Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/751200
48 commercial carrier journal | november 2016 technology Expanded coverage Carriers, brokers use latest TMS tools to broaden their offerings BY AARON HUFF M otor carriers and freight brokers continue to expand their services to grow – and survive – in today's business climate. Companies that once specialized solely in truckload shipments now are moving less-than-truckload and rail intermodal volumes to meet demands from customers and the overall market. e need to expand services is evident by the latest updates in dispatch and transportation management soware systems. New technology is making it easy for companies of all sizes, including new entrants, to diversify their service portfolios without buying more real estate and equipment. Instant booking One recent trend in TMS technology is the integration of LTL rates and instant booking capabilities. Soware compa- nies that traditionally have focused on truckload manage- ment have extended their reach. Aljex Soware has a new integration with MyFreight- World Technologies that provides discounted LTL rates through its online rating engine. MFW is a full-service freight brokerage that has con- tracted LTL rates with over 40 national and regional carri- ers. e rates are integrated directly into Aljex's Logistics module, providing users access to discounted rates. Brokers that use the soware can give their shipper customers online access to the Logistics module, where they can enter orders and obtain instant LTL pricing. ey can book loads with LTL carriers, and their broker's margins are built into the rates that appear online, says Jeff Heine, marketing specialist for Aljex. McLeod Soware is integrating with project44 to provide its PowerBroker users access to real-time LTL rates through project44's API network that includes virtually all LTL carri- ers. PowerBroker users soon will be able to access LTL carrier quotes, including base rates and accessorial charges, directly from the carriers that supply information through project44. e integration will support transit time calculations, and PowerBroker users also will be able to leverage project44's APIs to tender quotes to and retrieve shipment status updates from the connected LTL carriers directly within PowerBroker. Rate optimization In addition to having LTL rates and instant booking options within their TMS systems, transportation companies can integrate advanced load planning systems to give shipper customers new cost-saving options. Bolt Soware, a developer of fleet management and freight tracking systems, keeps a record of all lane and rate transaction data, including fuel surcharges, for its carrier and brokerage customers. ese companies can create a report of their rates by lane and make them available to shippers for instant booking. Based on the timeframe used, the report will show varia- tion in rates for seasonal patterns, says Jerry Robertson, Bolt's chief technology officer. TMW Systems announced that its TMWSuite and TruckMate TMS systems now are integrated with the 3G-TM rating engine and load planning/optimization algorithm. Users of TMWSuite and TruckMate now have a single-source platform for running both asset- and nonasset-based transportation service organizations, the company says. rough the integration, nonasset and blended trans- portation businesses can model customer and carrier rate contracts across all modes and minimize the complexity as- sociated with planning, executing and managing shipments, TMW says. e load planning feature is built around algorithms designed to minimize transportation spend and enhance customer service levels. Users can factor in all modes and carriers, as well as multistops and pool distributions. Instant access to discounted pricing and freight booking with third-party carriers has made it possible to take on more busi- ness from within a single soware application. in focus: DISPATCH SOFTWARE Aljex Software has a new integration with MyFreightWorld Technologies that provides discounted LTL rates through its online rating engine.