The transportation market is currently served by two distinctly different and clearly delineated transportation execution software platform types, Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Carrier Management Systems (CMS).

TMS serves the shipper/retailer/3pl community with emphasis on managing the for-hire LTL and TL shipment execution workflow. Standard workflow begins with integration to an ERP or order management system and includes rating against carrier contracts, optimization (consolidation & multi-stop routing), carrier selection, tender, track and trace.

CMS serves the transportation asset managing community including carriers, fleet managers, and asset managing 3pls. Workflow begins when the asset manager gets visibility to a pickup or delivery and typically includes dispatch functionality, asset maintenance & management functionality, routing and schedule optimization, and tracking and verification of final delivery/domiciling. Systems that support field service and courier dispatch and routing may also be considered CMS from this perspective.

FreshStart Logistics believes that there is a real and huge opportunity to bridge the gap between these two systems. Many shipments delivered in the U.S. are tracked by both a TMS (tracking the shipment) and a CMS (tracking the asset’s execution of its work). FreshStart Logistics is uniquely well positioned and uniquely capable of delivering substantial efficiency gains, and enabling new Demand Response business models by bridging the gap between these systems.

FreshStart Logistics is the perfect vehicle to enable organizations to begin to reconcile differences in perspective between fleet and shipment management. This new broader perspective will drive a new wave of supply chain efficiency by enhancing visibility, control, and intelligence between the transportation service provider and the shipper.