When starting a truck brokerage company, it may sound like a good idea to use free Google software. Free is good, right? Start-ups always look for ways to cut costs to keep the overhead down. But when we’re talking about brokerage software and rate cons, free may be the last thing you want. You need a system to prevent the business from breaking down into chaos. Brokerage software produces rate cons. If it doesn’t, then there’s a problem.
Rate Cons
A rate confirmation is a legal document. It commits both sides to the transportation of goods – all the limits, restrictions, the pickup location and the destination. All the details are to be included in a rate con. From the trucker’s perspective, it’s what’s expected and the rate the job pays. For the shipper, it’s the explanation of their expectations – how their load will be handled and when the delivery is scheduled.
You don’t mess around with rate cons. Just throwing something into a Google Doc is the last way to handle a rate con.
It’s too easy to miss critical details
Not every load is handled the same way. If a shipper has a request for one shipment, that doesn’t mean their next shipment will have the same requirements. Omitting critical details will still create a legally binding agreement that could be used in a court.
So you set up a template. That’s good enough, right?
Maybe not. Depending on a template where you have to fill out all the details on the document. In these cases, it’s far too easy to skip data. Or place it in the wrong space – like switching the pickup and delivery locations.
So you build an entry form. Google can do that.
Yes, it can. And then what?
Data Usage
Once you put data into a Google Doc, what good is it to you?
Can you find the same shipper again? Or the rate paid for a previous shipment? Or any of the other details a rate con covers?
Google may be great at searching the internet. It’s not so good finding details inside your documents or spreadsheets. When you’re looking for an important document, don’t expect Google to find it inside your Google Drive or Google Workspace (which isn’t free.)
Why rebuild the wheel?
When you think about the complexity of a brokerage business, there are dozens of pieces of data that must be tracked – or be found again later. That kind of data requires a database program with the ability to search multiple ways in a variety of fields and quickly.
Let’s emphasize that “quickly.” Are you confident in your ability to search dozens of Google spreadsheets or doc files quickly? Time is money, right? You can’t waste time searching through one file at a time. You don’t make money searching files.
Brokerage software skips all that development time that should be used to cultivate new shippers or new drivers.
You don’t need to rebuild the wheel. You need to use it instead.
TruckingOffice Brokerage Software Produces Rate Cons
It’s that simple and at the same time, very complex. Using TruckingOffice Brokerage software, you have all the data you need at your fingertips. No more opening and closing dozens of Google files. Everything in TruckingOffice’s Brokerage software is already organized and available in a moment’s time through advanced search options of the database.
Organization is the key to running a freight brokerage business. TruckingOffice is the way to get organized and stay organized.
Give us a try today. Our free one-month trial will open all the features in our software package. You can try everything and discover how easy it is to start right away – the right way. Contact us today for your free trial of TruckingOffice Brokerage Software.
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