Is your team spending more time chasing emails than moving freight?
For many small to mid-sized brokerages, that’s the reality. As business grows, so does the complexity—and the cracks in your workflow start to show. Manual processes that once worked now create bottlenecks. Margins slip. Communication gets messy. And worst of all, customers notice.
The right freight broker software can solve this—but only if your team uses it the right way.
Whether you’re just getting started with a TMS or trying to get more out of the system you already have, a few best practices can mean the difference between simply surviving growth and actually thriving.
Too often, freight brokerages either avoid using a TMS altogether or only tap into the basics. Load entry, a few tracking updates, maybe a report or two—and that’s it.
What’s left? Manual quoting, email chains for check calls, Excel sheets for commissions, and a billing process that eats entire afternoons.
Without a strong process behind the platform, the TMS becomes just another screen—not the central hub it should be. The result? Lost time, lost revenue, and a reactive operation that can’t scale efficiently.
If you want your TMS to drive real ROI, you’ve got to treat it like more than a digital filing cabinet. Here’s how top-performing SME brokerages use freight broker software to stay lean, fast, and profitable.
Don’t waste time retyping lane details from emails or spreadsheets. Automating load entry reduces errors and frees up your team to actually manage freight—not just enter data. Bonus: fast, accurate postings help you match carriers before competitors even see the load.
When emails, calls, and texts live outside the TMS, your team spends half their time tracking down what was said, when, and by whom. Port TMS centralizes communication so every quote, update, and document is easy to find and share—internally and with customers.
Your TMS should do more than log shipments. With real-time reporting, you can see which carriers perform well, where margin is being lost, and which lanes need attention. Use that data to negotiate better rates, optimize your routing guides, and win more repeat business.
Billing, document collection, check calls—these are prime candidates for automation. Port TMS lets you build workflows that keep shipments moving without your team pushing every button. Less busywork, fewer mistakes, and more time to build relationships.
A great system won’t help if only one person knows how to use it. Make sure your entire team is trained, aligned, and giving feedback. Regular process reviews help catch inefficiencies early and ensure your TMS evolves with your business.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to level up:
Not all TMS platforms are built with small-to-mid brokerages in mind. Look for a system that offers:
That’s how you move faster without burning out your team—or blowing your margins.
If your freight software is slowing you down instead of speeding you up, it’s time for a change.
Schedule a demo with Port TMS and see how modern freight broker software helps your team quote faster, automate more, and scale with confidence—without the chaos.