We will talk about the best freight software for organizations dealing with freight management, logistics, and freight brokering for international and domestic shipments. All the tools listed below have a minimum of 4/5 star overall ratings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been blamed for global supply chain upheaval in the last two years. However, climate change may pose a more challenging threat to supply chains. The same report went on to suggest that the pandemic seems like a temporary problem, while climate change is hitting Canadian’s fragile supply chain badly.
Climate change and severe weather conditions can potentially wreak havoc on logistics operations. Therefore, the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Calgary (U of C) are working together to map the future of logistics with artificial intelligence (AI). Smart truck routing, real-time fleet management, shipment tracking, and optimized logistics networks managed by freight software could result in a new landscape for road warriors.
What is freight software?
Freight software can help shipping and logistics companies find web-based tools to move freight. Companies can potentially use these to gather information on carriers and order third-party shipments on behalf of customers.
We have curated a list of the most popular freight software based on their search volume in Canada and overall ratings. The below tools have been shortlisted based on specific factors, including GetApp’s market definition, an overall rating of more than 4/5 stars, certain core features, and high search volume. The full methodology of tool selection can be found at the bottom of the article. The tools are listed in alphabetical order.
1.
- Overall rating: 5/5
- Value for money: 5/5
- Features: 5/5
- Ease of use: 4.5/5
- Customer support software: 5/5
Avaal Express is a comprehensive trucking management platform for freight brokers that incorporates dispatch, fleet management, accounting, safety and compliance, and driver management from a single platform. Using Avaal’s dispatch management feature, users can get detailed information about carriers’ and customers’ history and drivers’ information.
Leveraging the shipment tracking feature, the software allows users to track real-time shipments and update the status of outsourced shipment confirmations that can be directly emailed to the concerned person.
By integrating GPS technology, the Avaal Express platform can provide real-time information on trucks and trailers. In addition, Avaal’s driver management feature offers real-time information on drivers’ hours of service, history, live GPS locations, and statuses that could offer dispatchers more visibility and help them make optimal decisions when assigning trips. The software offers a free demo and free trial, and more information related to pricing can be found on the seller’s website.
2.
- Overall rating: 5/5
- Value for money: 5/5
- Features: 5/5
- Ease of use: 4.3/5
- Customer support software: 5/5
Axon Trucking is a transportation management software (TMS) for freight brokers, designed to improve efficiency, visibility, and asset utilization in real-time. Axon’s dispatch management feature allows users to enter information about orders and trips, update details of a load and communicate from one single platform so that everyone within the organization has access to ideally accurate real-time data.
Using the shipment tracking feature, users and their customers can track orders, tenders, and statuses on the web in real-time. The GPS technology feature within the software allows users to visually map and track a piece of equipment’s latitudinal and longitudinal locations in real-time.
Taking advantage of RFID and barcode technology, Axon’s inventory management feature can potentially help users in cutting down labour costs, reducing order-related errors, and improving inventory management while providing visibility of the organization’s supply chain.
Furthermore, Axon’s driver management feature can also help eliminate miscommunication between the dispatch office staff and drivers in the field. Users can also send, view, and log driver call-ins through satellite trucking interfaces, and free-form text and email messages directly. Axon Trucking Software offers a free demo and other price-related information can be found on the seller’s website.
3.
- Overall rating: 4.7/5
- Value for money: 4.7/5
- Features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use: 4.6/5
- Customer support software: 4.8/5
Rose Rocket is a TMS system designed for trucking companies and brokerages that offer automation, visibility, and connectivity to a freight network. Rose Rocket’s dispatch management feature allows users to process shipments and the tracking of orders in a few clicks. It enables brokers to dispatch items to a carrier and helps carriers dispatch items to drivers on the same platform.
Utilizing the shipment tracking feature, users can also look into the status of their shipments promptly from anywhere and on most devices. By integrating with KeepTruckin, Rose Rocket also enables real-time GPS tracking to allow users to check trucks’ and drivers’ locations from their electronic logging devices (ELDs).
Drivers can manage their shipments using the drivers’ mobile app using which they can check their stops and shipment information and chat with dispatch. The driver management feature also allows drivers to update proof of deliveries (PODs) or add signatures that directly go into the TMS system. The software offers a free trial and pricing information can be found at the seller’s website.
4.
- Overall rating: 4.3/5
- Value for money: 4.3/5
- Features: 4.1/5
- Ease of use: 4.3/5
- Customer support software: 4.6/5
Tailwind transportation management software (TMS) is web-based trucking and freight broker software that caters to the needs of small to midsize trucking companies. From ordering to shipping and invoicing, the Tailwind platform can potentially help freight businesses reduce paperwork and keep an eye on shipments.
Using Tailwind’s dispatch management feature, users can manage the dispatching of orders and tracking them, setting up dispatch for brokers and carriers, managing expenses, and printing load confirmations. Furthermore, Tailwind TMS software helps connect drivers with carriers and freight brokers by automating the provision and collection of real-time shipment tracking information with its shipment tracking feature.
Tailwind’s GPS feature also allows users to track trucks and trailers and get real-time GPS location information on their equipment. Leveraging the driver management feature, Tailwind freight software allows freight brokers and drivers to automate and streamline shipment requests and booking processes, thereby potentially helping to save time and money. Tailwind TMS does not charge up-front fees and offers a pay-as-you-go cost model. To check more information related to pricing, visit the seller’s website.
Methodology
The software in the above list have been arranged in alphabetical order and were selected based on the following factors:
- To select the products mentioned in this article, we identified the top products for “freight software” via incognito Google search on September 20, 2022.
- Software that appeared individually either on the first or second search engine results pages (SERPs) were considered for further assessment.
- The shortlisted tools were then evaluated against the market definition of freight software: freight software helps shipping and logistics companies handle cargo efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively. Companies use freight software to order third-party shipments on behalf of customers and track them to their destinations. Users also manage fleets, optimize costs, and capture data to support operations all in one platform.
- Besides that, the products were further checked against the following criteria: shipment tracking, dispatch management, and for freight operations as the core features.
- All the tools have average overall ratings above 4.3/5 stars.
- Tools that met the market definition were also evaluated for popularity by comparing their average monthly search volume and domain authority (DA), of which the four products with the highest search volumes and DAs were selected.
