Freight Broker Terminology – 50 Terms Brokers Should Know

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out in the world of freight brokerage, understanding the industry-specific terminology is crucial for success.

This article delves into 50 essential terms that every freight broker should know to navigate the complexities of transportation and logistics effectively. From key regulatory requirements to advanced technological tools, we cover the vocabulary that will help you better understand the industry.

Below we explain the following:

The terms and their definitions
Why they’re important for freight brokers
How a freight broker Transportation Management System (TMS) can streamline each aspect for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness

Agent Management

Definition: Agent management in freight brokerage refers to the processes and tools used to oversee and support agents who handle freight transactions on behalf of a brokerage firm.
Why It’s Important: Effective agent management is crucial because it ensures that agents are well-supported, informed, and equipped to serve clients efficiently, maintaining high service standards and fostering strong client relationships.
How a TMS Can Help: A Transportation Management System (TMS) can facilitate better agent management through centralized communication tools, access to real-time shipment data, and performance tracking features. This helps in coordinating efforts, monitoring agent performance, and providing training and support based on real-time data insights.

API Connectivity

Definition: Application Programming Interface (API) connectivity involves the use of these APIs to enable automatic data exchange between different software systems, such as a TMS and other operational tools or external services.
Why It’s Important: API connectivity is essential for enhancing the functionality of a TMS by allowing it to seamlessly integrate with other systems like CRM software, carrier systems, or financial tools, thus providing more comprehensive service capabilities.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS with robust API connectivity can automate data transfer, reduce manual entry errors, and speed up processes like booking, invoicing, and tracking. It allows the TMS to fetch real-time data from carriers, update systems instantaneously, and provide more accurate information for decision-making.

Automated Order Entry

Definition: Automated order entry is a feature in many modern TMS solutions that allows freight orders to be automatically input into the system using electronic data interchange (EDI) or online booking platforms.
Why It’s Important: This automation reduces the likelihood of human error, speeds up the order processing time, and increases overall operational efficiency, which can improve customer satisfaction.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can streamline the order entry process by automatically capturing order details from emails, web forms, or integrated platforms, and populating the relevant fields in the system without manual intervention. This ensures faster and more accurate bookings.

Backhaul

Definition: Backhaul refers to the process of finding cargo for the return journey of a carrier or asset that has delivered cargo. It aims to avoid empty runs and maximize vehicle utilization.
Why It’s Important: Effective backhaul management can significantly reduce transportation costs and increase the profitability of freight operations by ensuring that vehicles do not return empty from their delivery destinations.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can identify and schedule backhaul opportunities by matching available loads with vehicles that are empty and ready to return. It uses historical data and routing algorithms to find optimal matches, thereby reducing dead mileage and fuel consumption.

Bill of Lading (BOL)

Definition: The Bill of Lading is a legal document issued by a carrier to a shipper, detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried. It acts as a shipment receipt when the carrier delivers the cargo.
Why It’s Important: The BOL is essential for logistics as it serves as a contract of carriage, a receipt for goods shipped, and can be used as a document of title for the goods, which is critical in legal disputes and insurance claims.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS simplifies the management of Bills of Lading by automating their creation and distribution. It ensures that the BOL is accurately completed according to the shipment details, helps track its status, and stores digital copies for easy access and compliance purposes.

Capacity

Definition: In the context of freight transportation, capacity refers to the volume of goods a carrier can transport at any given time. It encompasses the available space and weight limit that a vehicle or fleet can handle.
Why It’s Important: Understanding and managing capacity is crucial for optimizing asset utilization, reducing transportation costs, and improving service delivery times.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can enhance capacity management by providing real-time visibility into available transportation assets, enabling better planning and allocation of resources. It can also match load requirements with available capacity, ensuring that space is used efficiently.

Capacity Sourcing

Definition: Capacity sourcing involves identifying and securing transportation resources to meet specific freight needs. It includes negotiating with carriers to ensure that sufficient transportation capacity is available at competitive rates.
Why It’s Important: Effective capacity sourcing ensures that shippers can meet delivery demands reliably and cost-effectively, which is vital for maintaining supply chain continuity.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS facilitates capacity sourcing by aggregating data on carrier performance, rates, and availability. It can automate the bidding and contracting processes, help evaluate carrier suitability, and enable more strategic decision-making.

