Load Board Integrations
What is Load Board Integrations?
Load Board Integrations connects TMS.ai directly to platforms like Truckstop.com, letting you pull available loads into your system without manual data entry. When you find a load on the board that matches your lanes and capacity, you import it with one click instead of copying details field by field into your TMS. The integration handles the translation between the load board's format and your system's order structure.
For carriers looking to fill empty miles or brokers sourcing capacity through load boards, this feature removes the friction between finding freight and getting it into your operation. You're working in your TMS where you track everything else, not constantly switching between the load board interface and your own system to move information back and forth.
How Load Board Integrations works:
1. Connect your load board account to TMS.ai. Access the Load Board integration from the main dashboard prompt or through the More menu. Follow the authentication flow to link your Truckstop.com account with TMS.ai. This one-time connection setup authorizes the platform to access your load board account and pull load details on your behalf. No separate login required after initial authentication.
2. Browse available loads from within TMS.ai. Once connected, access the load board directly through the platform interface. Navigate to an empty board where you want to import loads from Truckstop. View available freight using the load board's search and filter tools, but from within your TMS environment rather than switching to a separate website.
3. Select loads to import into your system. When you find a load that fits your operation, initiate the import process. The integration currently supports importing one load at a time, allowing you to selectively bring in only the freight that makes sense for your capacity and lanes. Enter the Load ID for the freight you want to add to your TMS.
4. System creates order record with load board details. TMS.ai imports the load information and generates a new order record pre-filled with pickup location, delivery location, dates, times, commodity details, and rate information from the load board. The order appears in your Orders module just like manually entered freight, with all the standard TMS functionality available (document generation, tracking, invoicing).
5. Verify imported information and complete order setup. Navigate to the Orders section to review the imported load details. Confirm that pickup and delivery addresses, times, commodity information, and rates transferred correctly. Add any additional information required by your operation (customer references, special instructions, internal tags) that wasn't included in the load board listing.
6. Proceed with standard dispatch and fulfillment workflow. Once the load board freight is in your system as an order, handle it like any other shipment. Assign it to a driver if you're a carrier, dispatch it to your network if you're a broker, generate BOLs and rate confirmations, track status updates, and invoice upon completion. The load board origin doesn't change how you manage the freight operationally.
What it means for you:
Finding freight on a load board no longer means you're facing ten minutes of data entry to get it into your system. You make the decision to book the load, click import, and you're dispatching it. For carriers bidding on multiple loads to build efficient routes, speed matters because good loads get covered quickly.
The integration particularly helps smaller operations that rely heavily on load boards but can't justify dedicated staff just to transfer load information into their TMS. Your dispatcher or owner-operator can source freight and manage operations from one place instead of juggling multiple systems throughout the day.