Tag Archive: buying trucking software

1. TMS Programs for Mid-Sized Trucking Companies

   April 21, 2025 3:53 pm Leave a Comment

   If you’re running 20, 50, maybe even 150 trucks, you’re doing pretty good in a tough industry. You’ve been smart about your investments. At this point, your team is juggling a lot. That means you’re on the lookout for the best TMS programs for mid-sized trucking companies.

   When you start your research campaign, you find flashy ads for VC-funded TMS web apps that promise to simplify everything. Before you plug in your credit card details, learn more about the actual value for these types of programs. You have come this far making smart investments – don’t stop now!

   While some of these web app TMS platforms look good on the surface, they weren’t built for your kind of operation. They’re aimed at entry-level fleets and designed to scale tech company profits – not your business.

   We compiled five real reasons why mid-sized trucking companies should be cautious before committing to a lightweight web app TMS.

    

   1. Weak Accounting = More Work For You

   Many of these systems only pretend to do accounting. The real situation is that they “interface” with QuickBooks or some other app when it comes time to post payroll, invoicing, etc. That means another subscription and moving to another program to figure out simple things like “when was the last time this customer paid us?” While QuickBooks is commonly thought of as the standard for accounting, it simply doesn’t cut it for trucking businesses operating in a highly specialized industry.

   For a mid-sized trucking company, using QuickBooks or otherwise not having accounting baked into a TMS, is not sustainable. You need full accounting, real-time visibility, and the ability to tie revenue and expenses back to customers, drivers, equipment, and lanes. If you are constantly double-entering data or exporting spreadsheets to make decisions, then your TMS isn’t working for you. You’re working for it.

    

   2. TMS Programs for Mid-Sized Trucking Companies Need to Scale

   If you are running hundreds of loads a week or managing hundreds (or more) of customers or ship-to locations, you need software that can keep up.

   Web app TMS platforms get sluggish, or outright break, under pressure. Over time, you’ll notice slower searches, limited report functionality, and load entry screens that will give you dial up deja vu.

   Now let’s look into the future. Consider how many customers, loads, locations, etc. would need to be stored within the software for you to get truly valuable insights. Loading that many resources slows a web app down. To provide an analogy: when you log in to your bank account’s online portal, how many transactions does it let you view at one time?

   Your team shouldn’t have to wait on your TMS to catch up. Time is money in trucking.

    

   

    

   3. Can the Support Keep Up?

   With VC-backed startups, support is usually an afterthought. You might get:

   • A chat bot that “logs” your issue, or worse, simply scans the brief online knowledge base that you have already searched through a dozen times.
   • A help desk ticket with a wait time of 1-2 business days.
   • A representative who doesn’t deeply know the trucking industry.

   When you are in the middle of payroll or IFTA season, that’s not just frustrating. It’s expensive.

   Mid-sized trucking fleets need real TMS support from real people who understand the industry and know how to solve real problems. Fast, reliable, and knowledgeable support isn’t something to sacrifice.

    

   

    

   4. Make Sure the Business Model is About You

   Here’s the tough truth: many newer or web app TMS providers are funded by investors who expect fast returns. But what does that mean for you?

   • They are selling your data to feed new products, services, or to turn a profit.
   • Their pricing is designed to lock you in. Once the screws are turned, the prices can ratchet up.
   • Updates and features are driven by what scales their business, not what helps your business.
   • If investors are not getting what they want out of the product, the cable can be cut entirely. Unfortunately, that leaves you scrambling to find another product.

   In this type of business model, you aren’t a customer. You are part of a growth chart in a board room in Silicon Valley.

   Since 1992, Frontline Q7 has been family-owned and independently operated. We aren’t beholden to Wall Street or Silicon Valley. We serve you, the carrier.

    

   How Frontline Q7 Stacks Up

   Below is a side-by-side breakdown to demonstrate how Q7 compares to a typical web-based VC-backed TMS platform. It shows how Q7 is overall a better option for your growing operation.

