Unified Carrier-Broker Platform:
Alvys

Alvys: Alvys Load Tracking
Alvys: Alvys Dispatch Loads
What We Like
Responsive customer service
Supports dispatch, billing, safety management
What We Don’t Like
Initial setup complexities
Occasional disruptions during updates
Overview

DAT Broker TMS - Best Load Management Tool

The single-entry, automated load management system in DAT Broker TMS saves time by pre-populating data for recurring shippers. Integrated with DAT RateView, this tool lets you quickly analyze lane pricing and post loads to multiple boards or private networks in one click. Any changes to the order auto-sync across carriers and shippers, making communication seamless without any manual input on your end.

DAT Broker TMS Order Entry
Enter key shipment details like pickup/delivery locations and carrier information in DAT Broker TMS just once; the load management system can then automate tasks like rate calculating and load posting.

Beyond load posting, DAT helps you re-engage carriers by searching lane histories, pulling info like performance grades, rates, and contact details. This TMS software automatically qualifies carriers via CarrierWatch, importing DOT, insurance, and safety data to safeguard your brokerage operations.

DAT Broker TMS even lets you dispatch loads from a centralized screen, with tools to sort by state and due date. Built-in tracking tools refresh load statuses twice daily, helping you bolster customer trust by sharing real-time progress.

Starting at $100/month, this transportation software best serves small to medium brokerages with anywhere from 10 to 100 employees. It’s designed for intermediaries in the shipping business, though it can also help smaller 3PLs focused more on brokering freight than warehouse management.

Best Load Management Tool:
DAT Broker TMS

DAT Broker TMS: DAT RateView
DAT Broker TMS: Carrier Rate Confirmation
DAT Broker TMS: Load Tracker
DAT Broker TMS: Dispatch Control
DAT Broker TMS: Order Entry
DAT Broker TMS: Invoicing and Driver Settlement
DAT Broker TMS: Customer Records
DAT Broker TMS: Orders
DAT Broker TMS: Order Entry
What We Like
Supports carrier vetting and performance management
Easily search for loads and multiple equipment types
Scalable for both small and large brokers
What We Don’t Like
Occasional software bugs may delete postings
Delayed customer service responses
Brokers new to TMS might find system complex to learn
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $100/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Find pricing details and key features on our DAT Broker TMS profile page.

AscendTMS - An Affordable Option

With flat rate pricing starting at $49/user/month, AscendTMS is a cost-effective choice for small to medium-sized transportation companies. The accounting module, included in the Basic plan, helps cut down on overhead even more with tools like commission tracking, invoicing, and billing.

This system automatically calculates commission schedules, saving you time and reducing any potential disputes down the road. You can also manage carrier payments based on agreed terms for each load. Plus, this TMS software supports custom pay items, like detention fees or fuel surcharges, so it’s flexible for a wide range of brokerage agreements. This improves your cash flow by reducing the likelihood of delayed customer payments.

Additionally, AscendTMS calculates gross profit and margins per load, giving you a clear view of profitability per transaction. This gives budget-conscious businesses visibility into their bottom line, vital when operating on thin margins or negotiating rates in tight markets. However, the Basic plan does not offer full analytics insights, outbound EDI load tenders, or document management; for these tools, you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium or Pro plans.

An Affordable Option:
AscendTMS

AscendTMS: Dashboard
AscendTMS: Load Management
AscendTMS: Search Load Boards
AscendTMS: Accounting Management
What We Like
Integrates with DAT and/or Truckstop
Free version and free trial available
Shows live load sources in one screen
What We Don’t Like
Free version has 2 user limit
Lacks custom brokerage section
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $49/user/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Descartes Aljex - Most User-Centric Design

Descartes Aljex features a user-centric design and cloud-based nature that make learning easier for new users. The dashboard-driven TMS is popular with freight brokers, 3PLs, shippers, and intermodal users operating across the North American logistics supply chain. Descartes Aljex offers accounting, customer and carrier management, operations, utilities, and administration features.

Most User-Centric Design:
Descartes Aljex

Descartes Aljex: Home Screen
Descartes Aljex: Lane Rate Comparison
Descartes Aljex: Document Portal
Descartes Aljex: Carrier CRM
Descartes Aljex: Shipment Types
Descartes Aljex: Accounts Receivable
What We Like
Cloud-based TMS
Used by freight brokers, 3PLS, and intermodal users
Minimizes manual track and trace operations
What We Don’t Like
Pricing details not provided by the developer
Slow processing times when dealing with lots of data
Initial implementation and setup can be complex
Overview
Price Range: $$
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

What Is Transportation Management Software?

Transportation management software (TMS) plans, executes, and optimizes the physical movement of goods. Interchangeably referred to as “trucking software” in some sectors, TMS is a subset of supply chain management systems and is either used as its own system or as part of a larger ERP software package. Unlike standardized packages, TMS addresses the specific needs of the transportation industry with customized functionality to help companies operate across the land, sea, and sky.

