Transportation management software is designed to help organize and monitor all logistical operations for the movement of products and supplies. In 2013 alone, the trucking transportation industry moved an estimated 15 billion tons of cargo. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, that number is expected to exceed 18.7 billion tons by year 2040.

According to recent reports, over 20% of all cargo transported by truck is attributed to retail. Additionally, truck hauls are decreasing due to an increase in distribution centers nationwide. This move decreases delivery time and expenses related to mileage, but increase the number of transports needed. The increase in overall transportation of products creates an even greater need for transportation management software.

While trucks carry the majority of freight, there are other widely used freight options including ships, rail roads, and planes depending on where the freight is going, what it is, and how fast it needs to get there. The variety of transport options also plays into the vital need for transportation management software.

The software provides a number of services including shipment tracking, types of load boards, load board integration, and co-brokering integration. The intense amount of information needed in real time makes it impossible to conduct the level of business currently being conducted by transportation companies without a comprehensive software system in place.

There are many reasons why the type of software you have is important, and if you have been in the industry for any length of time you understand that. Even small businesses will benefit from logistics software if they are sending and receiving products or supplies on a regular basis. Without proper management and real-time tracking, mistakes can easily be made and customers can feel they have been left uninformed, which does not make for a positive customer experience.

When installing new software, it is important to get fully trained on how to best utilize it for your business. Often times, software comes with so many options that business owners learn what is most necessary and fail to take advantage of the rest. This is missing out on valuable tools that have already been paid for.