Some things belong together: Cookies and Cream, Bread and Butter, Rock and Roll, Transportation and T-cards. The list could go on.

Transportation and T-Cards? That’s right. For decades, T-cards have been a staple in the industry, giving office and mobile workers an easy way to visualize and process information sequentially.

Modern technology makes the T-card system vastly more efficient than pen and paper. Orders and loads can be automatically slotted in virtual boards and combined with powerful workflow tools for end-to-end visibility and automation.

Many transportation management systems (TMS) try to replicate the T-card system but fall short in accommodating every company’s unique needs. This is where Tranztec’s integration and customizable software solutions come into play, enabling your TMS and supporting IT systems to work precisely how you want them to.

This article explains how motor carriers and freight brokers can use Tranztec Connect and Tranztec Extend to quickly and affordably deploy a fully integrated, digital T-card system to streamline load planning, shipment tracking, communications, and other critical functions.

Showing your T-cards

Tranztec Extend is a robust, customizable web portal that enables you to create visibility and workflow solutions. The portal can be tailored to meet specific roles, tasks, and user preferences.

The dynamic web portal integrates seamlessly with your TMS and supporting applications through a SaaS-based middleware platform called Tranztec Connect. An instance of Tranztec Connect sits on-premises and syncs with the Tranztec Cloud to ensure your data is appropriately mapped and normalized for seamless, real-time exchanges.

The homepage of Tranztec Extend contains lists of “boards” by information type. For example, one board has resources (drivers, trucks, trailers, or third-party carriers). Another has shipment tracking (active and closed loads). Another has customers, and so on. You can create your boards and arrange the list however you want.

The portal has four different View options when you click on a board.

• Loads. This view shows a complete workflow for loads in the system. The screen has a series of columns slotted with cards. Each card represents a load; the column is its status: planned, dispatched, in transit, delivered, etc.

The cards move through the columns as the TMS is updated. Users can add information to cards and drag them from one column to the next, such as when assigning drivers, tractors, and trailers to loads. For example, you can move cards from the “planned” to the “dispatched” column. When users change something in the portal, such as dragging a card to an adjacent column, the corresponding status is updated in the TMS.

• Maps. This gives users a visualization of load data. Users can quickly locate assets, customers, loads, and other details on a digital map. Users can drill down and view data at the order level using a search function and filters. Any changes to data in the portal or your TMS are immediately reflected in the Maps view.
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• Timeline. This view is a Gantt chart that displays the sequence of events for loads, such as pickup and delivery dates and time windows. Users can apply filters to create custom views, such as schedules at the driver level, showing hours-of-service availability, planned time off, and other details.
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• Workspace. The Workspace view allows users to start with a blank canvas. You can add live dashboards with cards, columns, grids, maps, charts, and other visualizations to condense or expand how you manage information. You can embed certain pages from external websites you use, like weather and load boards.

The views of Workspace are not static. When entering information or dragging cards, the system automatically updates your TMS through built-in connections and the programming logic of your custom workflows.

Easy Visual Programming

With Tranztec Extend, the possibilities for viewing and managing information are limitless. The platform is much more than a reporting tool. It is a system that expands your capabilities by adding functionality and filling gaps in your IT systems with tightly integrated data and connected workflows. 

The custom workflows of Tranztec Extend are created with a visual programming editor, Google Blockly. Users can drag objects and apply if-then-else logic without knowing software coding.

Motor carriers and freight brokers can use the editor to reach higher levels of efficiency and prevent errors. For example, a bulk tank fleet uses the editor to create an automated process for managing trailer washes. The custom workflows automatically assign tank washes based on dispatch status and provide visibility of asset status.

As another example, motor carriers and freight brokers can use the portal to add polygonal geofences around customer locations that automatically trigger workflows when drivers arrive, such as prompting them to complete digital forms and capture load documents.

Bring Your Systems to Life

Tranztec Extend gives companies an easy-to-use web portal for visualizing and managing information optimally. Additionally, motor carriers and freight brokers can use Tranztec Extend to deploy custom portals for customers and business partners to connect and automate rating, bidding, documentation, shipment tracking, and other processes. 

The possibilities for using the portal to view and manage information are endless. Your TMS platform can reach new heights with a custom and fully integrated digital T-card system tailored to your unique business needs.

Contact Tranztec to schedule a demonstration and discuss how our integration platform and customizable web portal can optimize your workflows, increase visibility, and boost productivity.