Your logistics business deserves full control and transparency into your operations, and those matter-of-fact improvements you get from automating your warehouse, optimizing your routes, and cutting down on delivery mistakes. There is a simple way to get them: integrating advanced freight forwarding software into your daily processes. Apart from revenue boosts and fast, smooth workflows, it gives you the compliance and competitive edge you need.
In this guide, COAX shared the 15 years-proven knowledge on key modules, integrations, and features of such tools, with a guide on building and adjusting till it fits your business like a glove.
What is freight forwarding?
Freight forwarding is the process of coordinating cross-border goods transportation between carriers and shippers. Freight forwarders are intermediaries that manage complex logistical nuances: planning routes, ensuring customs clearance, and monitoring the process.
To do it, freight forwarder specialists manage sea, air, road, or rail transportation with appropriate paperwork, supply chain coordination, and compliance on behalf of the clients.
The role of freight forwarders
We touched on the basics of what freight forwarders do, but let’s figure out why they are so important in the supply chain. These specialists cover important aspects of shipping.
First, freight forwarding operationsorganize end-to-end documentation. A freight forwarding agent handles complex international documents: compliance papers for specific types of goods, bills of lading to confirm the carrier received packages, customs declarations, and other paperwork. Applying their excellent attention to detail, they save their clients from failing legal audits, paying fines, and risking losing assets across jurisdictions.
You can easily recognize a good freight forwarder by their skill and technical mastery to arrange real-time visibility and tracking of all the shipments they oversee. It matters a lot these days, as the volumes of global parcels are estimated to reach 200 billion in 2025, according to Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index. Such proficiency is necessary to keep track of this growth. They provide continuous shipment updates to business clients so that they can plan operations efficiently and provide their customers with full transparency.
Also, ensuring the optimal cargo space is another important process for freight forwarders to ensure the minimal container quantity and maximum occupancy. To do it, they apply industry relationships, load optimization software, and market intelligence to negotiate on rates and timings with carriers. What you get in the end is effective and cost-friendly transportation modes. As the logistics and freight forwarding market is defined by Research And Markets to reach $23.16 billion by 2029, such negotiating skills will only grow more important over time.
Expertise and knowledge are priceless. However, in the changing, moving world, you need to keep up with the tech advancements or risk being left behind. This concerns freight forwarding more than any other industry.
Why do businesses need freight forwarding software?
To assure you are not just moving packages back and forth but instead, provide high-quality, efficient, and competitive service, specialized solutions help you fix serious freight logistics management challenges.
You see shipments in real time.
Without digital monitoring systems, how would freight forwarders provide clear progress reports to concerned customers? Modern tools remove this uncertainty as they offer precise GPS tracking and automatic status updates enough to be able to schedule shipments confidently.
You don’t drown in manual records.
How much manual effort does it take for your employee to put in or do a last-minute change of the shipping information in various forms, invoices, and customs bills? To enter data just for one container it may involve typing the same cargo information five times in separate documents, and with such extensive work, you’re risking expensive mistakes in misplaced weights or incorrect destination codes. With software, freight forwarding management doesn’t have to be manual: data is automatically filled into all needed forms, with no errors in process.
You finally get all that analytics.
Plain spreadsheets don’t let you see where your operations are jammed. A forwarder might not realize they're losing on trade lanes until when it's too late to maximize costs in the moment. Meanwhile, freight forwarding software tracks the KPIs you need, and does it with a minute-to-minute to what really happens — for instance, it tracks profitability by route, carrier performance, and customer trends that allow for strategic intervention whenever you need.
You get automated workflows.
If your workers still call every carrier personally to get quotes and arrange pickups for each shipment, you won’t compete with automated businesses. Rate comparisons and confirmations, together with document generation can be put on autopilot with freight forwarder software.
Your moving parts no longer disconnect.
We guess you know well what a chaos coordination between carriers, shippers, customs brokers, and warehouse operators via emails and phone calls can be, especially, when a late shipment alert can get lost in a cluttered inbox. This said, when freight software provides you with automatic notifications and bringing all communication within one interface, grouped and connected to every stakeholder and supplier, the difference you see is massive.
The benefits you get are as transparent as the process you get with this type of solutions. But to understand what functionality you need, let’s figure out how freight forwarding technology works.
