Global Transportation Management Solutions to Strengthen Your Supply Chain

Transportation management is the process of planning, executing, tracking, and optimizing the movement of goods across carriers and transportation modes. A transportation management system (TMS) is a centralized platform that helps organizations manage these activities with consolidated, efficient workflows.

A TMS helps businesses plan, execute, track, and optimize freight movements from a single platform. By connecting transportation workflows, carrier networks, and real-time shipment data, a TMS can help reduce costs, improve visibility, automate manual processes, and strengthen customer service across the supply chain.

The cost of a transportation management system (TMS) varies based on factors such as shipment volume, transportation modes, geographic scope, and the capabilities required. Pricing models differ by provider and may be based on subscriptions, transactions, licenses, or a combination of factors. Learn more about TMS pricing models and the factors that influence cost.

The results of a TMS are often measured through lower transportation costs, improved service levels, greater visibility, and increased operational efficiency. These improvements are quantified using KPIs such as freight spend, on-time performance, shipment tracking accuracy, exception resolution times, and labor hours saved through automation. Together, these metrics demonstrate how a TMS can transform transportation from a cost center into a strategic business advantage.

A TMS can help organizations advance sustainability initiatives by providing greater visibility into transportation-related emissions and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency. By analyzing shipment data such as transportation mode, distance traveled, shipment weight, and fuel consumption, businesses can track carbon emissions, support sustainability reporting requirements, and make more informed decisions that reduce environmental impact across their transportation network.

Yes. Real-time visibility solutions can be deployed as standalone platforms or integrated with a TMS. While standalone visibility solutions provide shipment tracking, predictive ETAs, exception management, and real-time freight insights, a TMS-integrated solution can extend those capabilities across planning, execution, customer communications, and performance management workflows to create a more connected transportation operation.

Real-time freight visibility provides transportation teams with a live view of shipment status, location, estimated arrival times, and transportation events that may impact delivery performance. Visibility solutions like Descartes MacroPoint™ help organizations track freight across carriers and modes, improve customer communications, strengthen service reliability, and make faster, more informed transportation decisions.

The right TMS should align with your transportation requirements, business goals, and growth plans. When evaluating providers, consider factors such as functionality, scalability, connectivity, visibility, security, implementation approach, and long-term support to ensure the solution can adapt as your business evolves. Learn more in the TMS buyer's guide.