TMS · Small brokerages
The TMS for small freight brokers that vets every carrier it dispatches.
Loads, dispatch, tendering, invoicing and carrier pay in one system, with verification built into the same screen. You get what a growing brokerage needs without stitching three tools together, and an expired carrier can’t take your next load.
Pilot program open. Personal onboarding, direct line to the founders.
Verified carriers only
Is it time?
Signs you’ve outgrown the spreadsheet
Plenty of good brokerages start on a spreadsheet, a load board and email. It works until it doesn’t, and the moment usually arrives as a missed load or a late invoice rather than a decision anyone made.
- You can’t answer “where’s that load?” without asking someone.
- Invoices wait on paperwork nobody can find.
- Two people have different versions of the same sheet.
- Carrier checks live in one place and dispatch in another, so nobody can say for sure that the carrier on this load was checked.
- You know your revenue, but not your margin by customer or lane.
A TMS should fix those without a months-long project. You should be able to run a real load in your first week.
What’s included
What a small brokerage actually needs, on one login
Load building with a credit check
A customer-first load wizard shows credit exposure as you go, and can stop a load that goes over the limit.
A dispatch board with a live map
Drag loads through a pipeline of statuses. Driver positions update on the map without a refresh.
Tendering with no carrier login
Carriers accept, reject or counter from a secure link. Your tender pool is your verified, unexpired carriers.
Documents that generate themselves
Rate confirmations, dispatch sheets with the money stripped out, BOLs, invoices and NOAs, with e-signature on rate cons.
Invoicing and carrier pay
An invoice audit queue, batch invoicing with paperwork attached, AR and AP aging, carrier settlements and factoring workflows.
Tracking by text
Dispatch texts the driver a link. Check-ins, GPS and proof of delivery need no app, and your customer gets a no-login tracking page.
QuickBooks Online
Customers, invoices and payments sync, so your accountant stays in the system they already use.
Reports you’ll use
20 reports including profitability, lanes, on-time, carrier performance and days to pay, plus CSV and Excel export.
The company that verified the carrier also runs the load.
The difference
Three separate tools vs. one
| Question | Spreadsheet, load board, separate vetting | Happy Tactic |
|---|---|---|
| Was this carrier checked? | Look it up somewhere else | Shown on the load, and required to tender |
| Insurance lapses mid-month | You find out later, if at all | Alert, and new tenders are blocked |
| Where’s the load? | Call the driver | Text link, live map, customer tracking page |
| Getting the invoice out | Hunt for the POD | POD comes from the driver, invoice batches with it |
| Re-typing carrier details | Into each tool | Verify, onboard, dispatch, without re-typing |
Pricing
Plain pricing, by size of operation
- Regional, $299 a month. Full TMS, 15 verifications included then $15 each, 5 seats.
- Linehaul, $499 a month. 30 verifications included then $12 each, 10 seats, priority support.
- Fleet, $750 a month. 50 verifications included then $9 each, 15 seats, priority onboarding.
Extra seats are available on each plan. See the pricing page for the details.
Questions brokers ask
Straight answers.
What is the best TMS for a small freight broker?
It depends on your volume and how you work, so try the ones on your shortlist with real loads. For a small brokerage, look for dispatch, invoicing and carrier payment in one place, a QuickBooks connection, simple pricing and no heavy implementation. We built Happy Tactic for brokers who also want carrier verification enforced inside the TMS rather than bolted on.
How much does a TMS cost for a small brokerage?
Our full TMS starts with the Regional plan at $299 a month, including 5 seats and 15 carrier verifications. Linehaul is $499 with 10 seats and 30 verifications, and Fleet is $750 with 15 seats and 50. When comparing vendors, ask about setup fees, per-user fees and contract length as well as the headline price.
When should a freight broker move off spreadsheets?
Usually when loads get missed, invoices go out late, two people are editing the same sheet, or you can’t quickly answer which carrier has which load. If you’ve vetted carriers in one place and dispatched them in another, that’s a sign too.
Does it work with QuickBooks?
Yes. QuickBooks Online sync for customers, invoices and payments is live.
Do my carriers and drivers need logins?
No. Carriers accept tenders and sign rate confirmations through secure links. Drivers get a text link for check-ins, location and proof of delivery, with no app to install.
Can I bring my existing data?
Yes. Bulk import with a preview lets you bring in your data, and CSV and Excel export are available throughout, so your data stays yours.
Does the Hotshot plan include the TMS?
No. Hotshot at $150 a month is the verification suite only, for brokers who already run another TMS or don’t need one yet. The full TMS starts at Regional.
Run your next load on it.
Personal onboarding and a direct line to the founders while the pilot is open.