How does freight forwarding software work?
The thing is, there are various types of freight freight management solutions with different features and capabilities that allow you to solve any specific routing problem you deal with (we discuss them in our other article), or connect warehouse operations to shipping. However, the workflow they integrate into your daily operations follows more or less the same principle.
I. Order initiation.
At this stage, users input shipment details (final destination, pickup location, type of cargo, and desired timeline) into the system. The tool compares rates, transit time, and service levels of different carriers and modes of transport. The system selects the optimal shipping option based on pre-set criteria: cost, speed, or reliability, and then books with chosen carriers automatically.
II. Documentation.
Then, all necessary shipping paperwork is generated by your freight logistics management tool, using the initial booking details to create bills of lading, commercial invoices, and packing lists. In the case your shipments are international, the system goes on to create customs declarations, certificates of origin, and documents of compliance specific to destination countries. For maintaining audit trails and adding last-minute changes, your team has all documents at their fingertips, stored with version control.
III. Tracking.
To enable you to track every step of your shipments, the software uses a mix of GPS tracking feature, barcode scanning, as well as integrated RFID sensors. As the consolidating step, these tools access port databases, carrier tracking aggregators, and warehouse management systems to return the correct location data. It gives a one-track dashboard showing real-time status on ocean, air, road, and rail legs of multimodal journeys.
IV. Updates.
Based on achieved shipment milestones or any delays or exceptions faced, tracking modules send you automated notifications. This way, your customers are informed beforehand via email, SMS, or mobile app alerts, getting updates about departure, customs status, and the most probable delivery windows. Similarly, your internal teams receive operational alerts — for instance, when sudden weather delays or any documentation problems need intervention.
V. Insights.
The final step is providing you with actionable business intelligence visualized in reports and interactive dashboards and based on real-time data or historical patterns of your shipments. It shows you some vital metrics — percentage of on-time delivery, trends for cost per shipment, comparisons for carrier rates, customers’ NPS scores, and churn rates. Each department sees their specific KPIs and achieves varied goals, from setting profitable trade lanes (for managers) to negotiate better carrier contracts (for sales) and form tax reports faster (for accountants). This isn’t just retrospective — you also predict future trends and constraints.
The deep-routed sync between freight forwarding and supply chain management is enabled by critical connections between your solutions and other systems that enable its functionality.
Integration with carriers, customs, CRM, accounting systems
Your freight forwarding technology should take every piece of information from specific integrated solutions forming your supply chain.
Carrier system integration.
Through connections with shipping line, trucking, and airline carriers, freight forwarding software allows you to send rate requests automatically and get reservation alerts the same moment when they are confirmed. No conversion errors, too — with standardized APIs and EDI connectors, each update is transmitted precisely, from cargo capacity to carrier schedules.
Transportation management systems integration
Integration of TMS with your fright management solution gives you more efficient carrier selection, better routes defined instantly, and optimization load distribution, whatever transport you use. The application is integrated with TMS systems to handle pickup scheduling and consolidation of shipments, and ensures smooth handoffs for delivery.
Customs and compliance integration
When synched to your forwarding solution, the country's customs databases and regulatory agencies automatically populate trade documents with relevant tariff codes and requirements. Besides, to cut your customs wait time and reduce costs, a broker system can connect to your tool to fill import/export declarations automatically with clearance status monitoring.
CRM integration
The freight forwarder CRM connection allows you to consolidate client details and quote histories and synchronize supplier communication information, as well as billing and shipment patterns. This enables you to create combined customer profiles to offer relevant services and types of transportation, and speeds up supplier selection.
Warehouse management integration
WMS’s activities feed data into your freight tracking module to align inventory level for smooth handoffs between transportation and warehousing functions. Besides, this sync triggers automatic alerts when cargo arrives at distribution terminals and triggers pick-and-pack orders.
Accounting solutions integration
When linked to financial systems, your freight transport management tools automatically sync up payment status and generate invoices upon completed shipments. This keeps track of your profit margins, reduces error rates, and gives you a clear picture of operational costs.
These integrations are necessary to make sure that your solution gets the timely, accurate and robust data to ensure its functionality and your business improvements.