Carrier Compliance

Definition: Carrier compliance refers to adherence to agreed-upon standards and regulations by transportation carriers, including safety, environmental, and operational guidelines.
Why It’s Important: Ensuring carrier compliance helps mitigate risk, reduce potential legal liabilities, and maintain high service quality.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can track and report on carrier compliance by monitoring carrier credentials, safety records, and compliance with service level agreements (SLAs). This ensures that only qualified carriers are used for shipments.

Carrier Scorecard

Definition: A carrier scorecard is a tool used to evaluate and rank carrier performance based on various metrics such as on-time delivery, capacity availability, rate competitiveness, and service quality.
Why It’s Important: Carrier scorecards help shippers and logistics companies assess and optimize their carrier selections, fostering better partnerships and improving overall supply chain efficiency.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can help automate the creation and maintenance of carrier scorecards, providing dynamic feedback based on real-time data collection. This allows for immediate adjustments in carrier selection and negotiation strategies.

Cloud TMS

Definition: A cloud TMS is a web-based transportation management system that provides scalability, flexibility, and accessibility over the internet without the need for local installation or maintenance.
Why It’s Important: Cloud-based solutions offer cost savings on IT infrastructure, ease of integration with other systems, and enhanced data security and backup solutions.
How a TMS Can Help: A cloud TMS allows for seamless updates, global accessibility, and the ability to quickly adapt to changing business needs or scale operations without significant upfront investments.

Customs Brokerage

Definition: Customs brokerage involves managing the necessary documentation and procedures required for international shipments to clear customs. Customs brokers are licensed professionals who are experts in the entry procedures, admissibility requirements, classification, valuation, and the duties and taxes imposed on imported goods.
Why It’s Important: Customs brokerage is crucial for ensuring that all goods comply with a country’s regulations and laws regarding import and export. Efficient customs brokerage helps in avoiding costly delays, fines, and confiscation of merchandise, thus facilitating a smooth supply chain flow across borders.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can integrate with customs brokerage systems to streamline the process of international shipping. It can help in generating, storing, and managing the necessary documentation electronically, and ensure real-time communication with customs authorities. Additionally, a TMS can provide updates and alerts about changes in regulations, helping businesses remain compliant with international trade laws.

Deadhead

Definition: Deadhead refers to the condition when a carrier travels empty without any cargo after delivering or before picking up another load.
Why It’s Important: Minimizing deadhead trips is crucial for reducing fuel costs, lowering operational expenses, and improving the efficiency of transportation operations. It directly impacts the profitability of freight carriers.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can help reduce deadhead miles by optimizing route planning and suggesting backhaul opportunities, thereby ensuring vehicles are loaded for most of their operational time and routes are efficiently planned.

Demand Forecasting

Definition: Demand forecasting involves using historical data and analytics to predict future demand for products and services. In logistics, this refers to anticipating the need for transport capacities, warehouse space, and inventory levels.
Why It’s Important: Effective demand forecasting helps companies adjust their logistics capacity and inventory to meet future demands efficiently, thereby reducing costs and improving service levels.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can integrate with business intelligence tools to analyze trends and generate accurate forecasts, which aids in strategic planning and resource allocation.

Demurrage

Definition: Demurrage is a fee levied when cargo or freight containers are not moved out of a terminal or port within the allotted free time.
Why It’s Important: Demurrage charges can significantly increase the cost of shipped goods if cargo unloading and pickups are not managed efficiently.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can track the time cargo spends at ports and send alerts to manage pickups and deliveries more effectively, thus helping to minimize demurrage costs.

Dock Scheduling

Definition: Dock scheduling involves the management of loading dock appointments to ensure that trucks are loaded and unloaded efficiently.
Why It’s Important: Efficient dock scheduling is vital to prevent bottlenecks at warehouse facilities, improving turnaround times and reducing waiting charges.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can manage dock schedules by coordinating delivery appointments, ensuring that resources are properly aligned and available docks are utilized optimally.

