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Carrier & Brokerage Procurement Standard
Transportation Management System (TMS) RFP & Requirements Worksheet
The definitive vendor-neutral requirements specification designed for motor carriers, freight brokerages, and intermodal drayage operations. Contains 17 functional domains, 110+ technical line items, and an interactive scoring builder to evaluate vendor suitability without marketing hype.
Why Generic Software RFPs Fail in Freight Transportation
Most Transportation Management System RFPs downloaded from generic procurement websites are drafted for retail distribution centers or third-party enterprise shippers. They fail completely when applied to the operational grind of asset-based motor carriers, freight brokers, and intermodal draymen.
A carrier-grade TMS is not merely a database of orders; it is a real-time dispatch and financial clearinghouse that must simultaneously orchestrate live ELD Hours of Service clocks, automated weekly Department of Energy diesel fuel surcharges, driver split-mileage payroll, container demurrage deadlines, and EDI transaction loops.
Carrier + Brokerage + Intermodal Unified Operating Architecture
Modern freight enterprises frequently run hybrid business models. An enterprise TMS must unify asset-based dispatch, third-party brokerage, and drayage container tracking into a single ledger and database.
Multi-Company & Multi-Office Permission Structure
Enterprise transportation companies frequently operate separate legal entities (Asset Carrier EIN, Brokerage Logistics EIN, Drayage Terminal EIN) with isolated accounting charts but shared operational oversight.
Interactive TMS Evaluation Engine
The 17-Domain TMS Requirements Matrix
Filter requirements based on your fleet structure, score vendor responses, and export a finalized RFP document.
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Total Requirements
114
Mandatory (Dealbreakers)
48
Evaluated / Scored
0
Vendor Compliance Score
0%
1. High-Speed Dispatch & Operations DISP
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISP-01 | Single-Screen Order Building & Dispatch: Ability to create multi-stop orders, assign power/driver/trailer, apply tariffs, and dispatch without opening modal sub-windows or navigating away from the active dispatch board. | Mandatory | Exspeedite Fast Dispatch executes complete orders on a single high-performance board. | |
| DISP-02 | Multi-Leg Drop & Hook Management: Support for continuous relay moves, trailer drop-and-hook staging, and cross-dock terminal handoffs without creating orphaned order records. | Mandatory | Native support for shuttle runs, drop-trailer yards, and terminal handoffs. | |
| DISP-03 | Live Telematics & HOS Validation: Ingest real-time driver remaining drive/shift/cycle hours from Samsara, Motive, or Geotab and block/warn dispatchers before assigning illegal runs. | Mandatory | Direct ELD API sync with pre-dispatch drive time validation. | |
| DISP-04 | City Cartage & P&D Route Sequencing: Ability to sort local pickup and delivery stops by geographic zone, dock door, and delivery appointment window with instant driver mobile manifests. | Preferred | See City Cartage Dispatch Guide. | |
| DISP-05 | Continuous Trailer & Pallet Tracking: Real-time tracking of company-owned dry vans, reefers, chassis, and pooled CHEP/PECO pallet balances at customer docks. | Preferred | Automated pallet audit tracking and trailer drop ledger. | |
| DISP-06 | Automated Geofence Detention Logging: Auto-record arrival and departure timestamps using tractor GPS, calculating billable detention hours without manual driver paperwork. | Mandatory | Integrated with CheckPoint and ELD geofences. | |
| DISP-07 | Driver In-Cab 2-Way Messaging: Transmit stop addresses, pickup numbers, and seal requirements directly into driver tablet/ELD app with confirmation read receipts. | Preferred | Supports Samsara and Motive 2-way in-cab communications. |
2. Multi-Company & Multi-Office Architecture MULTI
6 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MULTI-01 | Multi-EIN Legal Entity Segmentation: Support multiple distinct operating companies (separate Federal EINs, DOT numbers, and MC authorities) inside a single unified TMS instance. | Mandatory | Native multi-tenant entity segregation with isolated AR/AP. | |
| MULTI-02 | Branch / Terminal Data Firewalls: Restrict dispatcher visibility by office or terminal (e.g. Chicago office cannot edit Minneapolis loads unless granted cross-terminal rights). | Mandatory | Granular role-based access control (RBAC) down to terminal/branch level. | |
| MULTI-03 | Intercompany Brokerage & Asset Clearing: Enable asset carrier entity to haul brokered loads tendered to the 3PL brokerage entity with automated intercompany settlements. | Mandatory | Eliminates double-entry between brokerage board and fleet dispatch. | |
