The trucking industry is huge in the United States and around the world. According to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2013 at least 15 billion tons of cargo were moved around the country via truck. That same agency has predicted that this number will skyrocket to nearly 18.8 billion tons by the year 2040. All of these shipments and the issues and problems that come along with them inspired the development of freight broker software packages that make all of these shipments possible. If you own or manage a business that relies on freight management software, you may not know what the best packages for your company are.
To find the right transportation broker software, it is important to understand why it is so valuable to your business. Here are some of the benefits of using this software to help run your company:
- It will keep you more organized. In order to be a success in the freight moving business, you need to be as organized as you can be. Becoming more organized can help you grow your bottom line and provide better customer service.
- This will help you expand your business and lower your costs. These are often things that people think cannot go hand in hand. With the right software package, you can grow your business while lowering your costs.
- It will make your business run more efficiently. The information you will get in real time can help improve the decisions you make and this will make everything run smoother and more efficiently.
The key to improving your business with transportation management software is getting the right freight software package for your needs.
- Look at the cost. Before you make any purchases of software packages, you need to know what you can spend. You should also go into the process knowing that the most expensive package may not be the one you need. Cost should be a factor in your decision but should not be the only factor to determine what package you buy.
- Look at your needs. Every business has needs unique to that company. Some of the features of your freight software packages are:
- The ability for freight agents to input the loads they are shipping.
- Lets agents send out drivers.
- Lets you pick your preferred carriers.
- Sends out invoices to your clients or customers.
- Make sure your software can work with your hardware. In today’s world, businesses use a number of different devices. Computers are still used but if you want to keep an eye on things from your phone or tablet you will want to make sure your software will work well with it.
- Go with a package that has a good customer service team. Most software companies have lots of people during normal business hours. The problem is what happens if your software should have an issue on the weekend, at night, or on a holiday? When your software breaks down, it can cause your business to shut down and that costs you money and business opportunities.
- Make sure your package can will track your drivers, monitor your processes, and keep track of your stock. With the right freight software package, you will be able to manage your supply chain, make your business more efficient, and streamline your company.
- Make sure your package has training classes and support. Of course, even the best software will do you no good if no one who works for you knows how to use it. To get this right, you need to find a package that is user-friendly and that offers training sessions for your workers. Not everyone learns how to use new software the same way.
- Talk to other people in your industry. You know other people who manage or own businesses that are similar to yours. Talk to them about what freight management or broker software they use and like. This can give you a good list to start with.
There are a million details that you have to deal with when you manage a shipping company. The good news is that there are lots of broker software packages out there that can you grow your shipping business and improve your bottom line.