Choosing the Right Trucking Carrier and TMS Software: A Guide for Modern Freight Operations

Choosing the right trucking carrier, selecting the best TMS, and optimizing your operations with the most effective TMS software for carriers is no longer a privilege—it is a necessity. Choosing carriers and technology to give you leverage, whether you are an expanding fleet, a veteran in logistics, or a freight broker looking for reliable capacity, will affect your net income.

According to a recent FreightWaves industry report, over 79% of small and medium-sized carriers reported that adopting technology was a key to improving fleet performance and customer satisfaction.

As trucking software for carriers rises, companies have the capability to enhance visibility, improve dispatching systems, and cut costs.

Let’s break down the different types of trucking carriers, discuss how to pick the right type of trucking carrier, and review the best TMS software for carriers and brokers to help improve your performance.

Types of Trucking Carriers

It is critical that shippers, brokers, or logistics managers understand the different types of trucking carrier companies so as to develop resilient supply chains.

1. For-Hire Carriers

For-hire carriers, as the name suggests, are carriers that move freight for customers who contract with them. For-hire carriers can be further split into:

a. Common carriers

These carriers are available to the public for transporting goods. Think of them as the “Uber” of freight—open to anyone, typically running set routes and schedules. They’re often highly regulated and must accept loads if capacity exists.

Why do they use TMS: Common carriers often juggle numerous clients and schedules. A good TMS carrier software helps them manage load planning, route optimization, and customer communication, making it easier to scale and stay compliant.

b. Contract carriers 

On the other hand, under signed agreements, contract carriers provide services to exclusive clientele. Both parties benefit from predictability in these collaborations.

TMS Use Case: Trucking software for carriers’ management software, which incorporates features that enhance operational accuracy and customer service, such as client-specific load history tracking, invoicing procedures, and automatic rate confirmation, is advantageous to contract carriers.

2. Private Carriers

These carriers transport their cargo rather than hauling for pay. Consider manufacturing companies that operate their dedicated fleets to avoid outsourcing delivery, or retail behemoths like Walmart.

Control and service quality are given top priority by private carriers. They can better control product handling and delivery schedules because they are in line with the parent company’s business plan.

Private fleets use TMS software for dispatchers to manage cost tracking, driver assignments, fuel consumption, and route efficiency when dealing with hundreds of SKUs and constrained delivery windows. For end-to-end visibility, they frequently connect TMS with ERP systems.

Stat: According to the National Private Truck Council, private carriers deliver about 3 billion tons of freight annually—roughly half of all truckload shipments in the U.S.

3. Local Carriers vs. Long-Haul Carriers

Local carriers connect customers with delivery services over short distances, typically within a single city or municipality.

a. Long-haul carriers

Less than 100 miles is typically the geographic radius in which these carriers operate. Consider regional food delivery, local distribution facilities, or last-mile delivery.

Lightweight TMS software is frequently used by local carriers to manage large volume short trips, track numerous drop-offs, and expedite same-day booking. Here, mobile TMS apps are really helpful.

b. Long-haul carriers 

These men frequently transport freight from one state to another. They handle both full-truckload (FTL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) cargo, making them the backbone of national logistics.

Long-haul carriers must manage complicated logistics, including several stops, driver logs, fuel tax reporting, and regulatory compliance. This calls for the use of a TMS. To increase profitability and guarantee compliance, they need strong carrier TMS software with GPS connection, ELD syncing, IFTA reporting, and lane analytics.

4. Intermodal Carrier

Freight that travels in various modes, usually truck + rail, but occasionally truck + air or ocean, is handled by intermodal carriers. These carriers work with other shipping segments to arrange drayage, or short-haul trucking.

Intermodal operations are complicated by nature. TMS freight software is used by carriers in this area to automate container tracking, coordinate mode transitions, and facilitate communication among partners. It is essential to integrate with rail providers or port systems.

Specialized Trucking Carriers

Specialized carriers are the best option if you require coast-to-coast coverage without the drama or are transporting large machinery, dangerous commodities, or delicate electronics.

Fleet Size & Capacity

Size does matter when it comes to the best trucking carriers in the United States, at least if you want to guarantee steady capacity, quicker service, and fewer delays. Businesses like Schneider, J.B. Hunt, and Knight-Swift are not only large.

They can provide both regional and national coverage, manage volume spikes, and swiftly redirect during weather interruptions thanks to their thousands of tractors and trailers. A large carrier offers you consistency and scalability if you’re a shipper or broker with high or regular freight volumes.

Even better, these behemoths usually employ cutting-edge TMS software for carriers, so you’ll get automated load status updates, real-time tracking, and improved data visibility.

Safety Records

Always check a carrier’s CSA scores and FMCSA safety ratings before entrusting them with your goods (and maybe the reputation of your business). These ratings show how well a carrier follows federal laws, how many infractions they have had, and how often their drivers are inspected or engaged in accidents.

What to look for:

• Low signs of crashes
• High scores for driver fitness
• Current license and insurance information

Industry Recognition & Performance

Reach out to reports issued by third parties, such as the Transport Topics’ Top 100 For-Hire Carriers or rankings from FreightWaves, to see which carriers are recognized by their peers for reliability and innovation.

They provide insightful information about the people creating waves (in a positive way). Reliability, innovation, driver happiness, and tech adoption are all taken into account in these surveys in addition to fleet size.

Why care? Typically, carriers on these lists:

• Adopt technology (carrier TMS software, hello).
• Have lower turnover (happy drivers = on-time deliveries)
• Invest in green initiatives and fuel efficiency
• Score higher in customer service

How to Choose the Right Carrier TMS

Finding the right trucking carrier TMS is more than just availability and rate.

