Accurate and correctly completed transport and shipping orders are the foundation of an efficient business in the TSL industry. Even a small mistake, such as incorrect load weight or an inaccurate address, can lead to costly errors. Communication disruptions between shippers, carriers and drivers can be just as important. That is why modern transport order management systems, such as fireTMS, introduce advanced IT solutions that make everyday work easier.
In this article, we present practical ways to improve order management with fireTMS system. With these solutions, you can increase operational efficiency, reduce costs and optimise transport processes.
The transport and freight forwarding industry faces many challenges that directly affect the efficiency of order management. One of the biggest problems is fierce competition in the market, which leads to lower transport rates. Companies often offer services below the break-even point, which in the long term leads to destabilisation of the entire sector. At the same time, transport companies are facing rising operating costs. Liquidity problems are another serious challenge. Payment terms for invoices can be as long as 90 days, while transport companies have to cover the costs of order fulfilment from their own resources.
The management of freight forwarding orders is also complicated by documentation issues. Some freight forwarders require specific documents to be provided at short notice. Failure to meet these requirements may result in financial penalties for each day of delay. Another serious problem is the unreliable information flow system. Lack of coordination between freight forwarders and carriers leads to delays in loading and unloading.
When working with multiple suppliers and carriers, coordinating logistics processes becomes particularly difficult. Without a proper transport order management system, tasks such as effective transport planning, route planning, reducing empty runs and payment monitoring can quickly overwhelm a company’s capabilities. The above problems show how important it is to implement a modern transport and freight forwarding management system that automates processes, minimises the risk of errors and increases operational efficiency.
fireTMS offers a comprehensive solution to transport and freight management problems. It allows for a complete transition from paper to digital documentation, so that all documents related to customers, drivers and vehicles are stored in one system. This makes work much more organised and allows daily tasks to be performed faster and more efficiently.
One of the key advantages of fireTMS is the simple preparation of transport orders. The system enables efficient data entry in the form of automatic order import using AI. In addition, it ensures easy contact with the carrier, e.g. through email dispatch of orders, or with the driver via fireTMS Driver app. This translates into effective and fast management of both forwarding and transport orders. It also helps to monitor the status of order fulfilment.
Modern transport management systems offer features that significantly improve order management. fireTMS naturally has a set of tools that automate daily work in this area and minimise the need for tedious and time-consuming tasks.
fireTMS allows you to manage transport (internal) and forwarding (external) orders in one place. The system collects all transport-related data, including information about loads, carriers, vehicles, drivers and even routes. Thanks to the fact that this information can be assigned to documents in the system, preparing detailed orders is very simple and does not require tedious rewriting of data. In addition, the system facilitates communication with carriers and drivers, which makes it easier to monitor the execution of orders and speeds up their settlement.
One of the biggest conveniences of order management in fireTMS is AI assistant available in Enterprise plan. With this tool, you can automatically import orders into the system. The assistant reads data from text files (such as PDF, DOCX or TXT), scans and photos (JPEG, PNG and GIF formats) or emails (EML). Simply upload one of the above-mentioned documents, and the assistant will read the data and prepare a new load in the system in no time. The tool recognises load names, loading and unloading dates and addresses, dimensions, weight and customer load numbers. In addition, the AI assistant also works with documents in foreign languages, which is invaluable for international orders.
In addition to significantly speeding up the entry of new loads into the system, the assistant minimises the risk of errors when manually rewriting data and allows employees to focus on other important tasks.
The load template feature in fireTMS speeds up the entry of recurring orders for regular customers. Based on a load entered once, you can create your own template that stores recurring data for a specific type of order. In addition to the contractor’s details, all key information, including a detailed route, can be saved in the template. This significantly speeds up the ordering of shipments and maintains a high standard of documentation by providing detailed information to carriers or drivers.
In the case of freight forwarding orders, maintaining good communication between the forwarder and the carrier is very important. fireTMS has several tools to help with this. First of all, you can make it easier to contact the carrier by sending orders directly from the system to the carrier’s email address. This avoids time-consuming downloading of documents and manual sending from your mailbox.
The second feature that improves communication is Carrier Portal, a solution that allows carriers to send transport documents from the route directly to fireTMS and complete the invoice data. This, in turn, reduces the paperwork involved in handling documents after the order is completed and speeds up billing and payment for services rendered.
An equally important aspect of the order management process is efficient communication between the transport company and the driver on the road. In addition, fireTMS Driver app allows you to stay in touch with the driver at all times using chat and sending them orders. The driver, in turn, can send scans of transport documents to the system. Thus, the app helps to monitor the route and status of orders, as well as speed up their settlement. An additional advantage of fireTMS Driver is the ability to react quickly to unforeseen situations on the road.
In summary, effective order management is the foundation of every freight forwarding and transport company’s success. Undoubtedly, traditional methods based on spreadsheets or calendars are no longer sufficient in the face of growing competition and increasing operating costs. fireTMS, on the other hand, is a comprehensive solution that, thanks to its modern features and tools, helps to deal with common problems in the industry.
First and foremost, the system collects all order data in one place, which significantly reduces the risk of errors and mistakes. Thanks to the AI assistant, entering loads takes only a few seconds. What’s more, load templates speed up the processing of repeat orders, and the Carrier Portal and fireTMS Driver app ensure smooth communication between all participants in the transport process.
Want to see how fireTMS works in practice? Create a free account and start a 14-day trial to see what good order management looks like.
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fireTMS team
The article was written by the fireTMS team, based on their knowledge, experience and awareness of the TSL industry.
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