For most readers, AscendTMS is the default pick, because Basic starts at $69 per user per month, with no charge for drivers, trucks, or loads, and a 30-day trial on Premium and Pro. FTL software splits into two groups: low-cost broker and carrier tools with listed prices, and enterprise shipper systems that sell by quote only or by freight volume. DAT One is the load and rate data pick, starting at $59 per month, while a full TMS such as Tai TMS or Aljex adds dispatch, billing, and carrier management.
FTL means full truckload, where one shipment fills a whole trailer, and the software in this list helps brokers, carriers, and shippers plan, book, track, and settle those loads. A load board finds freight, while a TMS runs the load from quote to invoice, so the right choice depends on which job you need done.
On this page
What is the best software for ftl: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AscendTMS | Small brokers and carriers on a tight budget | $69 per user/month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 2 | Descartes Aljex | Brokerages that want a load board in the base plan | $699 per month | No | Visit |
| 3 | DAT One | Carriers that need load volume and lane rate data | $59 per month | No | Visit |
| 4 | Tai TMS | Mid-size brokerages moving FTL and LTL | $995 per month | No | Visit |
| 5 | Alvys | Carriers and brokers that want per-load pricing | $3.95 per load | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Oracle Transportation Management | Large shippers with complex global freight | $450 per month per $1 million of freight… | No | Visit |
| 7 | SAP Transportation Management | SAP shops with global multi-mode freight | quote only | No | Visit |
| 8 | MercuryGate TMS | Large shippers and 3PLs needing multimodal depth | quote only | No | Visit |
The 8 best what is the best software for ftls, in detail
AscendTMS
Best for: Small brokers and carriers on a tight budget
AscendTMS lists Basic at $69 per user per month, Premium at $119, and Pro at $149. Basic includes more than 230 standard features, while Premium adds 33 premium features, and the first 30 days are free on Premium and Pro. The per-user meter is the key detail, because a one-person operation with 10 trucks pays $69 per month on Basic, while a five-user team pays $345 per month.
- Choose AscendTMS if you are a small broker, carrier, or shipper that wants a low entry price, no setup fee, and no contract.
- Do not choose it if you need driver pay and IFTA reports on the entry plan, or if you expect load board data to be included, because DAT or Truckstop
Pros
- No charge for drivers, trucks, or loads
- Premium and Pro include a 30-day trial
Cons
- One limit: driver pay and IFTA reports are not listed in the Basic feature list
- One limit: load board access needs a separate DAT or Truckstop subscription
Descartes Aljex
Best for: Brokerages that want a load board in the base plan
Aljex lists Essential at $699 per month with 5 users included, Professional from $999 per month with 15 users, and Enterprise from $2,375 per month. Essential includes MacroPoint tracking, QuickBooks, MyCarrierPortal, and a choice of DAT, Truckstop, or 123Loadboard. Professional and Enterprise carry a one-time implementation fee.
- Choose Aljex if you run a brokerage with two to several hundred users and want load board access, carrier tracking, and accounting links in one system
- Do not choose it if you need a customer portal on the entry plan, or if you want a fixed setup fee in writing before you talk to sales.
- At $699 per month for 5 users, the cost per user is $139.80.
Pros
- Essential includes 5 users and a choice of one load board
- Professional adds Highway carrier onboarding from $999 per month
Cons
- One limit: Essential carries a one-time setup fee with no amount listed
- One limit: Essential does not list a customer portal or Highway
DAT One
Best for: Carriers that need load volume and lane rate data
DAT One lists Standard at $59 per month, Enhanced at $149, Pro at $169, Select at $259, and Office at $339. Standard is aimed at box trucks and sprinter vans hauling partial loads, and it allows 500 searches and posts per month, with load counts by state. Lane rate data starts on Enhanced, with 15-day lane rates, while Pro adds 7-day lane rates for owner-operators with one to three trucks.
- Choose DAT One if you are a carrier or owner-operator that needs load volume, broker credit data, and lane rates to price a lane before you call.
- Do not choose it as a full TMS, because it does not run dispatch, driver settlement, and full accounting.
- A carrier that needs lane rates must budget at least $149 per month for Enhanced.
Pros
- Standard includes 500 load searches and truck posts per month
- The DAT One mobile app is included on every plan
Cons
- One limit: Standard has no lane rate data
- One limit: Extra users on Select and Office cost $169 per user per month
Tai TMS
Best for: Mid-size brokerages moving FTL and LTL
Tai TMS lists Growth at $995 per month, Premium at $2,465, Premium+ at $4,595, Pro at $7,925, and Enterprise by quote. Growth includes 2 staff logins, 10 client logins, and 200 shipments, which works out to $4.98 per included shipment at the entry price. Tai connects to carriers, load boards, and accounting through more than 500 direct API and EDI links, with no per-connection fee, and every listed plan includes a branded client portal and a dedicated customer success manager.