Difference between freight forwarding software and general logistics or ERP systems
Freight forwarding and logistics general applications share a common DNA, if you dig deep enough. Some components, like GPS tracking, route management, or inventory synchronization can be a part of many solutions. However, to ensure an optimization is focused specifically on freight forwarding processes, your solution should have specific distinctions.
Overall scope.
Logistics ERP systems oversee supply chain functions with end-to-end clarity: procurement, inventory, manufacturing planning, and overall financial processes all fall within its limits. In turns, general ERP solutions address the visibility and control over the business processes — spanning HR to accounting. Software for managed freight services has a narrow focus and is focused on coordinating transport, managing papers, and tracking shipments you perform.
Primary functions.
Logistics systems provide automated warehouse functions, supply alliances, forecasting, and in-house planning of resources. Meanwhile, ERP apps control departmental processes, enable business procedures, and coordinate data across a number of connected workflows in sales, finance, and operations. Unlike them, freight forwarding tools ensure multimodal transport planning, clear customer visibility, simple carrier negotiation, and secured customs compliance.
Industry and user base.
While logistics ERP is applicable in manufacturers, distributors, and retailers with internal inventory and supply chains, general ERP is targeting businesses of any industry that aim to simplify and inform business processes and decision-making. As opposed to both, solutions that improve the freight forwarding process are exactly tailored to customs brokers and businesses exporting goods regularly overseas with or without internal transport infrastructure.
Implementation scale.
There’s typically a mass-scale organizational transformation with high levels of customization, and large investment over several years for logistics ERP systems. General ERP initiatives demand enterprise-level significant user training, process standardization, and high recurring maintenance. Meanwhile, the faster deployment with industry-specific functionality, low customization, and focused training typically goes to integrating freight forward software.
Integration complexity.
Logistics ERP requires deep integration with manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain networks to oversee them with a 360-degree visibility. General ERP software requires complete organizational change management and integration of every business department and legacy system. However, for logistics freight management, you need to integrate with carrier booking, customs databases, and customer communication systems mainly.
It’s easy to see the difference in the coverage of the specific scope of processes — you simply don’t need warehouse employee timesheets for freight management tools. Now, to deepen our knowledge of such solutions, let’s break it into types by specific technical and industry aspects.
Types of freight forwarding software
To successfully integrate software into your freight forwarding business, you need to understand its available types. Let’s start with what you need to know about its deployment options.
Cloud-based vs on-premise freight forwarding software
With all the tools you already have in your business processes, we probably don’t need to explain what these options mean. However, for freight management, it implies some nuances.
Scalability. With no additional hardware purchases, cloud platforms scale resources based on shipment volumes and business growth automatically, while expanding on-premise ones needs lengthy manual capacity planning and hardware updates.
Maintenance. Cloud vendors handle all system maintenance, security patches, and feature updates automatically without user intervention. For on-premise ones, you will need a skilled technical team, either in-house or managed, to keep an eye on security protocols, accesses, and usage patterns, and troubleshoot as required.
Cost and audience. Thanks to subscription-based pricing and lower costs, freight forwarding software for small businesses are typically cloud-based. Established businesses with wider networks might prefer on-premise systems due to more features and more varied integrations, though cost is higher for hardware and software licenses.
Data control. With cloud solutions, all data is stored in external data centers you don’t have access to — so you might get locked in on vendor compliance certifications and security measures. On-premise systems keep data within company infrastructure, with a full security and access control within your designated storage locations.
Internet dependency. For cloud platforms, connectivity issues mean downtime: they need stable internet connections to function. Meanwhile, on-premises systems provide you with internet independence, which is useful for areas with unreliable networks.
Implementation speed. With cloud deployments, you can launch within days or weeks — only a minimal setup is needed. On-premise freight forwarding technology will take you months of hardware procurement, software configuration, and testing before you go live.
Customization options. Vendor-defined parameters and standard configuration options leave your cloud tools with limited customization, while on-premise systems often have a modulus design to ensure easy modification whenever your processes change.
Focus on your current needs and business scale — for smaller fleets and simpler operations, cloud solutions will go well, but if you are planning to scale in the number of warehouses or add new transport modes that will add complexity — think of on-premise options.