    

   

    

    

   What You Can Do

   • Ask the hard questions. Does the system you’re looking for handle payroll, accounting, fuel tax, and reporting? Or just dispatch? You may not need all of these tools now, but if you continue to grow and expand, you might later. Changing software can be a time consuming process.
   • Watch for investor fingerprints. If the company is more focused on “growth” than trucking, that’s a red flag.
   • Think beyond the sticker price. A cheap system can get expensive fast when you start paying for mistakes, slowdowns, add-ons, or eventually needing to move on to an enterprise product to support your growing fleet.
   • Demo before you commit. A system like Q7 gives you the power of a full back office, not just a dispatch board. Speak to your rep as often as you need to in order to make sure it covers all of your requirements and goals.

   We believe mid-sized fleets deserve the best. That’s why Q7 runs fast, handles complex trucking workflows, and comes with support that’s top in its class. To learn more about how Q7 is the best TMS for mid-sized trucking companies who are ready to upgrade their back office, contact us today.

2. 6 Reasons All-In-One Trucking Software Is Useful

   January 22, 2025 6:54 pm Leave a Comment

   Are you tired of juggling multiple software systems? Managing a trucking company is hard enough without your software making you feel like the juggling act. If you relate to this, it means your trucking business has grown and it might be time to look into integrated trucking accounting software.

   In this article, we cover 6 reasons why your trucking company should ditch the juggling act.

    

   1. Unify Data With Integrated Trucking Accounting Software

   Does it feel like the people on your staff are on totally different wavelengths? Dispatch is over here, accounting is over there, and compliance… well, who knows where compliance went. When everyone is pulled onto the same platform, it eliminates the disconnect between departments. This means that instead of manual updates and miscommunication, your team works more like a well-oiled machine, which is every business owner’s dream. Unifying independent data silos means that everyone is working for the same team, all under the same roof.

   Have you been playing the “which report is right” game? This happens when you have conflicting numbers or data between two different systems. The problem is, it can be impossible to know which set of data is correct. All-in-one software means that everyone from your newest dispatcher to your long-time billing person is working with the same set of up to date data. Whether you’re checking fuel expenses, processing payroll, or closing the books at the end of the month, you have one source of truth. When your trucking business has a single, unified brain, it means you get to ditch the conflicting reports and duplicate entries game.

    

   2. Turn Chaos Into Coordination

   Managing workflows with multiple systems is like herding cats. Which, is to say, it’s impossible to do well. Integrated trucking accounting software takes all of those cats (tasks) and turns them into a well-trained parade. For instance, when dispatch assigns a load, the system automatically checks compliance and updates the driver’s schedule. Downstream, the same record doubles as the invoice so the billing user doesn’t have to enter it again. Furthermore, the invoice is linked to the dispatch details, so the shipper gets all the information they need. With multiple software systems, you’re shuffling paperwork which ultimately becomes an email and file keeping mess. When your team is all operating on the same platform, you aren’t required to orchestrate every move. This leaves you with more time to focus on growing your business.

   We all know the trucking industry moves fast. Traffic jams, weather changes, and last minute customer requests are just another Tuesday. When everything is under the same roof, real-time coordination means you can adapt on the fly. Dispatchers can use the integrated tools to respond instantly to driver or equipment needs. Your shippers are happy because their loads are on time. You’re happy because you’re getting paid on time.

   At Frontline, we’re serious about coordinating the activity of a trucking business. Our local team of reps and developers actually listen to the needs of our users and will brainstorm ways to help your business run smoothly if you’re not already finding solutions in the software. Frontline Q7 is enterprise level trucking software that is designed to be flexible for any type of trucking operation.

    

   

    

   3. Master Your Money Moves

   Keeping track of finances with multiple systems is a recipe for disaster. Payroll in one program, invoicing in another, and expense tracking…where did you put that again?

