Running an LTL (less than truckload) operation is complex. You’re juggling multiple pickups, deliveries, consolidation points, and dozens of shipments per truck. Unlike full truckload carriers that handle one customer per load, your dispatch team manages intricate routing puzzles every single day. The right LTL TMS makes this complexity manageable. But with so many options on the market, how do you know which features actually matter?
We’ve worked with LTL carriers for more than 30 years, and we’ve seen what separates efficient operations from chaotic ones. This checklist covers the essential TMS features that successful LTL carriers rely on daily.
Why LTL Carriers Need Specialized TMS Features
LTL operations face unique challenges that FTL (full truckload freight) carriers don’t deal with. You need to:
- Consolidate freight from multiple customers into single loads
- Calculate complex pricing based on weight, distance, and dimensional factors
- Manage cross-docking and freight transfers between terminals
- Track individual shipments within consolidated loads
- Handle frequent rate changes and accessorial charges
Generic trucking software or spreadsheets can’t handle this level of complexity efficiently. You need an LTL TMS built specifically for these challenges.
Core LTL TMS Features
1. Automated Rating and Pricing
This is where most LTL carriers waste the most time. Manual rate calculations are slow, error prone, and frustrating for everyone involved. An automated rating system can eliminate these problems while ensuring consistent, accurate pricing across your entire customer base.
Your LTL dispatch software should automatically calculate rates based on:
- Weight breaks and density factors – The system should adjust pricing as shipments cross weight thresholds
- Zone based or mileage based rating – Choose the method that works for your operation
- Dimensional pricing – Factor in cubic footage, not just weight
- Accessorial charges – Automatically add fees for liftgates, inside delivery, residential stops, etc.
The best systems let you create unlimited rate tables for different customer types, lanes, or service levels. The goal is to be able to quote a customer in seconds, not minutes. Learn more about how automated rating systems work
2. Advanced Consolidation Tools
Freight consolidation is what LTL is all about, but it’s also incredibly complex. Dispatchers need to consider weight limits, cube capacity, pickup sequences, delivery windows, and customer priorities all at once. Without the right tools, they’re either leaving money on the table with half-empty trucks or creating routes that waste fuel and driver hours. Smart consolidation turn this daily puzzle into a manageable, profitable process.
To do this, look for features like:
- Visual load building – See which freight fits together at a glance
- Cube and weight optimization – Maximize trailer space without overloading
- Multi-stop route planning – Plan efficient pickup and delivery sequences
Some carriers we work with have cut their empty miles by 15-20% just by using better consolidation tools.
3. Real Time Dispatch Board
When dispatchers can’t see what’s happening right now, they waste hours on phone calls checking driver locations, hunting for available equipment, and trying to figure out which shipments still need assignment. This reactive approach leads to missed pickups, delayed deliveries, and frustrated customers.
A good LTL TMS gives them a clear view of:
- Available trucks and their current locations
- Pending shipments waiting for assignment
- In-transit loads and their status
- Driver hours of service (when integrated with your ELD)
The dispatch board should update in real time as drivers complete stops or new orders come in. This eliminates the endless phone calls asking, “where’s my driver?”
4. Flexible Document Management
LTL operations generate mountains of paperwork. Your billing team spends hours tracking down missing BOLs, hunting for signed delivery receipts, and searching through email attachments. When a customer disputes a charge, finding the right proof of delivery can take 30 minutes or more. Organized digital document management turns chaos into searchable, accessible records.
Your LTL transportation software should:
- Attach documents to specific shipments automatically
- Generate BOLs and freight bills from order data
- Store POD photos from your mobile app
- Email documents to customers automatically
- Make documents searchable by order number, customer, or date
This feature alone can save your billing team hours every week. No more hunting through filing cabinets or email inboxes for that one missing proof of delivery POD).
5. EDI Integration for Major Shippers
If you work with large retailers or manufacturers, you probably deal with EDI (electronic data interchange). Your TMS should handle this automatically so you don’t have to waste time importing and exporting data from different systems. Each manual entry risks errors that lead to wrong addresses, incorrect quantities, or missed delivery requirements. For carriers looking to grow beyond small regional customers, EDI integration is the price of admission to work with enterprise shippers.