Specialized freight solutions vs integrated logistics platforms
Deployment types are important to grasp, but it’s even more important to understand whether you need a specific, standalone freight tool, or if the dedicated functionality within an integrated logistics solution will suffice.
Cost. Integrated solutions require higher licensing costs and implementation costs due to their large feature sets and complex integrations. Specialized freight systems provide affordable pricing for core transportation activities without paying for unwanted logistics modules.
Support. Integrated platform vendors provide generalized support across many logistics disciplines with varying degrees of experience in freight operations. Specialized freight solution vendors provide deep industry experience and focused support for transportation concerns and regulatory compliance.
Functionality. You typically get warehousing, freight forwarding, as well as inventory and B2B supply chain management under one umbrella in integrated platforms. Specialized freight solutions mainly overlook coordinating transportation, managing carriers, and creating documentation for shipment — no extra functions.
Required expertise. Integrated solutions require users to have knowledge of multiple logistics functions like procurement, inventory management, and distribution management. Specialized solutions for freight specialists cover their skills and years-proven knowledge only — shipping, carrier operations, and customs procedures.
Customization. Integrated systems offer extensive configuration options but may trade off freight-specific functionality for broader logistics compatibility. Specialized freight software enables more customization of transportation workflows, documentation requirements, and carrier-specific processes.
Implementation. The more comprehensive platform your platform is, the greater change management and training across multiple departments there will be. It’s easier with specialized freight tools: it often gets lighter deployment options with workflows that remind your native industry that won’t disrupt your operations (or not for long, at least).
Optimization potential. Integrated platforms speed up performance across a variety of activities, potentially limiting freight-specific processing speed and efficiency. Specialized freight solutions streamline system performance for transportation operations only. For instance, if you use a freight CRM software, it will lead to faster booking and better documentation processes, but hardly increase your warehouse efficiency.
Integration. End-to-end platforms minimize external integrations by covering most of the logistics activities within a single system architecture. Niche freight solutions require strategic integrations with existing ERP, accounting, and warehouse management systems to complete operational work flows.
We covered the deployment and integration options, but what about choosing the type of freight forwarding software for the sort of industry you are in — what modes of transport you manage and what type of goods you transport? Let’s figure it out as well.
Depending on whether your B2B clients’ goods are transported via sea, air, or roads, you need different integrations and functionality for your freight logistics management solution.
Marine freight software.
Tools for sea transportation focus on container space optimization mainly, but also optimize ship scheduling and often include producing bills of lading, ensuring traceability of containers between multiple terminals, and compatibility with steamship line reservation systems. What’s good to have but less necessary? Demurrage calculation, and port congestion alarms come in handy to keep informed and improve workflows.
Air freight software.
Such software integrates directly into carrier reservation systems and airport handling databases to address strict delivery schedules. No wonder: air freight programs place speed and time at their highest priority, and automated booking functionality and flight status monitoring in real-time make it easier.
Road freight software.
For regional and domestic transportation, truck-specific cargo freight forwarding requires monitoring driver compliance, together with truck route, and last-mile delivery improvement (load matching, scheduling the drivers, and managing traffic updates). To ensure this functionality, your solution is often linked to GPS tracking modules and driver logging devices.
Rail freight software.
Railcar availability, train timetables, and intermodal links for container and bulk commodity transport are the major features of railroad logistics platforms. They connect to rail operator networks as well as terminal management systems to track cargo movement across rail networks.
Multi-modal freight software.
End-to-end solutions cover the entire journey — handoffs between air, ocean, rail, and ground transportation modes for each shipment. For this, they need to coordinate documentation and track handoffs between different carriers. Also, selecting optimum combinations of modes of transport helps save on time in transit and fuel used, which brings great cost savings.
Apart from distinct types of solutions depending on the transportation mode, some tools in the freight forwarding software market vary based on the kind of goods you are transporting.
Software for temperature-controlled goods.
Temperature tracking and assurance of specific temperature ranges for transport are integrated with IoT sensors, cold storage equipment, and temperature recorders connected to your specific tools. They also often provide pharmaceutical and food shipment compliance documents.
Software for transporting dangerous goods.