| MULTI-04 | Centralized Executive Reporting: Provide consolidated multi-entity financial and operational dashboards with 1-click drilldown into individual corporate entities. | Preferred | Corporate roll-up metrics with entity-level profitability filters. | |
| MULTI-05 | Entity-Specific Document Branding: Separate logos, remit-to addresses, bank lockboxes, and terms on invoices, rate confirmations, and bills of lading per operating entity. | Mandatory | Fully dynamic document generation engine per corporate Tax ID. | |
| MULTI-06 | Multi-Currency Support (USD / CAD): Manage US and Canadian dollar tariffs, border crossing ACE/ACI manifest clearances, and currency conversion on settlements. | Optional | Configurable currency ledgers for cross-border operations. |
3. Freight Brokerage & Outside Carrier Management BROK
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROK-01 | Live Brokerage Hot Board: Centralized load posting board displaying unassigned brokerage orders, available carrier capacity, margin calculations, and carrier offers. | Mandatory | Exspeedite Hot Board connects directly with carrier dispatch queues. | |
| BROK-02 | 1-Click Carrier Accept Rate Confirmations: Transmit electronic rate confirmations to outside carriers via email with interactive 1-click accept links that lock the load. | Mandatory | Native Carrier Accept tool eliminates faxing and manual PDFs. | |
| BROK-03 | Automated Outside Carrier Tracking (App-Less): Track brokered drivers via SMS web links with GPS breadcrumbs and photo POD capture without requiring app store downloads. | Mandatory | Exspeedite CheckPoint runs directly in mobile browsers. | |
| BROK-04 | Carrier Safety & Insurance Verification: Automatic verification of outside carrier active operating authority, insurance expirations, and safety ratings before rate con generation. | Mandatory | Integrated with SaferWatch, FMCSA API, and MyCarrierPackets. | |
| BROK-05 | Real-Time Gross Margin & Split Commission Engine: Automatic calculation of load gross margin dollars, margin %, and broker agent commission splits upon booking. | Mandatory | See our free Brokerage Margin Calculator. | |
| BROK-06 | Quick-Pay & Factoring Settlement Management: Manage carrier payment terms (Standard 30-Day, QuickPay with % fee deduction, or Factoring Notice of Assignment routing). | Preferred | Automated factoring company NOA registry and quickpay discounting. | |
| BROK-07 | Load Board Integrations (DAT, Truckstop): 1-click posting and cancellation of loads to major freight load boards with automated rate crawling. | Preferred | Direct REST API posting to DAT One and Truckstop boards. |
4. Intermodal Drayage, Demurrage & Last Free Day DRAY
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAY-01 | Container & Chassis Tracking: Ingest ocean/rail container numbers, ISO equipment size/type (20/40/45/53ft), seal numbers, and chassis pool tracking (DCLI, TRAC, Flexi-Van). | Mandatory | Dedicated Intermodal Drayage engine in Exspeedite. | |
| DRAY-02 | Last Free Day (LFD) Countdown Clocks: Visual countdown timers displaying terminal Last Free Day deadlines with automated email/SMS escalation alerts at 48h and 24h. | Mandatory | Real-time Drayage Watch dashboard prevents rail/port demurrage fees. | |
| DRAY-03 | Trailer Interchange Receipt (TIR) Engine: Record equipment interchange conditions, in-gate / out-gate timestamps, fuel levels, and damage inspection notes at port/rail terminals. | Mandatory | Digital TIR gate move logs attached to container order master. | |
| DRAY-04 | Per Diem & Demurrage Tariff Calculation: Automated calculation of compounding daily storage and equipment detention fees based on steamship line contractual free-time rules. | Mandatory | See Definitive Intermodal LFD Guide. | |
| DRAY-05 | Street Turn Matching & Optimization: Identify opportunities to match an inbound empty import container directly to an outbound export shipper without returning to terminal. | Preferred | Street turn workflow eliminates unnecessary bobtail gate moves. | |
| DRAY-06 | EDI 322 Container Milestone Integration: Ingest automated terminal status events (discharged, mounted, in-gate, out-gate, on vessel) directly from rail and marine ports. | Preferred | Full ANSI X12 EDI 322 parser built into Exspeedite EDI suite. | |
| DRAY-07 | CargoSprint & Terminal Appointment Booking: Seamlessly integrate gate appointment confirmations and payment receipts into drayage dispatch schedules. | Preferred | Integrated drayage appointment tracking and fee pre-payment. |
5. Dynamic Tariff Rating & Fuel Surcharges RATE