- Choose Tai TMS if you are a mid-size to enterprise freight brokerage that moves FTL and LTL in the United States and wants automation across quoting,
- Do not choose it if you are an asset-based carrier or a shipper managing in-house transport, because Tai states that it is not designed for those user
- Agreements run on 12-month terms, so ask for the overage rate in writing before you sign.
Pros
- Growth includes 200 shipments and 2 staff logins
- Every listed plan includes a branded client portal and a dedicated customer success manager
Cons
- One limit: Growth covers only 2 staff logins, so a third login forces a move to a higher plan
- One limit: The phone runs in a mobile browser rather than a dedicated app
Alvys
Best for: Carriers and brokers that want per-load pricing
Alvys prices by the load, not by the seat, with Foundations starting at $3.95 per load, unlimited users, and no long-term contract. At 50 loads a month, that works out to $197.50 per month, and at 400 loads a month it works out to $1,580 per month. Foundations includes dispatch, settlements and invoicing, a driver mobile app, and two-way QuickBooks sync, with a 14-day free trial and free implementation.
- Choose Alvys if you are a carrier, broker, or hybrid operation that wants costs to track volume, with settlement, EDI, and IFTA tools on the same plat
- Do not choose it if you need a fixed monthly figure in advance, because Growth and Scale are quoted by load volume, so the $3.95 figure is a starting
- Ask for the per-load rate in writing, and confirm how EDI partners above the included cap are charged.
Pros
- No per-seat charge, with unlimited users on per-load pricing
- Foundations includes a 14-day free trial and free implementation
Cons
- One limit: Growth and Scale are quoted by load volume, with no listed tiers
- One limit: Growth includes only 2 EDI partners, and Scale includes only 5, with extra partners charged separately
Oracle Transportation Management
Best for: Large shippers with complex global freight
Oracle Transportation Management, known as OTM, lists $450 per month for each $1 million of freight under management, with a 20-unit minimum on a standard 3-year term. That minimum works out to $9,000 per month, or $108,000 per year, before options, and the planning option adds $200 per unit per month. At $100 million of freight under management, the core cost is $540,000 per year, or $780,000 per year with planning.
- Choose Oracle Transportation Management if you are a large shipper or logistics provider with complex multimodal, multi-leg freight and you already ru
- Do not choose it if your freight under management is small, because the 20-unit minimum applies even when your own freight spend is lower.
- Get the freight under management definition in writing before you sign.
Pros
- List price is stated per $1 million of freight under management, with a 20-unit minimum
- Covers air, ocean, rail, parcel, LTL, intermodal, and truckload in one platform
Cons
- One limit: The 20-unit minimum sets a $9,000 per month floor before options
- One limit: Freight under management counts freight that a third party pays for, so the measured total can exceed your own freight spend
SAP Transportation Management
Best for: SAP shops with global multi-mode freight
SAP Transportation Management does not list a price, and its pricing page states that the price is upon request. The service is priced in blocks of $2,500,000 of freight spend per year, inside SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, and contract terms run from 3 to 36 months. That freight-spend meter is the key difference from per-user tools, because the cost follows the value of freight managed through the system.
- Choose SAP Transportation Management if you already run SAP ERP and need global, multi-mode freight planning, execution, and costing in the same syste
- Do not choose it if you want a short trial or a monthly price you can compare in a table, because SAP sells through an enterprise agreement.
- Ask SAP to name the freight spend block, the edition, and the contract length in the proposal.
Pros
- Pricing is structured in blocks of $2,500,000 of freight spend per year
- Covers order management, freight costing, planning, analytics, and route simulation in one platform
Cons
- One limit: The price is upon request, with no list price on the vendor pricing page
- One limit: Contracts run from 3 to 36 months, so the commitment is an enterprise term
MercuryGate TMS
Best for: Large shippers and 3PLs needing multimodal depth
MercuryGate TMS is now sold as Infios Transportation Management, after Infios acquired MercuryGate in October 2024. The system covers parcel, LTL, truckload, air, ocean, rail, and intermodal freight in one platform, with rate management, load optimization, freight audit and payment, and shipment visibility. It connects with warehouse, order, and ERP systems such as SAP, NetSuite, Oracle, and Dynamics, plus EDI, APIs, and tracking platforms.
- Choose MercuryGate TMS if you are a large shipper, 3PL, broker, or carrier that needs multimodal depth, complex rate management, and freight audit in
- Do not choose it if you need a listed price or a short self-serve trial, because Infios does not show a price on its site.
- Ask for a written quote that names the modules, implementation, training, support, and renewal terms.
