Efficiency Overhaul: Freight Broker Software That Automates Rate Quotes and Load Building

Keeping up with the freight market’s daily twists, turns, and disruptions has felt like holding on to the trunk of a palm tree during a hurricane — the wind gusts, the tree bends, and the freight brokers hang on for dear life while hoping the trunk doesn’t snap.

Volatility has been the defining characteristic of the global supply chain for years now. We’re way beyond the this-too-will-pass stage, and freight brokers have accepted that we’ve entered a new normal. But, amid the craziness of the pandemic, labor strife, geo-political issues, weather events, and other disruptions, brokers have lost something essential.

Efficiency.

If only they could recapture and sustain a high level of efficiency, brokers would be better equipped to deal with:

• Constant rate fluctuations.
• A persistent freight recession.
• Growing competitive in the industry.

The good news: Hoping for efficiency isn’t like tossing a penny into a well. There’s now freight broker software, designed for the challenges of the modern supply chain, that empowers brokers to regain the efficiency that’s ebbed away over the last four years.

That freight broker software is Beacon.

🔑 Automated Quoting Through Freight Broker Software: The Key to Fast, Accurate Rates

Getting fast, accurate rates would help boost efficiency for brokers, but doing so can be difficult without the right technology. This is where a business-as-usual approach can undermine a freight broker’s ability to survive and thrive in this new normal.

Once upon a time, obtaining freight rates was a relationship-driven business. Brokers would make phone calls, and the carrier representatives that they knew all too well would provide rates. Emails eventually replaced phone calls in many cases, but the emphasis on manual relationship-driven processes continued. In a period of relative calm and stability across the freight industry, this approach sufficed.

Not anymore.

In a more chaotic landscape (like the current one), there’s no time for phone calls. There’s not even time to manually churn through emails to search for rates and manage bookings. To succeed in the modern freight world, brokers need to achieve a new level of automation. Without it, speed and accuracy around rate quotes will be impossible to achieve.

At Axle, we designed Beacon to be freight broker software that delivers the automation, speed, and accuracy that brokers need in today’s freight world.

🚨 Beacon by Axle: Efficiency in a Dynamic Rate Environment

Our Beacon solution is freight broker software that brings unparalleled efficiency to a dynamic rate environment. When you add Beacon’s Integrated Sidebar to your inbox, you’re able to focus on what you do best while automating the rest. Here’s a look at three ways Beacon supercharges your team’s ability to make the best decisions and do more for your business.

1. No More Manual Data Entry

Load building is traditionally one of the most manual and time-intensive tasks for freight brokers. Beacon automates the load-building process by offering real-time visibility and dynamic adaptation. Rather than spending significant time load-building by hand, brokers enjoy access to precise, up-to-date information that ensures accurate decision-making and enhanced operational excellence in load management.

2. Get Quotes Instantly

As rates fluctuate, use the Integrated Sidebar to enjoy real-time visibility into the best rates for any given load. This process works in two ways. First, our platform integrates directly with whatever TMS and/or quoting tools you use. Second, our platform can also reach out to carriers to get quotes from them.

Amid the supply chain chaos of recent years, freight brokers have found it difficult to get the accurate, up-to-date information needed for optimal decision-making and peak efficiency. Beacon’s Integrated Sidebar helps you bring order to the chaos while creating the real-time visibility needed for your business to maximize its potential.

3. Sync With All Your Tools

Any product that promises to enhance productivity shouldn’t ask you to bounce back and forth between solutions and user interfaces. Connectivity is key to productivity, which is why Beacon integrates directly to your existing systems. This isn’t a platform for your team to spend months or even weeks learning — it’s a tool for them to add to the technology that already drives your business each day, empowering them to work faster and do more.

Beacon integrates directly with leading TMS, scheduling, and quoting platforms. Use Beacon’s Integrated Sidebar to bring data from across your shipper, carrier, and internal tools to your inbox.

⚡Supercharge Your Productivity, Build a Competitive Advantage

As a freight broker, you’re operating in a chaotic, competitive space right now. You don’t have the luxury of dedicating time to dated, manual processes that may or may not deliver the best results for your business.

With our Beacon freight broker software, you bring order to the chaos while establishing the competitive advantage your firm needs to grow. Beacon helps automate processes and streamline decision-making so that your team can do more and provide a higher level of customer service. Our customers are using Beacon to go through emails 10x faster and save 60% of their time — and you can enjoy the same advantages.

Get started by scheduling a Beacon demo now.