   All-in-one software puts all of your financials in one place. The very nature of this means it’s easier for you to track your money. In addition, software that is specific to the trucking industry will come packed with automated routines like rating loads and fuel surcharge, which means fewer data entry mistakes and more time for doing other things. When financial data from revenue to expenses is entered correctly the first time, you’re saving you and your team time corrected those mistakes later. Saving time is just one part of the ROI when you buy integrated trucking software.

   Are you currently on top of which lanes make you money? Or which lanes cost you more than they’re worth? Accounting software for trucking businesses doesn’t just make the data entry process easier. It also crunches the numbers for you, and provides actionable insights. Analyze profitability by truck, driver, route, or customer and make smarter business decisions. Cut the dead weight of combining spreadsheets, using a calculator, or worse, guessing. Introduce a data driven strategy to your business.

   Integrated trucking software can easily help you increase your profit margins just by doing the heavy report lifting. While it’s possible to build these key financial reports by pulling your data from various sources, why do all of that work when the data is already all in one place?

    

   

    

   4. Happy Drivers, Happier Shippers

   Your drivers, dispatchers, and customers all need to stay in the loop. But are you bouncing between email, phone calls, and random text messages?

   Integrated trucking accounting software centralizes communication, so everyone can get updates in real-time through EDI, ELDs, driver dispatch applications, and more. Drivers know where they need to be, shippers know when their shipments are and will arrive, and you know everyone’s on the same page.

   When all of your trucking company data is housed in a single software system, resolving issues with drivers or shippers becomes significantly faster. Got a billing question? A shipment delay? A truck is broken down? Instead of switching between spreadsheets or platforms and calling five people to get an answer, resolving issues is distilled into a few quick responses. Let’s take the example of a truck broken down halfway to the delivery point. The driver can simply transmit a message from their ELD which hits the software system. Use the dispatch routines to hook the load to a different truck, which alerts the other driver. An EDI or an API alert is sent off to the shipper so they know where their load is at.

   When you’re able to quickly resolve issues, your reputation as a standup trucking company grows, and so does your business.

    

   5. Tame the Paperwork Beast

   Paperwork is the bane of every trucking company’s existence. Are you still storing hundreds of PDFs and Excel spreadsheets on a shared drive, or worse, individual computers or filing cabinets?

   Software built for the trucking industry takes the hassle out of paperwork by storing everything from invoices, receipts, and driver records in one secure location. Better yet, these documents are attached to records that make sense.

   As a business owner, it’s also important to be concerned about backups. If the office is flooded or if a computer gets hit by a virus or crashes, cloud backups keep your files safe and sound. No more digging through file cabinets or worrying about lost documents.

   Are you still printing and mailing paperwork in 2025? Fully integrated software lets your drivers upload documents straight from their phones, ELDs, or document portals like Vector or Transflo. Need to share a file with a shipper? Simply pull up the record in the software and email the document. It’s faster, greener, and way less stressful than dealing with hundreds of files in questionably organized folders.

    

   6. Support You Can Count On

   Have you ever tried solving an accounting issue or conundrum with QuickBooks support? Hint: It’s basically like shouting into the void.

   When you use trucking accounting software, you get the bonus of having access to a local team of highly effective support reps who actually know trucking. Whether it’s a billing error, questions about debits or credits, or a question about profit margins, you get answers. As a result, you get accounting help that actually helps! Better yet, the help doesn’t stop at accounting. Have a question about a complex dispatch scenario or need to know what’s going on with the ELD API logs? Trucking software reps know everything front to back.

   Say goodbye to endless hold times and unhelpful advice. The Frontline Q7 support desk prides themselves on ultra-short response times and knowledgeable, friendly service. When you have a question, you get a real person in our office who gets your business. No runarounds. Just solutions.

    

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   Fully integrated trucking accounting software isn’t just nice to have. It can totally change the game for trucking businesses that are growing. By getting rid of the patchwork of QuickBooks and the spreadsheets and upgrading to an integrated solution, you save time, reduce the intake of Ibuprofen for your headaches, and get back to doing what you do best: keeping the world moving.

   Ditch the circus act and find out how Frontline Q7’s trucking accounting software can help you achieve simplicity.