At Trucker Tools, we understand how valuable time is in your freight brokerage and logistics operations, which is why our software solutions can be integrated with some of the most popular transportation management systems in use today. Trucker Tools’ integration partnership with MercuryGate offers users of MercuryGate’s transportation management system the ability to view data from Trucker Tools’ real-time freight tracking platform, digital freight matching software and Book-It-Now® directly in the MercuryGate TMS. This integration partnership puts real-time load tracking and truck availability data at the fingertips of operations teams, empowering them to cover loads faster and provide the highest levels of customer service to shippers. The MercuryGate/Trucker Tools integration also allows you to automate the truck booking process for your internal teams and digitize the load booking process for drivers and carriers with Trucker Tools’ Book-It-Now®.
About MercuryGate, MercuryGate TMS
For the last 20 years, MercuryGate has been a leader in the field of transportation management for shippers, logistics providers, freight brokers, freight forwarders and carriers. The company, which was founded by supply chain professionals with real-world logistics experience, has been named a Top 100 Logistics IT Provider by Inbound Logistics and to FreightWaves’ FreightTech 100 list for several consecutive years in a row.
The MercuryGate TMS maximizes cost efficiencies for freight brokers and 3PLs by putting vendor data, scheduling, documentation, settlements, lane history, carrier awards, service metrics, historical data, carrier scorecards and other data on a single platform. You can use the MercuryGate TMS to streamline tasks, automate manual activities, increase productivity, maximize carrier utilization and reduce the risk of financial losses. Used in tandem with the MercuryGate TMS, MercuryGate’s business intelligence and analytics solution offers mission-critical insights and analysis to help you make better business decisions, while maximizing profitability. The TMS’ online carrier, supplier and customer portals promote self-service, while reducing the burden of email and phone communications with shippers and partners.
Real-Time Freight Tracking Integration Offers Consistent Visibility and Greater Efficiency
The integration between Trucker Tools’ GPS-based visibility platform and the MercuryGate TMS lets your team members view the locations of trucks and loads in real-time directly in the TMS. Trucker Tools’ real-time load tracking platform pings the trucker’s smart phone for a location update via the Trucker Tools mobile app every five to fifteen minutes, which means staff members are quickly made aware of delays and can proactively work to resolve them in real-time. Check calls can be reduced significantly with Trucker Tools’ freight tracking software. Check call reduction increases operational efficiency and frees up staff members to move more freight volume and cultivate new business.
Brokers and 3PLs that implement Trucker Tools’ load tracking software often are able to meet or surpass even the most stringent shipper visibility consistency and compliance requirements. With location updates available via the MercuryGate TMS every five to fifteen minutes, team members can provide accurate updates and ETAs to shippers with ease. The value that the Trucker Tools driver app offers drivers and carriers incentivizes use of the app and visibility compliance. The load tracking tool included in the Trucker Tools mobile app is just one of 17+ tools and features available to drivers. The Trucker Tools driver app also can be used by truckers to find the cheapest fuel, optimal routes, weigh stations, loads, truck stops, rest areas, overnight parking, grocery stores, truck washes, CDL legal protection and more.
Integration with Trucker Tools’ Digital Freight Matching Platform Narrows Capacity Searches, Boosts Operational Efficiency
The MercuryGate TMS also integrates with Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching software. Integration with Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching platform includes access to email parsing technology that lets your team members see the capacity updates that carriers send via email in the TMS interface. That means your team members don’t have to manually enter the capacity information that carriers send via email. Team members can view all capacity information in one place, which streamlines employee workflows. Team members can quickly view which trucks are available in specific lanes and gain insights on specific lanes with a few mouse clicks. They also can search for specific types of capacity by lane, date and other factors. The integration makes it easy for team members to search for and offer backhaul and repeat loads to carriers, as well.
When you use Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching platform to search for capacity, you reduce the time-consuming, manual tasks of calling or emailing carriers for truck availability updates. Most brokers and 3PLs who use the platform also can reduce use of load boards significantly. The result is that you can locate the right truck for the load faster than you can with manual methods. Greater efficiency around covering loads offers many of the same benefits that digital load tracking offers, including the opportunity to move more freight volume.
Automate Rate Negotiations with Carriers, Finalization of Bookings with Trucker Tools’ Book-It-Now®
With the integration between Trucker Tools’ Book-It-Now® and MercuryGate’s TMS, you can offer specific drivers and carriers the option to book your loads digitally via the Trucker Tools driver app or carrier software platform. Book-It-Now® automates the booking process for both you and your carrier partners. When a driver/carrier books your Book-It-Now® load, the transaction automatically is recorded in the MercuryGate TMS. At the same time, the driver/carrier dispatcher receives an automated email that confirms the booking and includes suggestions for reloads. Book-It-Now® also offers drivers/carriers the option to submit a rate quote to you via the Trucker Tools driver app or carrier software platform if they’re not yet ready to book the load.
Book-It-Now® helps you keep overhead costs in check by decreasing the time and resources required to finalize truck bookings. Using Trucker Tools’ Book-It-Now® also offers convenience to drivers and carriers. With Book-It-Now®, drivers and carriers can view and book your loads at times that are most convenient for them — not just during daytime hours when your staff members are available by phone or email. That convenience factor is a win for drivers and carriers, and can encourage them to move your loads again in the future.
To learn more about MercuryGate and its flagship TMS, visit https://mercurygate.com/tms-solutions/.
Read The One-Two Punch: Why Digital Load Tracking and Freight Matching Are Both Must-Haves for Brokers and 3PLs to find out why a comprehensive approach to digitization is a winning strategy for your business.
Schedule a free demo of Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching software, real-time freight tracking platform and Book-It-Now®.
