In logistics, managing transportation efficiently is important for businesses of all sizes. Transportation management software (TMS) has emerged as a vital tool, offering benefits such as enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and making work easier for its users. Our quick guide covers the features, benefits, and implementation of transportation management software.
Table of Contents
What is Transportation Management Software?
Transportation management software (TMS) is a digital solution designed to streamline and optimise supply chains, distribution, and transport. TMS facilitates planning, execution, and optimisation of the physical movements of goods, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and documentation.
TMS is a fundamental component of supply chain management, providing visibility into day-to-day transportation operations, trade compliance information, and documentation. It ensures the timely delivery of freight and goods, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Types of Transportation Management Software
1. On-Premise TMS
On-premise transportation management software is installed locally on a company's servers. This type of software provides full control over the system but requires significant upfront investment and ongoing maintenance.
2. Cloud-Based TMS
Cloud-based TMS, also known as Software as a Service (SaaS), is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed via the internet. This type offers scalability, ease of access, and lower upfront costs.
Key Features of Transportation Management Software
Route Optimisation
One of the primary features of TMS logistics is route optimisation. This feature helps in determining the most efficient routes for transportation, thereby reducing fuel consumption and transit times.
Load Optimisation
TMS software aids in optimising vehicles' loads, maximising capacity, ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficiency. This often integrates with the route optimisation, helping to reduce unnecessary journeys.
Carrier Management
A robust transport management system software provides tools to manage carrier contracts, monitor carrier performance, and automate carrier selection based on cost and service criteria.
Freight Audit and Payment
TMS transport includes features for freight audit and payment, helping businesses manage and verify freight bills and payments to avoid overcharges and discrepancies.
Real-Time Tracking
Transportation tracking software enables real-time tracking of shipments, providing visibility into the status and location of goods in transit. One useful feature that comes with this is the ability to provide customers with delivery receipts.
Analytics and Reporting
Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities are integral to TMS software, allowing businesses to gain insights from transportation data and make informed decisions.
Benefits of Using Transportation Management Software
Improved Efficiency
TMS logistics helps streamline transportation processes, reducing the time and effort required to manage shipments manually.
Cost Savings
By optimising routes, loads, and carrier selection, TMS software significantly reduces transportation costs.
Enhanced Visibility
Real-time tracking and comprehensive reporting enhance visibility into the supply chain, allowing for better monitoring and management of shipments.
Compliance and Risk Management
Transportation management software ensures compliance with industry regulations, helping businesses avoid penalties and manage risks effectively.
Customer Satisfaction
Efficient transportation management leads to timely deliveries, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Tachograph Analysis and Transportation Management Software
Tachograph analysis is an essential feature within transportation management software (TMS) that enhances compliance, safety, and efficiency. By integrating tachograph data into TMS, businesses can:
- Monitor Driver Behaviour: Track driving hours, rest periods, and speed to ensure adherence to regulations.
- Improve Compliance: Automatically check data against legal requirements to prevent violations.
- Optimise Fleet Performance: Use insights from tachograph data to streamline operations and reduce downtime.
How TachoMagic Can Help With Remote Tachograph Analysis
If you're manually downloading data from your vehicles, you're probably wasting at least 15 minutes
(or 45 minutes for a full VU download) per vehicle.
The TADD (TachoMagic Automatic Download Device) allows you to have your Driver and Vehicle data downloaded automatically & remotely. No more waiting around for vehicles to return, or having to ask drivers to ensure they’ve downloaded their cards. With our system, the reports are available when you need them, helping you to improve fleet safety and compliance. Our system also offers built-in Fleet Tracking so you can see where your drivers are in real-time.
Summary
Integrating tachograph analysis with transportation management software (TMS) offers substantial benefits, including enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and improved visibility. It does this by streamlining routes, optimising loads, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing real-time tracking and analytics. All of this can take the hard work out of tachograph analysis - for example, being able to schedule your reports and detect driver infringements in real-time means that you can dedicate more of your time to other tasks.
At TachoMagic, we offer comprehensive tachograph analysis services, helping businesses leverage these advanced solutions for significant improvements in their transportation processes, leading to a more efficient and competitive operation.
Further Reading
We've built up a lot of experience over the years, and we like to share it - hence, all the guides we've created. We've linked a few particularly useful ones below that relate to Tachographs.
- Does your vehicle need a tachograph? Complete guide
- Fleet Tracking
- FAQ: Everything you need to know about Smart Tachographs
About The Author
Simon Theaker
Simon has over 20 years of dealing with tachograph analysis, and the technologies involved.
His in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience have made him a key behind-the-scenes member of the TachoMagic team.
Through his blogs, Simon hopes to make the lives of Fleet Managers easier, as he shares the answers to some of the most common questions he has received.
