Hey everyone! I need some advice on choosing the right TMS platform. My family runs a dual operation - we have our own trucking fleet as well as working as freight brokers. We’re managing around 200 shipments monthly with 10 full truckload vehicles operating throughout the US.
The challenge is finding software that effectively addresses both sides of our business. We need something that can efficiently manage our own trucks while also assisting us in coordinating brokerage loads for other carriers.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? What TMS solutions have been effective for companies that operate both asset-based trucking and freight brokerage? I’m looking for something affordable that can support our current volume and possibly scale as we expand. Any recommendations or warnings about specific platforms would be greatly appreciated!
Rose Rocket is perfect for what you’re doing. I’ve watched other dual operations use it without frustration. The dispatch screen shows your fleet alongside broker loads, making it easy to decide what to run yourself versus what to broker out. It connects to load boards without constant issues like other platforms. Pricing is reasonable at 200 loads a month and it scales up without pushing you to overpriced enterprise solutions. Grab their trial and run some loads through it first.
Been running something like this for 5 years. Started with 8 trucks and some brokerage work.
Trimble TMW Suite handles both pretty well. You can see everything at once - your trucks, broker loads, what capacity you’ve got. Makes it easy to decide if you should use your own trucks or broker it out.
Connects to load boards without issues. EDI actually works instead of breaking every other day.
Biggest pain is learning it. Took my guys 6 weeks to figure everything out. Gets sluggish during busy times too.
Pricing’s reasonable for your size. They don’t nickel and dime you with per-load fees.
Test it with real loads first. Your setup’s different than mine, so what works here might not work there.
Skip Infinity TMS. It crashed constantly for mixed operations. Support was unhelpful. For your volume, consider MercuryGate TMS. It effectively handles both asset and brokerage loads. The load board integration is a plus when you need extra capacity. Pricing is reasonable and scales with your volume. Test any option with real data first. Most offer a 30-day trial. Run your actual routes and broker loads to see if it matches your workflow.
McLeod PowerBroker works well for both sides. I’ve seen similar setups run smoothly with it.
Pricing is fair for your volume and won’t kill your budget as you grow. The interface is clunky at first, but once your team gets the hang of it, everything flows better.
Skip the big enterprise platforms. They’re way too much and overpriced for 200 shipments a month.