A. Reputation & Reliability

Before you choose a TMS for carriers, dig into customer feedback. Look for testimonials from real users in your segment (are they brokers? Small fleets? Large for-hire carriers?). Check:

• On-time performance improvements
• Customer service ratings
• Uptime and software reliability

Use tools like Loadstop to assess carrier performance, but also research how those carriers perform with the TMS you’re considering. A great TMS can make a mediocre carrier better. A bad one can drag everyone down.

B. Fleet Technology & Software

Today’s best trucking software for carriers comes loaded with smart tools:

• GPS load tracking
• ELD & HOS integration
• Automated rate confirmation
• Digital BOL & POD management
• Customer portals with real-time visibility

If the TMS still relies heavily on manual data entry or doesn’t support mobile access for drivers, you’re essentially trying to race Formula 1 in a station wagon.

C. Compliance & Certifications

From IFTA reporting and driver log tracking to vehicle maintenance alerts and audit preparedness, any TMS worth its salt should help you with your FMCSA compliance efforts. Make sure the system can accommodate the documentation and endorsement requirements if you handle temperature-sensitive freight or hazardous products.

Additionally, find out if the supplier is certified under data security standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.). You are, after all, disclosing private client information and financial records.

D. TMS Integration

Integration cannot be negotiated, particularly if you are a carrier with several load boards or a freight broker utilizing TMS software for brokers. For freight brokers, an excellent TMS should:

• Connect to the main load boards (Truckstop, DAT)
• Link to accounting programs (Xero, QuickBooks)
• Connect to ELD providers
• Provide EDI or API choices to link to the shipper and customer platforms.

Everything just works when your systems communicate with one another: mistakes drastically decrease, data synchronizes in real-time, and loads move more quickly. Additionally, your team will appreciate that you spared them from copying and pasting content between platforms.

Top TMS software for carriers 

With the correct transportation management system, your fleet can track loads in real time, decrease manual labor, increase dispatch accuracy, and eventually grow your business without increasing your headaches.

1. LoadStop

It is a cutting-edge platform designed especially for fleet operators and asset-based carriers who wish to grow rapidly while maintaining lean operations. With automation, predictive analytics, and robust integrations, LoadStop puts you in control and optimizes operations, regardless of how many vehicles you’re managing, 15 or 500.

Important features include:

• Automation of dispatch driven by AI
• Integrations of real-time GPS and ELD with leading suppliers
• An iOS and Android native mobile app for drivers
• Integrated document capture, invoicing, and billing
• Combined maintenance and safety management
• API/EDI features for broker and shipper communication

Perfect For: Tech-forward operators seeking to do away with manual procedures and data silos, mixed fleets, and mid- to large-sized carriers.

What makes it unique: LoadStop blends sophisticated automation with a simple, unobtrusive user interface. It is made for quick deployment, contemporary integrations, and driver involvement, in contrast to legacy systems.

2. Truckbase

Small to mid-sized carriers who desire essential TMS features without the hassle or expense of corporate software might use Truckbase. It is renowned for both its robust QuickBooks integration and its user-friendly UI.

Important features include:

• Automated dispatching
• Scheduling of drivers and loads
• Uploading and storing documents (BOLs, rate cons, PODs)
• Providing customers with updates via email
• QuickBooks and accounting sync that works seamlessly

Perfect for: Carriers with fewer than 50 trucks seeking a dependable, user-friendly TMS that completes tasks efficiently.

What makes it unique: Truckbase avoids making things too complicated. It concentrates on features that small fleets genuinely utilize and are quick to implement.

3. Trucking365

A cloud-based, multilingual TMS software, Trucking365, is perfect for carriers with different teams or those operating internationally. It has a ton of features that keep dispatchers in compliance and ensure that freight moves efficiently.

Important features include:

• Driver tracking and updates in real time
• Tools for DOT and IFTA compliance
• Drivers’ mobile applications
• Support for multiple languages
• Scalable for regional dispatch teams

Perfect for: Carriers that need compliance solutions integrated with their dispatch process, especially those that operate across state or international lines.

What makes it unique: It is a great option for carriers with drivers who do not speak English or who have foreign logistics requirements because of its bilingual capability and compliance capabilities.

4. Tailwind TMS

Tailwind is a hybrid TMS that caters to both freight brokers and carriers, making it an excellent option for businesses that deal with a combination of the two. It has integrated CRM features, is cloud-based, and is adaptable.

Important features include:

• Management of load and dispatch
• Driver settlements and invoices
• CRM for customers and carriers
• Integrations between EDI and load boards
• Portal for mobile drivers

Perfect for: Family-owned fleets, small 3PLs, and hybrid carrier-broker companies.

What makes it unique: Tailwind fills the gap between broker TMS software and carrier TMS software, eliminating the requirement for two systems if you do both.

One size doesn’t fit all, but LoadStop does! 

​​Your fleet size, workflows, customer expectations, and financial constraints all play a role in selecting the finest TMS software for carriers. However, one thing is for sure: spending money on the correct technology can save money, save time, and keep your staff focused on expansion.

If you’re a carrier ready to embrace automation, streamline dispatch, and improve tracking, LoadStop is a top-tier platform that checks all the boxes.

With automatic dispatching, real-time tracking, seamless connectivity, and compliance built in, LoadStop provides all the tools you need, whether you’re running a 300-truck operation across borders or a 20-truck regional fleet.