Top Benefits of a Fully-Integrated Transportation Management System

Did you know that the cost of managing transportation alone makes up to half of a business’s total expenses? The carrier and logistics brokers’ business vertical has immense potential in the transportation industry, but multiple challenges can slow down the progress. Some of the common challenges businesses face today are inefficiencies in documentation and control overload, dated load board, redundant manual processes, security issues, lack of communication, missed deadlines and delays, and additional costs arising from these.  

Thankfully, an integrated transportation management system (TMS) addresses all of the above challenges by making a business’s internal processes automated, saving process costs by 50%.  

How a Fully-Integrated Transportation Management System Works? 

A transportation management system is a technology-based software solution that is designed to streamline the transportation process, an essential part of the logistics and supply chain primarily managed by carriers and logistics brokers currently. TMS integration monitors, organizes, manages, tracks, and controls any matter related to transportation of loads, right from order to delivery.  

Based on the configuration and design, a TMS could be the most powerful, centralized reporting application offering users real-time operational statuses that let them have instant access to information about load, carrier, driver, cost, route, and business performance on any mobile device.  

With the ever-rising complexities of transportation management as the carrier and logistics broker’s businesses grow, the need for a full-scale TMS solution can never be exaggerated. 90% process automation will help users plan, strategize, and decide easier and faster.  

The most efficient TMS platform will perform the following tasks: 

• Integrate with enterprise-level accounting applications 
• Offer a central hub for dealing with load, carrier, and customer information 

• Eliminate manual data entry and re-entry and common dispatcher mistakes 
• Maintain operational visibility at a moment’s notice 
• Boost collaboration through multiple modes of communication 
• Track and manage load in real-time from a user-friendly dashboard  
• Create industry-standard custom reports  
• Generate load board and carrier board details in real-time 
• Add an additional layer of security with custom user access 
• Double brokering and LFT  
• Track load via GPS in real-time  

 Top Benefits of an Integrated Transportation Management System 

 Maintain Control of Confirmed Loads at One Single Point  

An integrated TMS will allow you to add new load, review load quantity, and confirm it with the customer, shipper, and dispatcher details. Instead of wasting time on dated data, TMS automates the process of finding and booking high-quality loads. It also allows you to upload documents received for a particular load, like point of delivery or rate sheet. It further enables load submission for approval based on profit margin in a few mouse clicks. Other elements you can access from a single point are shipping details, load details, documents, and status history.  

 Track and Process Loads Effortlessly  

Track and process active loads already entered in the system. One of the major advantages of an integrated TMS is to search for load information through specific data elements, like shipping date, customer load no., load ID, carrier, shipper, and dispatcher name. You can further check the status history and load history, search for truck/driver current and future availability, track the carrier as the load moves that can be helpful when interim loads need to be picked up and add notes or file information to help users process load details faster.  

 Identify Carrier Availability  

With an integrated system, you won’t have to call carriers, check the website, fill out spreadsheets, and answer customer inquiries about truck location. You will instantly know the carriers available for loads, the current position of the driver, their chosen routes, and other information in real-time on the truck board, even if the carrier base is 100+ carriers and multiple locations strong. Instead of being built on old EDI technology, GPS tracking provides location information whenever you need to manage your loads effectively.  

You can also connect with carriers and activate a two-way chat system with a dispatcher for real-time updates.  

 Simplified, Yet Robust QuickBooks Integration  

One of the best aspects of using a modern technology-based transportation management system is accounting integration with top enterprise-level applications, like QuickBooks. QuickBooks is one of the most widely used accounting applications for the transportation business. It allows you to go paperless, saving your manual processing efforts by up to 55%. Right from tracking invoice billings to accounts receivables and accounts payable, making reconciliation to balancing cash accounts, everything can be achieved at the press of a button. Once you have completed your QuickBooks integration, you can map pay items, customers, and vendors to import your invoices and bills to QuickBooks instantly.  

 Other Benefits of Working with a Fully-Integrated Transport Management System 

• Upload proof of delivery documents, such as POD, carrier information, and other critical documents 
• Chat with dispatchers on a group or one-on-one basis to get instant and real-time updates on loads and carriers.  
• Access and print rate confirmation and driver settlement report instantly with advanced reporting feature. 
• Connect with quality loads and reloads on load board.  

 When checking out an affordable, easy-to-configure, easy-to-use transportation management system that has all of the above benefits, don’t forget to visit Load-Logix and ask for a free TMS app demo.