Transporting dangerous goods demands compliance for international regulations in every mode of transportation you use in one or separate shipments. Conversely, the right system should provide accurate shipping declarations, categorize hazardous materials correctly, update to regulatory databases, validate packaging requirements, and fulfill emergency documentation.
Despite such differences in functionality based on these variables, some components and features are irreplaceable for any freight solution.
Core modules and features every freight forwarding software should have
Let’s review what you need in any freight forwarding technology solution to make sure you’re bringing in some results and improvements, not just using another tool to confuse your employees.
Shipment management
Freight management in logistics is no use if you don’t see your shipments clearly — so end-to-end shipment life cycle management from initial booking to final delivery is a must have. Automated confirmations and scheduling pickups with carriers will give you visibility into your processes, and route optimization functions will suggest most cost-efficient transportation combinations. Is it sea shipping to the nearest port and then rail delivery inland? Your system will calculate precise handoff times, and real-time milestone tracking reports with exception reporting alerts on delays or document issues will help you react to any constraints quickly.
Centralized dashboard
With a single command center displaying all current shipments and alerts in a unified screen, dedicated users instantly see which containers are detained in customs, and what invoices need a review without having to flip through several screens. The beauty of such features is also in the dashboards showing real-time KPIs like on-time shipping percentages, revenue growth, and operations bottlenecks. It’s also easier to detect and prioritize urgent issues with color-coded statuses — your team is always on track, literally.
Order management
From quote receipt through shipping execution and delivery confirmation, your solution should ensure you have all orders at hand to change at any time (or automate it all). With freight rate management, the system chooses the best carrier, then approved quotes are converted into active bookings, with all carrier details and routing filled in. Multi-customer consolidation bundles small shipments into full container loads for lowest cost. Also, order status tracking notifies customers on booking confirmations, departure schedules, and delivery appointments. Of course, it all requires proper paperwork.
Documentation and compliance
Your solution should cover automated generation of shipping documents from the shipment data and verification of validity against regulatory requirements. Electronic submission of import/export declarations through integration with customs databases and real-time status notification on clearance status will also free up your staff from manual processes. Remember — document templates vary based on country destination regulations, so make sure your tool has a correct layout for diverse authorities.
Inventory management
This includes end-to-end real-time visibility across location, quantity, and movement status of cargo, when your tool tracks individual containers, pallets, and pieces through scanning and interfacing with RFID technology. Warehouse coordination processes also manage incoming containers, inspection of the cargo, and preparation for shipment out. This way, freight management systems prevent overselling and maintain accurate delivery promises to customers.
Integration and API support
Your solutions should also provide integration with carrier booking systems, customs databases, accounting packages, and WMSs via standardized APIs. For smooth data exchange with large enterprise customers and large shipping lines, EDI integration is also a pro. Real-time data synchronization eliminates manual updates and offers uniform data to all integrated systems. To ensure it, upon shipment status changes or exceptions occurring, webhook notifications trigger automated processes.
Steps to build custom freight forwarding software
Now that you know the functionality you need to integrate, let’s move to specific steps you should take to build your ultimate solution.
Step 1: Take a look at your current systems.
First, examine existing operations and spot workflow bottlenecks and technology deficiencies. Then, evaluate the performance of your existing software and user satisfaction levels (using interviews and NPS scores), and find integration blind spots with carrier APIs, customs systems, and accounting tools. Finally, calculate cost-benefit ratios of the tools you have now to define whether you will benefit from minor enhancement or a completely new freight management tool.
Step 2: Gather requirements and set goals.
Specify exact business objectives (e.g., to reduce shipment processing time or automate document workflows) and set performance objectives (e.g., 50% faster quote generation, 99% or 30% reduction in compliance errors). Gather thorough requirements from sales staff, customer service reps, and operations teams, and then define the main features based on business value. Create measurable success KPIs that align with overall business growth.
Step 3: Evaluate the current market options.
Research available freight forwarding systems’ feature sets and customization alternatives and test leading platforms to assess user experience, system performance, and integration flexibility. This will show you gaps where they fall short for special business requirements. Document why custom development will provide more value than adapting off-the-shelf commercial offerings.
Step 4. Execute custom development.