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RATE-01 | Multi-Matrix Tariff Hierarchy: Support flexible rate lookup by point-to-point lane, 3-digit/5-digit zip code matrix, state-to-state mileage tiers, hundredweight (cwt), and flat rates. | Mandatory | Exspeedite dynamic tariff engine automatically resolves complex contract rating. | |
| RATE-02 | Automated Weekly DOE Diesel Fuel Surcharge Indexing: Automatically pull weekly EIA/DOE diesel fuel averages every Monday and apply custom customer peg formulas without manual recalculation. | Mandatory | Automated background sync with US Energy Information Administration. | |
| RATE-03 | Mileage-Based vs. Percentage Fuel Surcharges: Ability to configure customer tariffs with either cents-per-mile escalation or percentage-of-linehaul formulas on the same dispatch. | Mandatory | See our interactive DOE Fuel Surcharge Calculator. | |
| RATE-04 | Accessorial Auto-Rating Rules: Automatically calculate and append standard accessorials (stop-off charges, layovers, liftgate, hazmat, inside delivery, out-of-route miles). | Mandatory | Prevents accessorial leakage prior to customer invoicing. | |
| RATE-05 | Commercial Mileage Engines (PC*MILER / Rand McNally): Native integration for Practical, Shortest, Toll-Avoidance, and Hazmat highway route calculation. | Mandatory | Direct PC*MILER Web Services and ALK Maps engine integration. | |
| RATE-06 | Customer Contract Expiration & Escalation: Automated alerts when shipper contract lane rates approach expiration or renewal deadlines. | Preferred | Integrated with Freight CRM for contract repricing cycles. | |
| RATE-07 | Historical Lane Rate Analytics: Instant lookup of past spot and contract rate performance across origin/destination corridors to protect operating margins. | Preferred | Corridor intelligence assists dispatchers in quoting spot freight. |
6. Driver Settlements & Fleet Payroll PAY
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAY-01 | Split Mileage Formulas (Loaded vs. Empty): Automatically pay company drivers or owner-operators different rates per mile for loaded vs. deadhead/empty miles per trip manifest. | Mandatory | See Carrier Settlement Workflows. | |
| PAY-02 | Owner-Operator Percentage Pay: Compute contractor settlement checks based on a configured percentage of gross linehaul, FSC, or total freight revenue. | Mandatory | Configurable splits with exclusion rules for pass-through accessorials. | |
| PAY-03 | Fuel Card Advance Reconciliation: Daily automated FTP/API import of fuel swipes from Comdata, EFS, or WEX Fleet One with matching to driver trip manifests and auto-deductions. | Mandatory | Eliminates manual receipt entry and unauthorized fuel advance leakage. | |
| PAY-04 | Recurring Escrow & Lease Deductions: Multi-row recurring deductions for tractor lease payments, maintenance escrows, bobtail insurance, and IFTA tax holdbacks. | Mandatory | Maintains live escrow account balances with deduction caps. | |
| PAY-05 | Hourly, Detention & Stop-Off Pay: Mixed pay models supporting hourly city cartage, flat stop-off bonuses, verified detention pay, and layovers on a single pay period. | Mandatory | Directly matches geofenced driver hours to settlement line items. | |
| PAY-06 | 1-Click Settlement PDF Generation: Produce itemized settlement stubs showing trip details, deductions, fuel advances, and net earnings for driver distribution. | Mandatory | Drivers can download pay stubs directly in mobile driver portal. | |
| PAY-07 | Accounting AP Ledger Sync: Export completed driver settlement batches directly to Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online as vendor AP bills for direct deposit ACH execution. | Mandatory | Zero re-entry between dispatch settlements and financial accounting. |
7. Touchless Invoicing & Order-to-Cash O2C
7 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O2C-01 | Pre-Invoicing "Billing Readiness" Engine: Automated validation checklist verifying signed POD image is attached, accessorial documentation is present, and rating matches contract before billing approval. | Mandatory | See Order-to-Cash Blueprint. | |
| O2C-02 | Touchless Nightly Batch Invoicing: Automatically generate customer invoices for all verified deliveries every evening, pushing PDF invoices and POD documents to customer portals. | Mandatory | Reduces freight billing lag from 8+ days down to under 24 hours. | |
| O2C-03 | Automated POD Document Merging: Automatically merge compressed delivery receipts, signed bills of lading, and lumper receipts directly into final billing invoice PDFs. | Mandatory | Eliminates manual paper scanning and PDF stapling in the back office. | |
| O2C-04 | EDI 210 Electronic Invoicing: Generate compliant ANSI X12 EDI 210 freight billing sets with itemized charges, customer PO references, and linehaul details. | Mandatory | Supported natively across major retail and automotive trading partners. | |
