Choosing a TMS provider shouldn’t be difficult. When searching for a TMS, there are a number of items that you should consider. Keep in mind that there are numerous TMS softwares on the market, and many of them are carbon copies of one another. Being selective and knowledgeable will keep you abreast of the finest TMS. Even if you do not choose Five TMS AI as your TMS provider, we would still like to keep you and your fellow shippers informed.
When searching for transportation management software, you must first ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of your operations. What I mean is, do you ship LTL?, Do you ship TL?, Do you ship drayage? and Do you require container tracking? Examine your weaknesses; do you need more assistance with shipment tracking, or is your procurement not as cost-effective as you would like? Here is a list of desirable characteristics that shippers should always look for in a sophisticated transportation management system.
- Lane data
- Shipment tracking (of some sort)
- Procurement
- Market rate anaylsis
- Freight spend data
- Spot/Carrier marketplace
- Carrier score card
- Lane score card
- TL management
- LTL management
- LTL procurement
- Digital RFP
- Automated on-boarding
- Compliance & insurance auditing
- Compliance & insurance monitoring
- Automated rate sourcing
- API connectivity
- Carrier network
- Tender capability
- BOL generator
- Strategic carrier decisions
- Internal status load tracking
- Dedicated lane automation
- Waterfall tendering
- Lane support
- 24/7 customer support
This appears to be an laundry list, but it is actually required to operate your operations at an advanced capacity. Thankfully, Five TMS AI checks off all of these items, but if you’re looking for other providers, make sure they have at least 90 percent of these items, or you’ll have to continue your search. Many shippers always find them selfs searching for better solutions and this list we provided is the main reason why.