The ever changing nature of the trucking business today is expected to be successful, organized, and data driven so as to meet demand and competition. Improvement in operations, increase in customer satisfaction and growth in profitability can be achieved with an automated Transportation Management System (TMS). Here’s how a TMS solution will change your trucking business for the better.

What is an Automated TMS Solution?

An automated Transportation Management System (TMS) is a computer program that allows a transport companies to manage its operations and logistics. This software can seamlessly manage order processing, route dispatching, and billing to enhance the modern growth of trucking businesses. In all, TMS solutions perform automated repetitive tasks, route planning, and shipment tracking, thus enabling your staff to concentrate on real critical tasks.

Key Benefits of Implementing a TMS for Your Trucking Business

1. Improved Efficiency and Cost Savings

An automated TMS eliminates manual work from an ordinary routine with ease. Such activities as placing an order, assigning loads, and even planning the journey can all be automated with a TMS increasing efficiency in operation. Located and planning loads as efficiently as possible will also assist in reducing fuel and wear costs of vehicles. Therefore, overall operational expenditure goes down considerably over time.

2. Greater Control Over The Supply Chain Due to Real-Time Monitoring

This kind of application also exists in the market in the form of a transportation management system (TMS). Such TMS strongholds simplify logistics management, providing visibility on shipment statuses, and delivering approximated times for arrivals (ETAs). With tms automation systems and progress, visibility instills trust for customers and facilitates their ability to address delays or interruptions the moment they occur – Principally affording time or easing how much of an impact other interruptions can have on delivery timelines.

3. Constant Communication Points With Customers And Thus Higher Overall Satisfaction

Automated tracking and appropriate estimated time of arrivals (ETAs) ensure you deliver to your customers’ needs right through the delivery process. Furthermore, several TMS systems have self-service portals that permit clients to trace their cargo and minimize telephone inquiries that would, nevertheless, advance their experience with your offered service.

4. Lower Costs And Better Control Over Deliveries With More Accurate Scheduling And Load Planning

A transport management system may account for, the availability of vehicles, when drivers are available, existing traffic, the timing of delivery enclaves, among other factors that help in determining the most effective routes. The cost of empty miles would be made lower, fuel efficiency augments, and the volumes of loads that a fleet can deal with will also go up through the optimization of routes and loads.

5. Improved Monitoring And Keeping Of Records Of All The Compliancy Measures And Statutes

A factor that is of utmost importance in the industry of trucking is compliance. A hormone nurturing the brain can come from solutions meant for TMS where services hours’ records, reporting fuel tax, and other legal matters are efficiently automated and still be compliant without additional responsibilities on a paper. After stressful actions, the audit processes become straightforward because of the fact that records are effortlessly found.

Advantages of an Automated TMS System

1. Management of Orders and their Dispatching Order capturing in a TMS begins with the anticipation of customer orders, loads partially assigned to drivers and email notifications to dispatch drivers. TMS automatically assigns load to the most appropriate drivers and vehicles, therefore it decreases dispatchers’ work time and increases productivity.
   
2. Management of Drivers and Fleet All drivers and their vehicles are recorded in one particular computer application and thus the task of managing drivers and vehicles is greatly simplified. It also is possible for managers to track a driver’s hours of work, whether a vehicle is due for maintenance and even a driver’s previous record which is crucial in ensuring safety and reliability on the highways.
   
3. Accounting and Billing In TMS Billing, it is possible to carry out invoicing base on a predetermined rate agreement and a delivery completion confirmation. Automated invoicing systems remove mistakes and lateness in sending out invoices and as a consequence it speeds up cash collection cycles.
   
4. Reports and Analytics Growth depends on making relevant choices based on data. A TMS system will generate key performance indicators reports thanks to a well-functioning database containing cost per mile, deliveries, fuel use and customer complaints. When provided with this information, business owners are able to pinpoint areas in need of more work and decision-making aimed at expanding the business is swift and efficient.
   

What TMS solution is suitable for your trucking company?

When choosing the right TMS for your company, keep in mind the following points:

• Scalability: It is advisable to select a TMS which can support expansion of the scope of your activities, whether it is a few trucks or a tremendous fleet that is being controlled.
• Ease of Integration: Make sure that the TMS is compatible with other software already in place, including accounting software, ERP, GPS, etc.
• Customizability: Seek to find a TMS that has some level of flexibility where certain features can be tailored to suit specific operational requirements.
• User Friendliness: A complicated system will retard activities. Go for a TMS which is not complex and your team can use them with ease.
• Customer service hotlines: Efficient Technical support agencies are vital so as to ensure that any other internet related problem will be sorted immediately.
  
  

How to implement TMS Automation in Your Trucking Business

Implementing a TMS enables the effective management of the trucking business and responsiveness to market competition. With essential functions automated, and operations being managed efficiently, costs can reduce; clients can be satisfied and the business may be positioned for ever expanding success.

Implementing an automated TMS solution doesn’t only involve following the industry, it’s about your team being able to perform their tasks better, achieving more and being focused on the key aspects of the company.