Key Features

Broadly speaking, TMS software offers several functions to help distributors and transportation companies coordinate, calculate, and maintain shipments, shippers, and vehicles. Some of the most common TMS functionalities include the following:

Feature Functionality
Accounting Take care of all your specific accounting needs, including invoice reconciliation and matching, pricing, freight billing and auditing, carrier rates, and other general accounting tasks to establish and ensure proper and correct payments.
Order management Streamline order processing by fulfilling orders across multiple channels and ensuring timely delivery.
Invoicing and pricing Shippers can fully calculate the delivery costs through TMS based on many different factors, including the distance, cargo weight, and mode of shipment. TMS offers in-depth reporting and analysis to help shippers determine the best and most cost-effective shipment methods.
Route optimization Part of transportation execution, find fuel and time-efficient routes for your shippers by analyzing maps, traffic information, speed limits, modal limits, and fuel cost.
Load management Determine the best carrier for each delivery and help consolidate shipments into the most efficient loads possible.
Fleet management Maintain a complete fleet of vehicles, with functionality including procurement, payment, disposal, costing, and valuation, along with advanced functionality like driver and service record management, mapping and route optimization, and location history.
Maintenance management Oversee a fleet’s maintenance workflow, implement a preventative maintenance plan, review tire conditions, order spare parts, and stay on top of a repair schedule.
Compliance management Use recording and reporting modules to comply with the latest DOT regulations.
MercuryGate Shipments Overview
View all shipment details in MercuryGate.

Primary Benefits

Organizations that deal with logistics know shipping a package isn’t as simple as placing a box on a truck and sending it off to a destination. Across the supply chain, moving goods throughout the globe is a serious business that requires detailed monitoring, reporting, and insights throughout the entire process. For logistics companies, having the right software to manage shipping and transportation is crucial to ensuring items get where they need to go as efficiently as possible.

Fortunately for freight brokers, carriers, and trucking companies, transportation management software provides multiple benefits by:

  • Updating fuel costs: The freight audit and payment component of the TMS can keep track of fuel prices between your contracted agreement and current fuel indices, ensuring you don’t overpay for such a volatile resource.
  • Meeting regulatory compliance: Transportation is one of the world’s most heavily regulated industries. TMS can ensure your organization is compliant by accurately recording regulated tasks like driver hours worked, fuel tax payments and surcharges, vehicle maintenance schedules, and other common restrictions.
  • Lowering costs: It may seem counterintuitive, but investing in better TMS can help logistics companies save money in the long run through better resource management.
  • Automating data entry: Rather than relying on users’ recording information by hand, leading to human error, TMS can enable automatic logging and tracking to reduce the potential for user error.
  • Optimizing routes: Route optimization leads to reduced fuel costs, faster deliveries, and better turnaround times on orders.
  • Automating fleet and maintenance management: Use preemptive measures to lower overall downtime from maintenance and unexpected repair costs.
  • Providing real-time, remote access: Gain access to your transportation tools from anywhere in the world with cloud-based TMS software. Mobile apps make it possible to track drivers and shipments on-the-go.
  • Organizing document management: Cut down on physical paperwork (i.e. scheduling spreadsheets) and digitize your records.

Depending on your business, implementing an all-in-one transportation management solution may offer many more benefits. For example, modern TMS platforms enhance user experience and support with intuitive interfaces, customizable dashboards, and predictive alerts to streamline operations. Extensive training resources improve adoption, collectively boosting user productivity.

ezLoads Load Management Trucking Software
Track loads in real-time with ezLoads software.

Pricing Guide

Transportation management software pricing varies based on the number of users and the exact functionality you need. Cloud-based SaaS plans range from $49 to $233 per month. Some plans additionally charge per user. One-time purchases of perpetual licenses range from $650 to $20,000.

If you’re on a budget or just starting out, there are options to meet your budget. There are some free-forever TMS solutions available, though many TMS vendors offer free trials and demos. Both perpetual licenses and SaaS subscriptions may charge extra for continued maintenance, user training, and add-on functionality.

Some of the latest trends to consider when looking to buy transportation management software include:

  1. Standalone TMS vs. enterprise resource planning software functionality: Your organization may be considering a standalone TMS, but there are several ERP software packages that include similar functionality. The right choice for your business will depend on the scale of your transportation operations.
  2. Cloud vs. on-premise: Cloud technology enables logistics companies to access their data anywhere. The modern TMS is cloud-ready, making your trucking software more capable and smarter than ever before.
  3. The emergence of driverless technology: Self-driving trucks are already on the horizon. These will require new and complex software solutions to oversee a fleet of virtual drivers. Switching to a modern TMS can future-proof your system as technology evolves.

QuickBooks Upgrade Options

As one of the leading accounting software solutions, Quickbooks is the choice for many different industries, including transportation. Most trucking or TMS systems offer full Quickbooks integration, with Quickbooks acting as the core accounting program and TMS features handled through add-ons or integrations. A Quickbooks TMS integration is a great option for organizations seeking to stick with Quickbooks while enhancing their TMS capabilities.

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