| O2C-05 | Short-Pay & Dispute Tracking: Record customer billing disputes, short-pays, and accessorial rejections with audit workflows for operational review. | Preferred | Tracks dispute reasons to uncover recurring shipper billing friction. | |
| O2C-06 | Factoring Schedule Export: Generate compliant Accounts Receivable factoring schedules with linked POD verification files for immediate capital funding. | Preferred | Accelerates cash flow for carriers utilizing AR factoring lines. | |
| O2C-07 | Customer Statements & Aging Reports: Generate automated aging reports (30/60/90 days) with automated dunning email notifications to delinquent customer accounts. | Preferred | Directly compresses Days Sales Outstanding (DSO). |
8. General Ledger & Accounting Sync ACCT
6 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCT-01 | Direct Sage Intacct Integration: Native two-way REST API synchronization to Sage Intacct for multi-entity General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable. | Mandatory | See Sage Intacct TMS Integration Details. | |
| ACCT-02 | QuickBooks Online REST API Integration: Direct cloud sync pushing invoices, customer profiles, and carrier bills into QuickBooks Online without desktop middleware. | Mandatory | Robust REST synchronization tested across hundreds of thousands of transactions. | |
| ACCT-03 | Dimensional GL Account Mapping: Map freight revenue and carrier costs by fleet division, terminal location, equipment class, and line item accessorial code. | Mandatory | Provides exact departmental and lane profitability visibility. | |
| ACCT-04 | Zero Double-Entry Guarantee: Full operational and financial sync ensuring dispatchers and billing clerks never re-type addresses, invoice amounts, or reference numbers. | Mandatory | Eliminates clerical error rate and saves hundreds of hours annually. | |
| ACCT-05 | Credit Limit Enforcement: Real-time AR balance verification against customer credit limits, preventing dispatch on credit-hold shippers. | Preferred | Protects carrier cash flow from non-paying brokerage accounts. | |
| ACCT-06 | Audit Trail & Financial Immutability: Comprehensive timestamped change logs showing who edited rates, billing lines, or GL classifications for audit compliance. | Mandatory | Complete regulatory and GAAP financial audit readiness. |
9. ELD Telematics & Live HOS Validation ELD
6 Requirements| Req ID | Requirement Description | Priority | Vendor Compliance | Evaluation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELD-01 | Carrier-Neutral Telematics Support: Out-of-the-box API integrations for Samsara, Motive, Geotab, and Trimble/PeopleNet without proprietary hardware lock-in. | Mandatory | See Samsara TMS Integration. | |
| ELD-02 | Pre-Dispatch HOS Duty Clock Checking: Automated validation of driver remaining drive time, on-duty hours, and 70-hour cycle before dispatch commitment. | Mandatory | Directly prevents costly roadside FMCSA logbook violations. | |
| ELD-03 | Automated State Mileage Splits for IFTA: Transform continuous GPS breadcrumbs into audit-compliant interstate jurisdictional mileage reports. | Mandatory | See IFTA Breadcrumb Mileage Guide. | |
| ELD-04 | Automated Geofence Arrival/Departure Events: Instant stop status updates when tractors cross shipper or consignee facility boundaries. | Mandatory | Eliminates manual driver check-in telephone calls. | |
| ELD-05 | DVIR Vehicle Inspection Defect Logging: Sync pre-trip and post-trip Driver Vehicle Inspection Report defects directly into fleet maintenance hubs. | Preferred | Prevents dispatching equipment with red-tagged safety defects. | |
| ELD-06 | Live Highway Speed & Sensor Telemetry: Ingest reefer temperature sensor alerts, engine diagnostics, and rapid deceleration fault codes. | Preferred | Protects refrigerated food safety claims and engine longevity. |
10. Additional Core Modules (EDI, CRM, Portals, APIs, Security & Support) SPEC
Key Selection Criteria| Req ID | Functional Domain | Critical Requirement Specification | Priority | Evaluation Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDI-01 | EDI Protocols | Native support for ANSI ASC X12 204 (Tender), 990 (Response), 214 (Milestone Status), 210 (Invoice), 997 (Functional Ack), and 322 (Terminal Gate) with custom trading partner loop mapping. | Mandatory | See Exspeedite EDI Platform and EDI Dictionary. |
| CRM-01 | Freight CRM & Pipeline | Freight-native CRM with RFQ multi-lane rate quoting engine, 2-way Outlook/Exchange sync, first-load conversion tracking, and dormant shipper recovery radar. | Preferred | See Freight CRM Capabilities. |
| PORT-01 | Customer Pipeline Portal | Branded customer tracking portal where shippers view live load status, download signed PODs, review billing history, and tender orders directly without calling dispatch. | Mandatory | See Pipeline Shipper Portal. |