Detention

Definition: Detention refers to the fees charged to shippers or carriers when freight trucks are held beyond the allotted time for loading or unloading, typically agreed upon in the transportation contract.
Why It’s Important: It incentivizes shippers and receivers to load and unload trucks quickly, ensuring that transport assets are utilized efficiently and carriers can maintain profitable operations.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can monitor detention times and automate the billing process for detention fees, as well as alert managers when trucks are at risk of incurring detention to prompt quicker action.

Digital Brokerage Platform

Definition: A digital brokerage platform leverages technology to connect shippers with carriers directly through a digital marketplace, bypassing traditional brokerage methods.
Why It’s Important: This platform increases transparency, reduces brokerage costs, and speeds up the process of securing freight, which can lead to more efficient shipping operations.
How a TMS Can Help: Integrating digital brokerage capabilities within a TMS can automate and streamline the process of finding and booking carriers, providing users with options based on cost, timing, and carrier performance directly within the system.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Definition: EDI is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard electronic format between business partners.
Why It’s Important: EDI provides a quick, reliable, and accurate means of data exchange, reducing the administrative burden and eliminating data entry errors.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS equipped with EDI capabilities can facilitate seamless communication between logistics partners, speeding up document processing like orders, invoices, and shipment notices, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Freight Audit & Payment

Definition: Freight audit and payment is the process of reviewing, adjusting, and verifying freight bills to ensure accuracy and compliance with the agreed-upon terms. It involves examining invoices for services rendered by carriers, comparing them to the contracted rates, services delivered, and ensuring that each charge is justified and accurate before making payments.
Why It’s Important: This process helps businesses manage their transportation expenses, prevent overbilling, and optimize their supply chain costs. Accurate freight auditing can also provide valuable insights into shipping patterns and potential cost savings.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can automate the freight audit and payment process, reducing the likelihood of human error and freeing up valuable resources. It can electronically match invoices with shipment records, flag discrepancies, and facilitate swift resolution. Furthermore, it can handle payment processing and record-keeping, ensuring that all transactions are accurately logged and accessible for future reference.

Integrations

Definition: Freight broker integrations involves the seamless connection of a TMS with freight brokerage operations to automate and streamline the communication and transactions between shippers, carriers, and brokers.
Why It’s Important: Integration enhances the efficiency of freight brokerage businesses by reducing manual data entry, minimizing errors, and speeding up transaction times, which can lead to better customer service and increased profitability.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can facilitate real-time data exchange between freight brokers and carriers, automate rate negotiations, provide shipment tracking, and manage documentation, all within a unified system, thus enhancing operational transparency and efficiency.

Freight Forwarder

Definition: A freight forwarder is an agent who acts on behalf of shippers to arrange the transportation of goods across international borders, handling all related logistics including documentation, customs clearance, and transport coordination.
Why It’s Important: Freight forwarders are crucial for navigating the complexities of international shipping regulations, ensuring that goods are delivered efficiently and compliantly across borders.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can streamline the processes handled by freight forwarders by automating customs documentation, optimizing shipment routes, and providing visibility into the transportation chain, which improves accuracy and reduces delays.

Freight Matching

Definition: Freight matching is the process of aligning shipper’s cargo needs with carrier’s transportation capacity. It involves finding the most appropriate load for a carrier’s vehicle considering factors like location, vehicle type, and route.
Why It’s Important: Efficient freight matching is vital for optimizing transportation resources, reducing empty miles, and increasing profitability for carriers while ensuring shippers get timely services.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can automate the freight matching process using sophisticated algorithms to suggest optimal load-carrier pairings based on real-time data, preferences, and historical performance, thus enhancing operational efficiency.

Freight Procurement

Definition: Freight procurement is the strategic process of sourcing and securing carrier services at the best possible rates to transport goods.
Why It’s Important: Effective freight procurement is crucial for minimizing shipping costs and ensuring reliable carrier services, which directly impacts the bottom line and operational success of logistics operations.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can provide comprehensive tools for conducting online bidding and carrier management, enable direct communication with carriers, and use analytics to assess carrier performance and cost-effectiveness, facilitating smarter procurement decisions.

