Revolutionizing Rate Quotes: The Future of Freight Broker Financials

A shipment’s history begins long before the truck pulls away from the loading dock. The freight journey actually begins with the rate quote, which has been revolutionized by Axle Technologies’ Beacon freight broker software.

😱In a Fast-Moving Industry, Manual Quoting Comes with a High Cost

In the fast-moving supply chain world, manual rate quoting processes are simply too slow. Manual rate quoting also is inefficient and can lead to inaccuracies. More importantly, manual rate quoting can come with a high cost: the loss of business due to those inefficiencies and inaccuracies as well as customer frustration.

A DAT white paper, “Pricing 101 for Freight Brokers,” pointed out that “calculating prices manually requires quite a bit of work. It’s not impossible, but it takes time and patience – and it can quickly get out of hand as your brokerage grows. After all, you’ll need to calculate rates for every potential shipment. While it’s doable if you work with just a few shippers and carriers daily, scaling up manual processes will be extremely difficult, making growth more challenging.”

Beacon helps freight brokers move fast, scale rapidly, and grow their businesses by eliminating manual processes, beginning with the quick quote tool that instantly responds with rate quotes for loads.

👩‍💻Smart Shippers Turn to Technology to Revolutionize Rate Quoting

“As a freight broker, you have a lot of work on your plate. Not only are you connecting shippers’ loads to quality carriers and handling logistics, but you also have to keep your customers informed and satisfied every step of the way,” the DAT white paper said. “On top of that, you need to determine appropriate prices for your services, which is easier said than done. After all, you want to make a profit, but you also need to set rates that seem appealing to carriers and shippers.”

With Beacon, freight brokers can quickly generate rate quotes by pulling data from their trusted tools, such as DAT, Greenscreens.ai, or FreightWaves SONAR, and then add margins based on their companies’ standard practices.

Beacon’s quick quote feature enhances efficiency and enables prompt decision-making in the load-booking process. Ultimately, that improves customer satisfaction and operational performance.

Beacon’s auto-respond feature efficiently handles quote requests coming in via email. In other words, Beacon can deal with a multitude of quote requests all at once.

All of this takes place within the Beacon users platform, allowing freight brokers to access unprecedented efficiency without an overhaul to their tech stack.

🎯Beyond Rate Quoting: Holistic Optimization for Freight Brokers

No back-office process exists in a silo. With Beacon, brokers can revolutionize their operations holistically, ensuring maximum efficiency in all aspects of freight operations. Beacon enables freight brokers to:

• Quickly verify and onboard customers and carriers.
• Instantly build loads and do away with manual data entry.
• Accelerate pickup and drop-off appointment scheduling.
• Automate customer and carrier track and trace updates.
• Manage and focus time on real problems.

More specifically, Beacon’s revolutionary tools enable at-a-glance assessments, integrated load building, and streamlined appointment scheduling.

At-a-glance Assessments

Beacon’s integrated sidebar consolidates load information from multiple platforms into one interface, streamlining data management for brokers. By intelligently presenting essential load details, brokers can make informed decisions quickly, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the time spent navigating various systems.

Integrated Load Building

With Beacon, brokers can instantly input load details into their transportation management systems (TMSs) directly from the platform, eliminating manual data entry. This automation accelerates the load booking process, reduces errors, and frees up valuable time for brokers to focus on strategic tasks, ultimately optimizing operational workflows and improving productivity.

Streamlined Appointment Scheduling

Beacon facilitates seamless load scheduling and, if necessary, rescheduling, allowing brokers to manage appointments effortlessly. By streamlining appointment logistics, brokers can ensure timely pickups and deliveries, minimize disruptions, and enhance customer satisfaction. This efficient scheduling process contributes to smoother operations and optimized financial performance for freight brokers.

🌠Beacon’s Quick Rate Quotes Help Freight Brokers Move Fast

Providing your team with Beacon is like giving your freight brokers superpowers. While they may not be able to move faster than a speeding bullet, they will be able to go through emails 10 times faster with workflow automation specifically designed for logistics.

Beacon helps freight brokers move faster at every step of the life cycle of a load through its:

• Smart sidebar.
• Quick quotes.
• Load building.
• Appointment scheduling.
• Track and trace.
• Smart replies.

Automating your back office can set your business on track to grow fast. With Beacon, you can scale up seamlessly, save time for your team, cut costs per load, and exceed customer relationships.

Book a Beacon demo today.

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