What is a Transport Management System (TMS) and what is it designed to do?

Anyone involved with the freight transport industry knows that getting from A to B is not quite so simple as…well, getting from A to B. There are a whole range of links in the supply chain, from people to products and processes, that must work together seamlessly for a safe and efficient delivery to happen. The larger your business, the more moving parts there are to keep an eye on. If just one of those parts fails, the whole process can be delayed, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. As technology advances, new tools are being developed all the time to address the needs of the transport industry. Here we will explore in detail one of the tools that any modern transport business should seriously consider adopting – a Transport Management System. 

What is a Transport Management System?

A Transport Management System (TMS) is a software package that allows a user to plan and oversee every part of the logistics chain. Essentially, a TMS can streamline the process of quoting, booking, transporting, delivery, and all the steps in between using a centralised platform designed for the purpose. While in the past, smaller businesses may have used separate systems for taking bookings, making quotes, assigning drivers, managing loads and routes, and addressing customer questions, all this and more can now be managed together in the one piece of software. 

What are the benefits of a Transport Management System?

A TMS has the potential to revolutionise how you manage your transport business, while saving you time, money, and effort. The three main benefits of a TMS are:

–Streamlining: where previously, separate systems may have been used for different tasks, a TMS brings these together in a central place. It allows the people who need the information – shippers, customers, and fleet managers – to access it as they need it.

–Automation: many TMS packages take the stress out of managing time-consuming and repetitive tasks. These include checking compliance status, sending quotes, or managing basic reporting. A TMS completes these automatically, freeing up administration and other specialist workers to get on with more important things.

–Optimised reporting: there are many steps in the transport chain that rely on accurate, responsive data to increase efficiency, such as planning transport routes and confirming safe delivery of products. An effective TMS can provide real-time data on traffic levels, load maximisation, driver fatigue levels, and required safety checks. It can also provide immediate feedback to customers in the case of delays or other issues. This allows your business to be responsive to issues as soon as they arise. 

Who should use a Transport Management System?

No matter the size of your transport business, any company that wants to provide modern, efficient service should consider adopting a TMS. The number of benefits are compelling. Increased workforce safety, improved workflow management, and heightened customer satisfaction are just a few. It would be a brave business owner indeed who passed on the opportunity to integrate a TMS into their business. 

And while many TMS options provide a usable interface, some provide greater benefits for the investment than others. One such system is GoDesta, which boasts a number of features over and above the standard TMS package. 

Enhance delivery performance and cut costs with GoDesta

GoDesta gives you all the features you would expect from a TMS. Think GPS driver tracking, accounting, proof of delivery, and a booking system. However, GoDesta goes further, offering road freight companies first-of-its-kind features. 

The GoDesta program can be customised precisely to specific preferences. Whether it be increased functionality, a different layout, or new reporting features, the GoDesta team can make it happen. Plus, they will respond to requests for customisation within the hour during business hours, guaranteed. It has been created so it can easily adapt to users, not the other way around.

In addition, transport companies who make the switch will benefit from the GoDesta driver app. It is an all-in-one application that allows for seamless management of drivers. The app communicates with the operations dashboard in real-time, including text chat function and recording pick up/delivery events. It also supports acceptance of jobs, start of day checklists for compliance, and much more.

The GoDesta development team has over 35 years’ experience in the transport industry, putting them in an ideal position to create a TMS that was superior to the competition, drawing on feedback from people in the industry identifying what was missing from existing TMS offerings.

Explore the powerful features of the GoDesta TMS here.