| TRK-01 | Outside Carrier Tracking | Mobile GPS tracking and digital document capture for outside carriers without mobile app downloads or costly third-party tracking subscriptions. | Mandatory | See CheckPoint Outside Carrier GPS. |
| MAINT-01 | Fleet Maintenance & IFTA | Preventative maintenance scheduling (PM-A, PM-B), 90-day trailer inspections, mechanics time clock, parts inventory, and automated quarterly IFTA tax filing. | Preferred | Integrated maintenance and shop management suite. |
| API-01 | Developer REST APIs & Webhooks | Comprehensive, well-documented REST APIs with real-time webhooks for shipment creation, status events, and document imaging. Zero proprietary black boxes. | Mandatory | See Transportation API Library. |
| SEC-01 | Cloud Security & Reliability | Encrypted data at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3), continuous automated database snapshots, SOC-2 compliant hosting, and 99.9% uptime SLA. | Mandatory | See Exspeedite Cloud Infrastructure. |
| IMPL-01 | Turnkey Implementation & Support | On-site go-live assistance by experienced freight systems architects (not outsourced generalists), historical database migration, and live telephone dispatch support. | Mandatory | Exspeedite has provided dedicated carrier support since 2008. |
5 TMS Vendor Evaluation Red Flags Transportation Executives Must Watch For
During formal vendor demonstrations, software sales reps will steer you toward pre-scripted slide decks. Demand live testing with your messy freight scenarios to avoid these costly procurement traps:
Red Flag 1: Hidden Transaction & Tracking Fees
Beware of vendors offering low upfront seat licenses only to charge hidden per-load fees for EDI document translation, mobile tracking links, or API calls. Inquire about total cost of ownership across your full annual load volume.
Red Flag 2: The "Multi-Window" Dispatch Maze
If a dispatcher must switch between 6 different windows, click 20 times, and wait for slow page reloads to assign a single load, dispatch ergonomics will crumble during high-volume peak freight periods.
Red Flag 3: App Fatigue on Brokered Drivers
Systems requiring outside carrier drivers to download proprietary mobile apps from the App Store suffer from 70%+ driver compliance drop-off. Insist on app-less mobile tracking links like CheckPoint.
Red Flag 4: Manual Accounting Export Files
If accounting integration consists of exporting messy CSV spreadsheets and manually importing them into Sage Intacct or QuickBooks, you will maintain billing lag and human data entry errors indefinitely.
Red Flag 5: Venture-Backed Startup Instability
Many recent venture-backed freight software startups burn investor capital, alter pricing radically, or pivot products. Verify company longevity, private ownership, and carrier roots before entrusting your core operations.
Frequently Asked Questions: TMS RFP & Software Evaluation
How do I build an effective RFP for transportation management software (TMS)?
An effective TMS RFP organizes functional requirements across operations, dispatch, rating, billing, driver settlements, safety, and accounting integrations. It rates each capability as Mandatory, Preferred, or Optional, requiring vendors to demonstrate native software capabilities with live freight scenarios rather than scripted sales slides.
What are the essential requirements for motor carrier dispatch and fleet management?
Core requirements include single-screen multi-leg split dispatching, live ELD Hours of Service (HOS) duty clocks, drag-and-drop tractor/trailer assignment, mobile outside-carrier tracking links (CheckPoint), automated fuel surcharge calculations, and 1-click invoice generation directly tied to operational records.
How does the EXSPEEDITE interactive TMS RFP evaluation matrix work?
The worksheet evaluates 114 specific functional capabilities across 17 operational categories. Evaluators can filter by priority, score vendor compliance (Meets Native, Custom Scripting, Partner Add-on, Not Supported), calculate live percentage scores, and export the completed matrix to CSV.
Can I export this TMS requirements worksheet to CSV for my evaluation committee?
Yes. Clicking "Export Matrix to CSV" generates a clean comma-separated file including requirement IDs, descriptions, priority badges, selected vendor compliance ratings, and evaluator notes for easy import into Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Put EXSPEEDITE to the Test Against This RFP Specification
Our transportation systems architects will review your lanes, equipment configurations, and accounting software, demonstrating native capabilities live on your operational workflows.