Full Truckload (FTL)

Definition: Full truckload refers to shipping goods that fill up an entire truck, or when a shipment is large enough to warrant exclusive use of a truck.
Why It’s Important: FTL is important for shipping large volumes of goods as it minimizes the handling risks associated with shared shipping and can be more cost-effective and faster for suitable loads.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS optimizes FTL operations by selecting the best routes, managing schedules, tracking shipments in real-time, and analyzing transport data to reduce costs and improve service delivery.

Geofencing

Definition: Geofencing is a location-based service in which a software or app uses GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or cellular data to trigger a pre-programmed action when a mobile device or RFID tag enters or exits a virtual boundary set up around a geographical location.
Why It’s Important: In logistics, geofencing can enhance security, improve asset tracking, manage fleet operations, and automate entry and exit notifications for deliveries and pickups.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS with geofencing capability can automatically update the status of shipments as they enter or leave a geofenced area, send alerts to stakeholders, and generate reports for improved compliance and operational control.

Intermodal

Definition: Intermodal transportation refers to moving freight using two or more modes of transportation, such as trucks, trains, ships, or planes, without handling the freight itself when changing modes.
Why It’s Important: Intermodal offers flexibility, cost savings, and environmental benefits by combining the strengths of different transportation modes to optimize efficiency and reduce fuel usage.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can streamline intermodal operations by optimizing routes and schedules, tracking shipments across different modes in real-time, and managing the documentation required for each leg of the journey, ensuring seamless transitions and timely deliveries.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Definition: KPIs are quantifiable metrics used to evaluate the success of an organization or of a particular activity in which it engages. In logistics, common KPIs include on-time delivery rates, freight costs per unit, and inventory turnover rates.
Why It’s Important: KPIs help organizations assess the effectiveness of their logistical operations, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance performance.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS provides analytics and reporting tools that automatically calculate and display KPIs, allowing logistics managers to monitor performance trends, optimize operations, and achieve strategic goals.

Lane Pricing

Definition: Lane pricing refers to the cost associated with transporting goods along specific routes, or lanes, within a transportation network.
Why It’s Important: Understanding lane pricing helps companies manage shipping costs effectively and negotiate better rates with carriers.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can analyze historical data and current market conditions to provide accurate lane pricing information, enabling companies to choose the most cost-effective routes and times for their shipments.

Less Than Truckload (LTL)

Definition: LTL shipping is used for transporting relatively small freight or when freight does not require the use of an entire trailer. This method can combine shipments from multiple customers in one truck.
Why It’s Important: LTL is cost-effective for shippers because it allows them to ship smaller amounts of freight without paying for a full truckload, making it ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS optimizes LTL shipments by consolidating freight with similar routes, choosing the best carriers, and managing schedules and documentation, all while providing visibility and tracking capabilities.

Load Board

Definition: A load board is an online matching system where freight brokers and shippers post available loads so that carriers can find freight to transport.
Why It’s Important: Load boards help maximize truck utilization, minimize empty miles, and are vital for independent carriers and freight brokers to find and secure cargo efficiently.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can integrate with load boards to automatically post available loads and find matching carriers, significantly speeding up the process and reducing manual work.

Motor Carrier (MC) Number

Definition: An MC Number is an authorization that interstate motor carriers must obtain from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to operate legally in the United States.
Why It’s Important: It serves as a license for motor carriers and is crucial for compliance and regulatory purposes.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can help manage carrier documentation, ensuring that all carriers used comply with legal requirements, including having up-to-date MC Numbers. It can also alert managers to renewals and compliance issues.

Multimodal

Definition: Multimodal transportation refers to a freight shipment that involves more than one form of transportation, such as combining rail and truck, but unlike intermodal, may involve handling the freight during the changes.
Why It’s Important: Multimodal offers a balance of cost, speed, and environmental impact by leveraging the advantages of various transportation modes.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can provide solutions for multimodal shipping by coordinating and scheduling the different transport modes involved, ensuring smooth transitions between them, and maintaining visibility throughout the shipping process.

