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.