Aah, so you have decided to start a trucking company! Great idea! Whether you own one truck or a large fleet, there’s a good chance that you have considered getting a trucking management software (TMS) to optimize operations. The reason why you need one is apparent; it will deliver cost benefits at practically all levels of the company, from legal compliance to truck maintenance and everything in between.
Like almost every other person starting, however, you’re wondering why you should get a paid TMS system while you can save money with free software. If that’s you, stay tuned as we objectively and more thoroughly explore what steals the show between a free and paid trucking TMS software.
Scalability
Being the growth-oriented trucking entrepreneur you are, you dream to one day own tens or even hundreds of trucks. So you want the trucking management you use to scale up as your fleet grows. This is not a functionality that many free and open-source software support.
On the other hand, any paid TMS system will offer a wide range of packages. These may run the gamut from small scale (for 1 or 2 vehicles) to enterprise editions that support an unlimited number of trucks. That means you can easily scale a paid solution without having to migrate or incur other costs.
Reliability
With trucking management software, reliability is a major concern. That’s why you need a software that you can trust with vital data about your business. More importantly, you need one that will give you the peace of mind knowing that it is solving your business and that there’s someone who stands behind it. That’s what you get with any paid solution.
With a free trucking TMS software, however, no one is ready to back whatever is offered to you. Even worse, there’s no accountability for anything that goes wrong with the system.
Customer Support
If you are just getting started in the trucking industry, it’s likely that you’ll need help at one point or another. Either during customizations, adding new components, adjusting to help scale, upgrading, or managing the system.
Cost
You might be tempted to see a free TMS as a worthy alternative to a paid solution. But if you’re familiar with the common phrase, “cheap is expensive,” then you already know that free TMS is almost always synonymous with lousy output. Your solution will be low on the feature list. In spite of the software being absolutely free, costs might skyrocket significantly should you experience scalability issues or fail to get support when needed most.
Therefore, keep in mind that price is an essential factor in the purchase of trucking management software. In many cases, a paid subscription will offer more than you’re paying for.
Verdict
To wrap it up, what you choose is a matter of tradeoffs. It all comes down to what individually suits you best. If you’re on a pretty tight budget and don’t need the advanced features that come with a paid TMS system, free is your best bet. However, if you have high regard for efficiency and savings, then consider a paid software.
TruckingOffice
If you’re looking for a TMS system that will help you with dispatch, accounting, document management, IFTA and IRP reporting, load bidding, fleet maintenance, and more, TruckingOffice PRO is all you need.
Not ready for a paid subscription? We understand. Just sign up for a free trial and discover just how much you are missing.
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