Operational Efficiency

Definition: Operational efficiency in logistics refers to the ability of an organization to deliver products or services effectively while minimizing waste and maximizing resource utilization.
Why It’s Important: High operational efficiency helps reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profitability by ensuring that operations run smoothly and resources are used optimally.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS enhances operational efficiency by automating manual processes, optimizing routes, managing inventory levels, and providing actionable insights that help prevent delays and reduce downtime.

On-Time In-Full (OTIF)

Definition: OTIF stands for “On-Time In-Full,” which is a metric used to measure the delivery performance of goods shipped to a customer as scheduled and is the complete quantity ordered.
Why It’s Important: Achieving high OTIF scores is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and trust, as it directly impacts the reliability of the service provided.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS helps improve OTIF performance by optimizing shipping schedules, routing, and carrier selection, ensuring that deliveries are made on time and in full, and providing real-time updates and adjustments as needed.

Performance Dashboards

Definition: Performance dashboards in a TMS context are graphical interfaces that display key performance indicators and metrics related to logistics operations.
Why It’s Important: These dashboards allow managers to quickly assess operational health, track performance against goals, and make informed decisions based on real-time data.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS provides customizable dashboards that can show data on shipment statuses, carrier performance, cost metrics, and other critical indicators, enabling proactive management and strategic planning.

Predictive Analysis

Definition: Predictive analytics in logistics uses historical data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on patterns.
Why It’s Important: It allows logistics companies to anticipate events before they happen, enabling them to take proactive measures to address potential issues and optimize operations.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS with predictive analytics capabilities can forecast demand, predict shipment delays, and optimize inventory levels, significantly reducing risks and increasing efficiency.

Proof of Delivery (POD)

Definition: Proof of Delivery (POD) is a document that confirms a recipient has received the shipment as described and is often acknowledged by the recipient’s signature.
Why It’s Important: POD is essential for verifying successful deliveries, resolving disputes, and facilitating accurate invoicing.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can capture digital PODs, including electronic signatures and time-stamped images, and store them securely, providing easy access for audit purposes and customer inquiries.

Quotation (Quote)

Definition: A quotation in logistics is a formal statement issued by a service provider offering to transport specific goods at a detailed cost.
Why It’s Important: Quotations are crucial for budgeting and decision-making in the supply chain, providing shippers with cost estimates for transporting goods.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS automates the generation of accurate and competitive quotes based on real-time data and can quickly respond to rate requests, helping businesses win contracts and plan budgets effectively.

Rate Confirmation

Definition: Rate confirmation is a formal agreement between a shipper and a carrier about the cost of the transportation services prior to the shipment.
Why It’s Important: It serves as a binding agreement that ensures both parties agree on the payment terms and service details, preventing future disputes.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can streamline the rate confirmation process by automatically generating rate confirmations once agreements are reached, ensuring accuracy and saving time.

Real-time Visibility

Definition: Real-time visibility in logistics means having access to up-to-the-minute data on the status and location of shipments throughout the supply chain.
Why It’s Important: This visibility is crucial for managing operations more effectively, enhancing customer service, and responding quickly to any issues that arise.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS provides tools and integrations with tracking systems that offer real-time updates on shipments, helping stakeholders make informed decisions based on current information.

Reefer

Definition: A reefer is a refrigerated shipping container used to transport perishable goods that require temperature-controlled conditions.
Why It’s Important: Reefers are crucial for maintaining the quality and safety of temperature-sensitive goods, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable items, throughout the transportation process.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can monitor reefer conditions in real time, ensuring that the temperature is maintained within the required range and alerting managers to any deviations that could jeopardize the cargo. It can also optimize the routing and scheduling of reefers to ensure timely delivery of perishable goods.

Risk Management

Definition: Risk management in logistics involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could negatively impact the supply chain.
Why It’s Important: Effective risk management ensures that potential issues are addressed proactively, minimizing disruptions and losses and enhancing the reliability and resilience of the supply chain.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can help in risk management by providing tools for disaster recovery planning, route optimization to avoid risky areas, and real-time alerts for quick response to incidents like traffic or weather disruptions.