Work with experienced developers who are knowledgeable about logistics industry requirements and regulatory compliance needs. Start with an MVP development with a focus on core functionality like shipment management, basic tracking and documentation. Whether you have an in-house team or managed services, make sure they give a sound explanation of the API architecture and develop scalable infrastructure for your custom freight systems to scale fast.
Step 5: Implement and train your team.
Create comprehensive training programs covering new system workflows, feature utilization, and troubleshooting procedures for every user group and create role-based training materials for operations staff, sales forces, customer service representatives, and management users. Pilot groups might go first first before deploying company-wide to minimize disruption.
Step 6: Constantly monitor and improve performance.
Setting the right KPIs will help you track a new system’s performance: focus on adoption rates by employees, as well as reduction in processing time and error rates. Set feedback loops with the use of surveys, interviews, and analysis of system usage to identify areas of improvement. Also, create plans for ongoing improvements whenever you face regulatory compliance, introduce new carriers, or see that client demands change.
Now, let’s define how much this costs and how to measure the ROI of following these steps.
ROI and cost considerations for freight forwarding software
Costs of investment consist of several aspects: software development and licensing fees, implementation fees, employee training, system integration, and maintenance. In turns, your gains include savings on cost of operations and reduction in errors, increased processing power, and improved income from higher customer retention.
Return on investment for freight forwarding technology is a simple calculation:
Net profit from software is the common new revenues from cutting on manual processing time, shorter turnaround times for shipping, and enhanced employee productivity that translate directly into measurable financial savings.
Long-term ROI tends to increase through multiple channels like increased volume of shipment capacity without any addition of staff, additional premium charged for extra visibility and tracking features, reduced operating overhead due to automation, and improved customer satisfaction leading to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.
COAX brings you the benefits without complexity
To make sure you’re not building or choosing the wrong solution, or not to fall for a trap of overcomplicating your tool with unneeded features, you need years-proven outside expertise. With COAX, your transportation software development services will start with exact validation of your tech specs against goals and constraints, and then using diverse web and mobile stack, we will develop the solution to connect your warehouse, TMS, accounting, and any other system to reach your goals faster and with simple, non-exhausting change management.
We have a wide portfolio of making the life of transportation business owners easier. For instance, our Driven Connect system redefined efficiency for transport providers and managers with a fast and simple quote system, route planning features, payment and billing management, and emissions tracking module for trouble-free tax payments. Whatever issue you have, and whether you’re in e commerce freight forwarding or serving manufacturing or pharma freight, we might have already solved a similar one — connect with us to let us solve it for you, too.
Top 10 freight forwarding software in the market
If you decide to stick to an off-the-shelf option, you should choose the best freight management software to fit your needs — with features covering every aspect of your workflows.
Longitude World’s solution offers customized freight forwarding functionality based on international connectivity and supply chain collaboration. Although this global freight management system offers personalized solutions, the customized pricing and feature sets make comparisons with other solutions difficult, with details available by request.
Freightview. This easy-to-use tool is designed for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight management, offering real-time freight quotes, shipment tracking, and solid reporting analytics. While very useful for LTL-focused companies, it may not be as suitable for businesses requiring full freight forwarding capability along with trucking operations.
GoFreight’s easy-to-use SaaS offering has strong freight forwarding capability with transparency through the dashboard, shipment tracking, built-in tool ease, milestone email notification, and simple customer inquiry-through-ship processes. Focusing on excellent customer support and ease with possibly fewer advanced customization features than more complex solutions, it is available for pricing request and demo.
Fresa Technologies is an online freight forwarding ERP software that simplifies business operations in sales, accounting, and documentation. It offers appointment scheduling, lead management, the sharing of quotations, and generation of bills of lading for all modes of transport. It boasts intuitive functionality and complete revenue/cost oversight, but may also provide a less comprehensive feature set for complex scenarios.
Magaya Corporation is one of the top freight forwarding companies, also covering warehousing and trade compliance with wide-ranging features — generation of bookings, invoicing, shipment control, accounting link customs clearance, and lead management. As a provider of wide scalability, it might require heavy resources and upfront investment in full implementation, with pricing only after committing scheduling consultations.