Essential EDI capabilities include:
- Automated order import – New orders flow directly into your system
- Status updates – Send pickup, in transit, and delivery updates automatically
- Electronic invoicing – Submit invoices without manual data entry
6. Customer Web Portal
Today’s shippers have been spoiled by Amazon-level tracking and expect instant visibility into their freight. A customer portal gives them self-service access to the information they need, while dramatically reducing your support burden.
Your portal should let customers:
- Track shipments in real time
- View and download PODs
- Access past invoices and order history
- Create order requests for new shipments
- Generate custom reports
7. Mobile App for Drivers
Paper-based delivery processes can create billing delays. Drivers come back with crumpled receipts, illegible signatures, and missing paperwork that holds up your billing cycle for days. A driver mobile app captures everything digitally at the point of delivery, speeding up your billing cycle and eliminating the paper trail that slows everything down.
Give your drivers the tools they need to work efficiently. A solid mobile app includes:
- Digital BOL capture – Drivers collect signatures on their phone or tablet
- POD photos – Snap pictures of delivered freight
- Real-time status updates – Drivers update shipment status with one tap
Going paperless improves accuracy and gets your invoices out faster. Some carriers cut their billing cycle time in half just by implementing mobile POD capture.
8. Robust Reporting and Analytics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Your LTL TMS should provide insights into every aspect of your operation. With powerful reporting, you can turn your data into actionable insights and improve your margins. Must-have reports include:
- Lane profitability analysis – Which routes make you money?
- Customer profitability – Are all your customers actually profitable?
- Driver performance metrics – On time delivery rates, revenue per mile
- Asset utilization – How efficiently are you using your fleet?
- Revenue and margin trends – Track your financial performance over time
The best systems let you build custom reports or export data to Excel for deeper analysis.
9. Integrated Accounting
Your TMS and accounting system should work together seamlessly. Your admin staff shouldn’t be typing order details into QuickBooks when that information already exists in your TMS. Integration eliminates this redundant work, speeds up invoicing, and ensures your financial records are always accurate and up-to-date.
Look for:
- Automatic invoice generation – Create invoices as soon as freight delivers
- QuickBooks or other accounting integration- Sync critical financial data automatically
- Accounts receivable tracking – Know who owes you money and for how long
- Driver settlements – Calculate pay quickly and accurately
- IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) reporting – Simplify fuel tax reporting
Manual data entry between systems wastes time and creates errors. Integration eliminates both problems.
10. Scalability for Growth
Your TMS should grow with your business. As you add trucks, customers, or new service areas, your software should handle the increased complexity without slowing down.
Ask potential vendors:
- How many trucks can the system handle?
- What happens to performance with thousands of orders per month?
- Can you add users without major cost increases?
- Is there a limit on the number of customers or orders?
You don’t want to outgrow your software in two years and start the selection process all over again.
Integration Capabilities Matter
No TMS exists in isolation. Your system needs to connect with:
- ELD providers (Samsara, Motive, Navistream) – Get real-time location and HOS data
- Accounting software – Keep financial records in sync
- Fuel card systems – Track fuel purchases automatically
- Warehouse management systems – If you operate cross-dock facilities
These integrations eliminate duplicate data entry and give you a complete view of your operation.
Making the Right Choice
Choosing an LTL TMS is a big decision. The right system will make your operation more efficient, more profitable, and less stressful to manage.
Start by identifying your biggest pain points. Is dispatch spending too much time building loads? Is billing taking forever? Are you losing business because you can’t quote rates quickly enough?
Look for a less than truckload TMS that directly addresses those problems first. Nice-to-have features are great but focus on what will make the biggest impact on your operation.
And don’t forget about support. Even the best software is useless if you can’t get help when you need it. Ask about training, implementation support, and ongoing customer service before you commit.
Ready to Upgrade Your LTL Operations?
The right LTL transportation software transforms how your business operates. You’ll quote faster, dispatch smarter, deliver more efficiently, and bill sooner.
If you’re evaluating your options, use this checklist to make sure you’re not missing critical features. Your operation is complex enough without fighting with software that wasn’t built for LTL carriers.
Want to see how modern LTL TMS features work in practice? Book a demo to see how Degama DTMS handles the unique challenges of less than truckload operations.
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