Regardless of how big (or small) your company is, cutting costs, improving delivery times and maintaining high customer satisfaction are bound to be at the top of your list of priorities. Luckily, working with a trusted third-party logistics (3PL) provider like GlobalTranz can help you to reach all these goals and more and allow you to focus on growing your business. And not only will a 3PL partner connect you with top carriers and support you throughout all your supply chain processes, but they should also provide access to a transportation management system (TMS) to facilitate your multimodal freight shipping.
What is a TMS?
A TMS, or transportation management system, is an operating platform that helps shippers and agents plan and manage shipments. While a good TMS will help you streamline and organize your shipping processes, a great TMS will help you improve transportation efficiency, control costs  and grow your business by providing end-to-end supply chain visibility, critical business insights and helpful process automation.
Partnering with a 3PL that offers efficient TMS managed shipping will help you:
- Gain control of your shipping costs and logistics operations
- Quote and load tender across all shipping modes
- View real-time statistics about your supply chain
- Access top rates from a proven network of carriers
- Manage all your logistics in one convenient location
- Store and organize records and invoices on one platform
- Automate your work flow and additional management processes
Benefits of Transportation Management for Multimodal Shipping
A TMS can help you manage your multimodal freight shipping in a variety of ways - like comparing rates, accessing centralized billing and gaining real-time insights into your supply chain.
Compare rates across all modes
When shipping multimodal freight, you've most likely done your research on affordable and effective transportation modes. But did you know that a 3PL can use their combined buying power to grant you access to top rates you may not have been able to get on your own? A TMS will allow you to instantly compare rates across all modes and carriers so you can make sure that you're getting the most bang for your buck.
Access Consolidation Benefits
It's no secret that multimodal shipping is a great way to save money, but it's also an effective way to cut down on cargo damage and highway congestion and increase energy savings.
Access centralized invoicing
Multimodal shipping involves the use of multiple carriers across two or more modes, all detailed in one bill of lading (BOL). Not only will a TMS help you accurately craft and safely store your BOL, but it also provides you access to one centralized document management page. This means that you can pay invoices and manage your books for all your carrier partners from one convenient TMS platform.
Get real-time reports and analytics
Perhaps one of the most helpful tools offered by a trusty TMS is the real-time reporting it can provide. Access to a business intelligence dashboard for  actionable business efficiencies and insights will help you identify efficiencies and hurdles as they arise, and maximize your productivity. Add in scalable integration solutions and you've got the perfect recipe for taking your business to new heights.
Intermodal vs. Multimodal vs. Single Mode Shipping
Of course, full-featured TMS software can help with more than just your multimodal shipments. To determine which shipping methods are right for you, here's how a TMS can help you manage additional shipping modes:
Intermodal and Multimodal Shipping
Where multimodal shipping requires a single BOL that includes multiple carriers and modes, intermodal shipping requires a separate BOL for each mode utilized to transport a shipment. A TMS can help you keep these BOLs organized and provide you with one comprehensive invoice to help simplify your freight shipping experience.
Single Mode Shipping
Single mode shipping, on the other hand, involves only one shipping mode. These shipments are typically transported via trucks, as trucks are most often used for package pickup and delivery. A TMS can help you obtain quotes and book shipments for all your single-mode freight transportation needs.
Industry-leading 3PL Transportation Management from GlobalTranz
At GlobalTranz, we know that logistics strategy starts long before a package is picked up from your facility. That's why we offer best-in-class shipper support from a team of dedicated logistics professionals and a full suite of tools and resources, like GlobalTranz TMS. Whether simple or complex, supply chains should be transparent and easy to manage. With GlobalTranz, we take the guess work out of multimodal freight shipping and more, allowing you to focus on what really matters. Connect with an expert today to see how GlobalTranz can transform your company's logistics.