There are many different types of dispatching software truckers can use today because dispatching over the phone or via email takes time away from finding loads for your drivers. Time is money, and dispatching software allows you to book loads faster than you can over the phone or via email. It also allows you to keep track of loads and documents, and helps to reduce overhead costs.
What is dispatching software and how can it help your trucking business?
As the name implies, dispatching software allows you to find loads, dispatch trucks, and monitor deliveries with just a few clicks. Many trucking companies use spreadsheets to keep up with loads and dispatch drivers by email or telephone. But unless your company is very small, with only a couple of drivers, this can easily become overwhelming. It takes a long time to perform each step in the process, and your back-office staff has to manually reach out to every driver—not only to assign the next load but also to get status updates along the route.
Dispatching software brings all of these tasks together in a single platform. You’ll have easy access to all parts of your transportation supply chain, from drivers who are currently on the road to new loads waiting to be shipped. In addition, this software automates many of your basic tasks, such as driver tracking and customer invoicing.
Is dispatching software part of a truck management system?
There are stand-alone dispatching software solutions. But you will get the most from dispatching software that is fully integrated into a complete truck management system (TMS). A good TMS offers not only dispatching capabilities, but also a variety of services in accounting and bookkeeping, safety and compliance, and data analytics. Benefits include, but are not limited to:
- One-click invoicing.Automate your invoicing process and send invoices with the click of a button!
- Confirmation of new loads. You can quickly and easily confirm newly booked loads, reducing mistakes.
- Easy BOLs. A bill of lading (BOL) is a highly detailed invoice. It lists the contents of the load, along with a tracking number and information about both the shipper and the receiver. A good TMS automates the process of creating accurate BOLs.
- Integration with QuickBooks. Accounting and bookkeeping are simpler than ever when your TMS is fully integrated with your existing QuickBooks account.
- Tracking and data analytics. Tracking gives you the insight you need to better understand your trucking logistics, identify emerging issues, and find solutions to further streamline your processes.
- Detailed customer agreements. With a strong TMS, it takes just a few clicks to create detailed customer agreements and send them out, without having to switch to another piece of software.
- Documentation management and file storage. You may be required by law to maintain certain records for five or more years. You’ll also need to show various documents to people ranging from freight brokers to auditors. Keeping everything in your TMS saves you the trouble of digging through boxes of hard copies, and ensures that anyone with access to the TMS can produce records when needed.
What you should know about the Kamion TMS dispatching software
Kamion powered by Loadsmart is a full-service TMS with a variety of highly useful dispatching capabilities. These include:
- Load board. Find new loads and reduce deadhead miles with our consolidated load board that integrates your existing subscriptions to boards such as Loadsmart and DAT. The Book It Now feature makes it incredibly easy to find, book, and dispatch loads in just a few steps.
- Smart Scheduler. Our Smart Scheduler tool offers a visual look at where all of your trucks are, with regular updates from integrated electronic logging devices (ELDs). You can view your entire fleet’s schedules in real-time, ensuring that you dispatch just the right truck for each new load.
- Rate Manager. Know what the going rate is for each of your top lanes, ensuring pricing that is fair and competitive.
- Vehicle tracking. Thanks to ELD integration, you can track each truck from the time it picks up a load until the moment of delivery. Updating customers is a breeze, as you can share the vehicle status and ETA with them directly from the TMS.
Want to learn more about how the Kamion TMS can revolutionize your truck dispatching process? Sign up for a demo today!