The backbone of our operation is an advanced, Transportations Management and Enterprise Resource Planning system called CENTERLINE TMS from Accord Software Inc. CENTERLINE TMS controls the entire freight management process from the initial customer contact, to the ultimate delivery of the freight including settlement, and all aspects in between. Some of the key functional modules in CENTERLINE include:

At the heart of our system is a state-of-the-art Wireless Dispatch System. Using advanced hand held mobile computers and the latest wireless data technology, dispatchers can monitor the location of the fleet throughout the day in real-time and transmit important data such as new pickups or instructions effortlessly while reducing cost and creating added efficiencies.

GPS location data for each truck is captured regularly and is used to update the location of each vehicle on the dispatcher’s board and on electronic maps. The system provides efficient and flexible dispatching by allowing the dispatcher to electronically send activities to the driver’s hand held mobile computer. Likewise, as driver’s complete activities throughout the course of the day, details are sent back to dispatch via the wireless network updating the TMS system and providing our customers with real-time updates as they occur.

Drivers use the wireless hand-held computers to verify and capture detailed shipment information at the point of pickup. By capturing freight details at the time of pickup, we are able to efficiently plan our outbound loads well before the freight actually arrives on our dock thereby ensuring adequate resources are assembled to address the daily outbound load. This advanced visibility plays a big part in allowing us to achieve the outstanding service performance our customers have come to expect.

CENTERLINE’s Cross Dock Module manages the flow of freight through our various terminals maintaining complete freight visibility and control. For example, if certain pieces of information are necessary for invoicing purposes, our system ensures that this information is gathered while the freight is still in our facility. During the offloading process, our dock personnel verify each shipment against the information shown on the bill of lading to ensure the accuracy of the count.

Routing tools in the cross dock module automatically assign shipments to a pre-defined delivery route based on a variety of flexible routing parameters. This allows our staff to effectively plan and route shipments within our grids in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The invoicing & accounting tools within Centerline TMS are fully integrated with the other operational modules; therefore, each shipment is seamlessly passed into the invoicing module for rating and billing. Centerlines sophisticated rating engine ensures that a very high percentage of shipments are auto-rated reducing the number of transactions that require operator intervention, ensuring that invoices are completed in a timely and accurate manner.

We take pride in the fact that over 95% of our shipments are auto-rated by our system which increases the accuracy and integrity of our entire invoicing process which contributes to our high levels of customer satisfaction.

The customer service module gives service reps the ability to provide customers with complete, real-time visibility of their shipment allowing us to provide the very best in customer service. Add to that a simple and easy to use web interface and secure, and customers can enter their own orders or check freight status on their own via our secure customer website anytime 7 days a weeks and 24 hours a day.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) improves the lines of communications with our customers using electronic paperless processing. Our TMS system allows for complete EDI message exchange ensuring that critical information is passed to and from customers through the entire freight movement. EDI processing can be done cost effectively by FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or through a VAN (Value Added Network). Centerline supports multiple message protocols and EDI formats making it easy for us to work with you to create the required EDI messages to ensure efficient, paperless communications between our organizations.

All key freight documents are scanned at facilities throughout our network and the images are stored ensuring quick and easy retrieval. Scanned documents can easily be accessed via our secure customer self-service portal or they can be emailed or faxed depending on customer preference.