Dispatch Software for LTL Carrier

What Dispatch Software do you prefer

  • Virtual Dispatch

    Votes: 3 9.4%

  • UFOS

    Votes: 8 25.0%

  • Fleet Manager

    Votes: 9 28.1%

  • Transcore Link Software

    Votes: 1 3.1%

  • Tailwind

    Votes: 3 9.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 28.1%
  • Total voters
    32
Status
Not open for further replies.
O

ontime

Member
Jul 2, 2009
50
1
8
2
Hello Ladies and Gents

Since the other thread was closed anybody care to weigh in on their experiences with Dispatch Software in regards to user experience and ease of use specifically for an LTL carrier.

Current systems I'm looking at are

Virtual dispatch
UFOS
Fleet Manager
TransCore (Link)

Cheers! :D
 
We use Fleet Manager - its easy to use, does everything we need it to and it integrates with our accounting software seemlessly.
 
Thanks JN1981. Have you used any other systems before?

Im trying to figure out why one is better than the other. They more or less all do the same basic thing just differently. Heres what I have so far

Virtual Dispatch - Can be slow over time. Has had bad customer service. No real long term commitment but high yearly costs in the long run. Can be a problem for LTL. Internet based.

UFOS - Great customer service. Middle price point. Easy to use. Can choose no commitment or full commitment. Interface looks cluttered. Server or Internet.

Fleet Manager - Great for LTL. High price. Commitment. Server.

Transcore - Haven't really looked in to them yet but saw a number of comments that it just doesn't work that well.
 
Last edited:
ontime you will find every system has it faults, my only suggestion to you would be to make sure it works with your other systems ie accounting and satelite.
 
Get a demo of your favorite one and go for the one that suits you

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
 
Thanks for the input guys!

Ive demoed two of the four, Monday will be the third. I'm starting to realize they all do the same thing and all work with QuickBooks my accounting system (at least they all claim they do). Even price wise in the long run they all cost the same. I guess what Im looking for is which will be easiest to train new employees to use for LTL, so user interface experience etc. A demo is still from a sales persons perspective we all know once the system is up and running minor hick-ups can turn into disasters especially with out good tech/customer support. With a system that cost $5-20K its not a light commitment although most have a 30-90 day money back guarantee. PS I don't use GPS tracking so that's not a factor.
 
Last edited:
Ontime, I assume you're using it to "load" equipment in your computer and do manifesting too, right? Fleet Manager is good because you can drag and drop orders into trips you set up and works well with Cancom/Shaw satellite. You can broker with Fleet Manager too, even though Transplus offers Logistics Manager. You may have to get Transplus to modify things to your liking because no one I know has ever run it out of the box without asking for changes, which will cost you additional money. :)

TMW is another that I am familiar with and other companies use it. It meshes well with satellite and accounting systems. Truckload carriers use it and it can be used for LTL too. It's a little more complicated as I recall because the version I used involved having to remember codes for things like "begin empty" (BMT) and "live load" (LLD), "live unload" (LUL) and so on. Unless that was an older version I used 2 years ago, TMW may have a slightly more user-friendly version.

Good luck!
 
If I tell my dispatcher that he will need to remember codes hes going to look at me like Im smoking something.
 
Check out Wolfbte which is what we use. Very good support, great reports, you can have a lot data on customers, shippers, carriers. Rate tracking, quoting tools, you name it, it does it all.

Also check out arcline 2000. Ontario based company and I spoke with them. They have basic programs but you they will customize to anything you need but you pay for the various modules they add or modify. Also, if you are using an existing software, they will transfer the data over to ensure a seamless transition.

Check these two out but Wolfbyte is awesome.
 
I used Arcline way back when started in freight brokering and the version we had the office (while now considered old) had a good accounting system and ability to manage orders. That's a name I hadn't heard for a long time. Went on the website and it would be worth investigating. I see they have packages for trucking now. You could request a demo.
 
Expert Solutions software

It's the best $100 a month we could ever spend. Ashwani 416-477-9589 It is so simple to use, we do a fair bit of LTL with 35 trucks and Expert Solutions works great.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gord M

We as well are looking for a good dispatch software that works well with LTL.
We run 4 trucks and do about 30 pick ups and deliveries weekly, all from the US to Canada and vice versa.
We presently have the LINK dispatch and it does not work properly.

Finding software is not so easy, we have looked at at least 10 different products over the last year and have it norrowed down to three options.

Very few meet the following criteria:

1) ACE compliant
2) Fully operational under an LTL format
3) Fully integrated with specific accounting software ( Simply accounting) in our case.

If anyone out there has a good reference, can you list it?

We are looking at Dispatchmate out of Boisbriand QC.
 
Gord M said:
It's the best $100 a month we could ever spend. Ashwani 416-477-9589 It is so simple to use, we do a fair bit of LTL with 35 trucks and Expert Solutions works great.
Click to expand...

We use the same program and find it very easy and efficient.
 
Reasoning

We had two main crietria :

1) ACE compliant
2) Compatible with simply accounting.

Most of the reasonably priced Software from the USA are not ACE ready.
Many other software are simply too expensive.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
alx said:
We had two main crietria :

1) ACE compliant
2) Compatible with simply accounting.

Most of the reasonably priced Software from the USA are not ACE ready.
Many other software are simply tooo expensive.
Click to expand...

Have you had a chance to look at UFOS?
 
Bolt

Has anyone heard of Bolt for software? I've started talking with them because they are fully integrated with Peoplenet and just wondering if anyone uses them?
 
Tailwindsys has a full integration with:
◦Qualcomm™ Transportation Services
◦Shaw Tracking™
◦PeopleNet™
 
UFOS Dispatch System

Hello ALX - UFOS is ACE Compliant and has an interface to Simply Accounting.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom