9 “They’re playing chess when others are playing checkers .” Trimble Transportation Your Official Small Carrier Playbook Thinking Ahead to Find Long-Term Solutions If you’ve heard that phrase before, you’ll know it’s not about the simplicity of checkers; it’s about the ability to play the more complicated game of chess. In both games, winning depends on making the right moves, but in checkers, the players are all the same, with the same abilities. Chess, on the other hand, involves a number of types of players with different capabilities, creating the need to think in several different and often changing ways. What makes that possible in a trucking or transportation operation is an approach that considers all the challenges, as well as the interacting moves needed to successfully address them. The variables that need to be considered, for example, are driven by the need to manage shipper, broker, partner and employee relationships all at the same time, and by understanding how a decision or move in one area impacts the others. With that goal in your sights, your primary concerns need to be how to apply effective practices for selecting and sourcing freight, and ways to set rates that provide the profitability needed to run your business and invest in its future. Just as important are to put in place effective operations, dispatch, routing, asset and driver utilization, equipment and maintenance, and safety and risk management practices. Not to be overlooked is that your employees are among your biggest assets, making hiring the right people and focusing on their satisfaction essential as well. In all of those areas, solutions can be found by employing the right tools and technologies to manage your business and foster your company’s growth. Chief among them is an advanced and comprehensive Transportation Management System (TMS). At its core, a modern TMS replaces time-consuming manual processes with automated practices, an important consideration for owners and operators of small carriers who often have too much to do and too little time to accomplish it. The vast breadth and scope of a modern TMS, however, offers much more. An all-in-one TMS goes beyond meeting daily business process needs by offering a performance-based solution that harnesses your company’s data. Choosing the right one gives small carriers the same intuitive and easy-to-use capabilities enjoyed by larger companies. Look for a highly scalable platform for growth. Through a variety of integrations, it can connect you to customers, partners, and drivers as well as add third-party capabilities designed to help manage various aspects of your business. A TMS also allows you to use accurate and actionable data to find and secure profitable lanes and loads. It is access anytime, anywhere structure provides the abilities you need to grow your business—successfully and profitably. The connected supply chain that powers North America’s 21st-century global economy is driven by trucking operations. A modern TMS takes advantage of the ability to access a community of partners, shippers and brokers, and even other carriers. It allows you to build direct relationships that keep your fleet productive, and your sales pipeline filled with profitable freight in any market condition.