Route Planning & Optimization

Definition: Route planning and optimization involve determining the most efficient routes for transportation vehicles to follow, considering factors such as distance, traffic conditions, delivery windows, and vehicle capacity.
Why It’s Important: Optimizing routes can significantly reduce travel time and fuel consumption, lower operational costs, and improve service levels by ensuring timely deliveries.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS uses advanced algorithms to automatically generate the most efficient routes and can dynamically adjust plans based on real-time traffic data, vehicle status, and customer requests, maximizing efficiency and responsiveness.

Tariff

Definition: A tariff in logistics is a published schedule of fees charged for the transport of goods, often varying by shipment type, distance, weight, and other factors.
Why It’s Important: Tariffs are essential for calculating the cost of shipping goods and ensuring that these costs are transparent and consistent.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can manage and automatically apply the appropriate tariffs during the billing process, ensuring accuracy in freight charges. It can also analyze tariff impacts on overall shipping costs, helping companies to optimize their shipping strategies.

Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

Definition: Third-Party Logistics providers are firms that offer outsourced logistics services to companies, which include anything from warehousing and distribution to freight forwarding and fleet management.
Why It’s Important: 3PL providers can help companies reduce costs, increase efficiency, and scale operations more flexibly by leveraging expertise and resources that may not be available in-house.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can integrate seamlessly with 3PL systems, providing visibility and control over outsourced logistics activities, enhancing collaboration, and improving data accuracy across the supply chain.

User Adoption

Definition: User adoption refers to the process and strategies involved in ensuring that end-users not only start using new technology or systems but also effectively integrate these tools into their daily workflows.
Why It’s Important: Successful user adoption is crucial for realizing the full benefits of new technologies, as it affects how well the features and functionalities are utilized to achieve business objectives.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can facilitate user adoption by providing an intuitive interface, comprehensive training materials, and responsive support. It can also offer customizable features that can be adjusted to meet the specific needs and preferences of its users, increasing satisfaction and utilization rates.

Volume Quote

Definition: A volume quote refers to a special pricing offer provided for shipping large quantities of goods that typically exceed the standard parcel or freight classifications.
Why It’s Important: Volume quotes are crucial for businesses that move large volumes of goods as they can significantly reduce shipping costs through discounted rates based on the higher quantity.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can automate the process of obtaining volume quotes from multiple carriers, allowing companies to quickly compare rates and choose the most cost-effective option. Additionally, a TMS can manage and track these quotes, ensuring they are accurately applied to shipments.

Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Definition: A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is software designed to support and optimize warehouse operations and distribution center management.
Why It’s Important: A WMS is critical for improving inventory management, optimizing logistics, increasing operational efficiency, and reducing costs within warehouses.
How a TMS Can Help: While a TMS primarily focuses on transportation management, it can integrate with a WMS to provide a seamless flow of information between distribution centers and transportation systems. This integration helps ensure that goods are efficiently managed from the moment they enter a warehouse until they are delivered.

Workflow Automation

Definition: Workflow automation in logistics involves the use of technology to streamline and automate the processes involved in the planning, execution, and monitoring of transportation operations.
Why It’s Important: Automating workflows reduces the need for manual intervention, decreases the likelihood of errors, and increases process efficiency and reliability across the supply chain.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can automate various logistics workflows such as order processing, shipment scheduling, and carrier communications. This automation not only speeds up operations but also provides consistent and reliable outputs that improve overall operational performance.

Yard Management

Definition: Yard management refers to the handling and movement of goods within the yard area (the space where goods are sorted, stored, and moved around a warehouse, distribution center, or manufacturing plant).
Why It’s Important: Effective yard management is crucial for minimizing delays in the loading and unloading of goods, optimizing space utilization, and improving overall warehouse efficiency.
How a TMS Can Help: A TMS can be integrated with yard management systems to optimize vehicle movements and dock scheduling. It can provide real-time visibility of trailer locations and status, enhance communication between yard trucks and dock doors, and ensure efficient movement within the yard.

Freight Broker Terminology – 50 Terms Brokers Should Know

Suggested Articles