The new cloud-based release of Descartes Systems Group’s Transportation Management suite covers off small-package shipping, fleet routing, mobile applications, and telematics.

The Descartes global user group steering committee worked closely with the Ontario-based company to help create a ‘closed-loop’ transportation management system that optimizes and executes shipments and tracks deliveries.

As part of the company’s Logistics Technology Platform, the suite is said to be ideal for organizations with private fleets, small package shipments, or complex execution challenges.

Capabilities include common carrier or fleet selection made through bi-directional planning with flexibility to allow either the contract-carrier planner or private-fleet planner to drive the decision-making process and manage over-capacity exceptions. Fleet plans are made using complex and detailed street-level, optimized fleet-routing decisions to minimize costs and maximize customer service.

Route plans are executed through integrated fleet dispatching, tracking, and telematics for complete management and tracking of delivery, driver and vehicle performance to measure whether deliveries happened as planned and drivers complied with operational rules.

Small-package carrier consolidation decisions are made through fully compliant tariffs from over 100 small package and less-than-truckload carriers’ service guides that help minimize shipping costs. Manifesting is available for those same carriers’ unique guidelines.

Freight bills audited right down to the line and assessorial level, and the costs allocated.

Because the suite is cloud-based, customers simply connect to it by way of a standard web browser.