Pros
- Now sold as Infios Transportation Management, with multimodal planning and execution
- Holds ISO 27001, SOC 1 Type 2, and SOC 2 Type 2 compliance certifications
Cons
- One limit: No list price is shown on the vendor site, so every price comes from a sales quote
- One limit: The modular scope means implementation and training costs vary by deployment
How we chose
We did not test any tool hands-on. We ranked tools for full-truckload work by FTL coverage, by whether the vendor lists a price or sells by quote, by plan limits that change the real cost, and by fit for brokers, carriers, and shippers. Prices in this article come from official vendor pricing pages opened 2026-11-12, and where a vendor shows no price, the article says quote only. A unique fact in this list is the Oracle minimum: at $450 per month for each $1 million of freight under management, with a 20-unit minimum, the list floor is $9,000 per month, or $108,000 per year, before planning options, which add $200 per unit per month.
What to check before you buy
Check the meter first, because AscendTMS charges per user, Alvys charges per load, Tai TMS counts shipments, and Oracle counts freight under management, so run the same load count through each meter. Check load board access next, because Aljex includes one board in Essential, AscendTMS needs a separate DAT or Truckstop subscription, and DAT One Standard has no lane rate data. Check the plan limit that forces an upgrade, such as 2 staff logins on Tai Growth, 5 users on Aljex Essential, and 500 searches and posts per month on DAT One Standard. Check the contract term, because Tai uses 12-month terms, Oracle uses a standard 3-year term, and SAP contracts run from 3 to 36 months.
| If you move | Start with | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 loads a month | Alvys at $3.95 per load, or $197.50 at 50 loads | Growth and Scale are quoted by load volume |
| 1 to 3 users, under 200 shipments a month | AscendTMS Basic at $69 per user, or Tai Growth at $995 with 200 shipments | Tai Growth covers only 2 staff logins |
| 5 users, with a load board included | Descartes Aljex Essential at $699 per month | One-time setup fee with no amount listed |
| Over $20 million of freight under management | Oracle at $450 per $1 million, with a $9,000 monthly floor | Planning adds $200 per unit per month |
Frequently asked questions
How much does FTL software cost?
FTL software in this list starts at $59 per month for DAT One Standard and $69 per user per month for AscendTMS Basic, then rises to $699 per month for Aljex Essential and $995 per month for Tai TMS Growth. Alvys starts at $3.95 per load, so the monthly cost follows volume. Oracle starts at $450 per month for each $1 million of freight under management, with a $9,000 monthly floor, while SAP and MercuryGate sell by quote only.
Which is best for a small freight brokerage?
AscendTMS is the best fit for most small brokerages, because Basic starts at $69 per user per month, with no charge for drivers, trucks, or loads, and a 30-day trial on Premium and Pro. Alvys is a close second if you prefer per-load pricing, at $3.95 per load with a 14-day trial on Foundations. Aljex fits a brokerage that wants a load board in the base plan, but Essential starts at $699 per month for 5 users.
Which is best for a large shipper with global freight?
Oracle Transportation Management is the best fit for a large shipper that wants a stated list price for global, multi-mode freight, at $450 per month for each $1 million of freight under management, with a 20-unit minimum. SAP Transportation Management fits a shipper already on SAP ERP, with pricing in blocks of $2,500,000 of freight spend per year. MercuryGate TMS fits a shipper or 3PL that needs multimodal depth, but it sells by quote only.
Do any FTL tools offer a free plan or a free trial?
No tool in this list offers a lasting free plan on its current vendor pricing page. AscendTMS offers a 30-day trial on Premium and Pro, and Alvys offers a 14-day free trial on Foundations. DAT One, Aljex, Tai TMS, Oracle, SAP, and MercuryGate do not offer a free trial in this list, so ask for a demo and a written quote before you commit.
What should I check about load board access before I buy?
Check which board is included, and whether lane rate data is included, because those two points change the real cost. Aljex Essential includes one board from DAT, Truckstop, or 123Loadboard. AscendTMS includes the integration but needs a separate DAT or Truckstop subscription. DAT One Standard allows 500 searches and posts per month but has no lane rate data, so a carrier that needs rates must move to Enhanced at $149 per month.
Sources
- https://www.thefreetms.com/
- https://www.thefreetms.com/pricing
- https://www.aljex.com/
- https://www.dat.com/
- https://www.dat.com/carrier-load-board
- https://tai-software.com/
- https://alvys.com/
- https://alvys.com/pricing
- https://www.oracle.com/tms
- https://www.sap.com/
- https://www.sap.com/africa/products/scm/transportation-logistics/pricing.html
- https://www.infios.com/en/supply-chain-solutions/transportation-management
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.