Shipthis. Being a cloud-based ERP, it’s greatly focused on freight rate discovery and booking with quotation creation, finance management, lead management, sales operations, and tax-compliant accounting capabilities. While boasting automation, fast buying processes, and modest pricing at $89 per user per month with a 30-day free trial, it may not be suited for full freight forwarding implementation.
CargoWise’s premium logistics software offers comprehensive freight forwarding and supply chain management capabilities: shipment tracking, EDI integration, automated booking/messaging, air eBooking, flight schedules, rate engines, and full-fledged accounting solutions. With detailed customization and heavy-duty automation, it proves to be too much for small businesses considering its entire range of functionality.
Linbis. This is an example of web-based top freight softwares. It’s known for being simple and collaborative, with solid core functionality. Focusing on simplicity and ease of use, it’s more apt for enterprises that would rather prefer simpler functionality than comprehensive features. The prices can be received via inquiry.
CargoNet is tuned for truckload, LTL, and intermodal freight visibility and optimization, with advanced routing and planning features. With trucking-centric optimization strengths, it can have a higher acquisition curve for freight forwarding operations that are not primarily trucking-based. Note it also has consultation-based pricing.
Descartes. This comprehensive logistics suite improves transportation management for forwarders with its modular approach that allows maximum customization. While offering extensive capabilities and flexible configuration options, the large suite of solutions can create navigation complexity for users requiring only freight forwarding functionalities. The pricing is structured based on selected modules and customization needs.
With the list of the top solutions long and diverse, you might already feel lost. Let us give you some tips on choosing the right one.
A guide on choosing the right option
Logistics is a very specific industry, and within logistics, freight forwarding is an even more specific managed service. This is why you should approach the choice of the suitable technology for freight logistics management with care and attention.
Connect size and complexity. You don’t build a 1000-square-feet foundation for a family diner. Similarly, choose simple-to-use applications like GoFreight over enterprise-level programs like CargoWise if you are a small forwarder — otherwise, you risk overpaying and overwhelming your crew.
Align with your transport types. Choose software that's great for your main shipping channels — LTL-specialized companies appreciate Freightview, while ocean forwarders need full-featured platforms like Magaya with Bills of Lading creation.
Review integrations, for instance, choose API-integrated and EDI-enabled freight forwarding logistics options like CargoWise and Magaya when you need seamless integration with legacy accounting packages and customs portals.
Sort the pricing structure out. Compare total cost of ownership versus above-monthly fees — some software may have better per-transaction value for large-scale operations.
Check for documentation abilities. Choose platforms with robust customs clearance functionality like CargoWise if you handle regulated goods: less feature-advanced alternatives may not include specialized trade compliance functionalities.
Plan for scalability. Select modular platforms like Descartes that allow adding features in the process rather than fixed-feature platforms that require full system changes
Review financial management. Choose complete ERP packages like Fresa Technologies and Logistaas for comprehensive end-to-end trade and non-trade transaction handling rather than bare-bone TMS systems that need further additions.
No matter if you need to build a custom solution, choose the most fitting one across the market, or establish some integrations via secure two-way API connections, COAX is your go-to choice for experienced, industry-skilled logistics professionals.
FAQ
What is freight management?
Freight management refers to the process of planning, organizing, and guiding the movement of goods from one location to another. It involves coordinating all phases of shipping like selecting carriers, managing cost, tracking shipments, processing papers, and timely deliveries.
What is freight management system implementation risk?
Freight management system implementation risks include data migration problems that can lose critical shipping paperwork, worker anxieties over needing to master new software that slows down processes, integration problems with other applications like accounting software, unexpected expenses that are higher than anticipated, and potential downtime.
How does freight forwarding work?
Freight forwarding works as a middleman between carriers and shippers to arrange the movement of goods. It starts when a customer places an order, and the forwarder procures quotations from multiple carriers, schedules the transport, puts together all the paperwork, monitors the cargo while in transit, and makes delivery to the destination point.
How does a freight forwarder make certain that a solution is secure?
A freight forwarder guarantees solution security by putting in place data encryption for all electronic communications and file transfers, employing safe cloud platforms with scheduled backups, insisting on multi-factor authentication for access to systems, subjecting employees who deal with sensitive information to background checks, and adhering to global security standards such as ISO certifications like the ones COAX refreshes each year.
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