Trucking management software for carriers and brokers: prices, ELD rules and picks

By Ranjit Bhinge, founder of Blur Studio · Updated October 24, 2026 · 8 min read

Short answer: Trucking software runs loads from booking to invoice, tracks drivers and trucks, and keeps the records the FMCSA asks for. As of October 2026, small carriers can start with TruckingOffice from $25 a month. Truckbase has a $290 a month minimum billed yearly, and Rose Rocket starts at $2,080 a month. Most drivers who keep duty logs must use an ELD from the FMCSA registered list. A custom build fits fleets and brokers whose lanes, customers or tools do not fit a standard TMS.

You're a small carrier or broker trying to work out which trucking software actually fits your fleet size without paying for enterprise features you'll never use.

I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.

What does trucking management software do?

A trucking management system, often called a TMS, is the office side of a trucking business. For a carrier, it usually covers these jobs.

Load entry: You enter the shipper, pickup, delivery, rate and load details once.
Dispatch: You assign the load to a truck and driver and send them the details.
Trip tracking: You see where each truck is, often through a link to the ELD or GPS.
Documents: Rate confirmations, bills of lading and proof of delivery photos sit with each load.
Invoicing: The system builds the invoice from the load and sends it to the customer or your factoring company.
Driver pay: It works out pay by mile, by load or by percentage.
Fuel tax and mileage: It tracks miles by state for your IFTA fuel tax reports.
Truck upkeep: It reminds you when trucks and trailers are due for service and inspections.

What does freight broker software add?

A freight broker does not own trucks. Broker software focuses on finding and vetting carriers, posting loads to load boards, sending rate confirmations and tracking the margin on each load. It also handles carrier payments and customer credit. Many TMS products serve both carriers and brokers, so check which side a plan is built for.

What are the main trucking software products and what do they cost?

Each price below comes from the vendor's own pricing page as of October 2026. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy.

TruckingOffice

TruckingOffice suits owner operators and small fleets. All prices are billed monthly with no contract.

Basic plan: $25 a month for 1 to 2 trucks, $55 for 3 to 7 trucks and $90 for 8 or more. Basic covers full truckload work only.
Pro plan: $35 a month for 1 to 2 trucks, $75 for 3 to 7 trucks and $130 for 8 or more. Pro handles full and partial loads and adds multiple users and mileage tools. The page lists a 30-day free trial with no card needed.
Broker plan: $45 a month with unlimited dispatches.

There are no per-user fees. A PC*MILER mileage add-on starts at $5 a month.

Truckbase

Truckbase lists a minimum price of $290 a month, billed yearly. It prices by truck, by driver, by load, at a flat yearly rate or by a custom proposal. The page does not list unit prices, so you need to talk to sales. Every plan includes onboarding, updates and 24-hour support.

Rose Rocket

Rose Rocket serves brokers, carriers and 3PLs. Its Full Service Platform starts at $2,080 a month and includes setup help. Its Enterprise plan has custom pricing.

DAT load boards

DAT is a load board, a marketplace where brokers post loads and carriers find them. Many carriers and brokers pay for it next to their TMS. Carrier plans run from $59 a month for Standard to $339 a month for Office, billed monthly. Broker plans start at $159 a month.

Product	Who it suits	Starting price (Oct 2026)	Billing
TruckingOffice	Owner operators, small fleets, small brokers	$25 a month	Monthly, no contract
Truckbase	Growing carriers	$290 a month minimum	Billed yearly
Rose Rocket	Brokers, carriers and 3PLs	From $2,080 a month	Not stated
DAT (load board)	Carriers and brokers	$59 a month for carriers, $159 for brokers	Monthly

What do the FMCSA ELD rules mean for your software?

An ELD connects to the truck's engine and records driving time on its own. The ELD rule does not change the basic hours of service limits. It changes how drivers record them.

Who must use an ELD?

Drivers who must keep a record of duty status generally must use an ELD. Federal rules let some drivers use paper logs instead.

Few log days: Drivers who need a record of duty status on 8 days or fewer in any 30-day period.
Driveaway and towaway: Drivers delivering a vehicle that is the shipment, or delivering a motor home or RV trailer.
Older trucks: Vehicles made before model year 2000, as shown by the VIN on the registration. FMCSA guidance also exempts a truck whose engine is older than model year 2000, even if the VIN shows a later year. Keep the engine records at your main office.

The short-haul exception covers drivers who stay within 150 air miles of their normal work reporting location. They must return and be released within 14 hours. These drivers do not need a duty status log, but the carrier must keep time records for each day for 6 months.

Which ELD should you pick?

Only use a device on the FMCSA's list of registered ELDs. FMCSA removes devices from that list when they fail its rules. Between May and August 2026 it removed 28 devices. Carriers then had up to 60 days to switch, using paper logs or logging software in the meantime. After that deadline, a driver still using a revoked device can be cited for having no duty status record and placed out of service. Before you buy, check the device is on the current list. Also ask your TMS vendor which ELDs it links to, so trip and hours data flows into your office system.

What records must you keep?

Carriers must keep duty status records and supporting documents for each driver for at least 6 months. If an ELD breaks, the driver must tell the carrier in writing within 24 hours. The carrier must fix or replace the device within 8 days. Meanwhile, the driver keeps paper logs. Good software stores supporting documents, such as fuel receipts and bills of lading, with each trip so you can find them during an audit.

What changed for freight brokers in 2026?

Brokers must keep $75,000 in financial security, through a surety bond or trust fund. A new FMCSA rule took effect on 16 January 2026. If a broker's security drops below $75,000 and the broker does not fix it, FMCSA can suspend its authority within 7 business days of serving notice. Broker software that tracks carrier claims and payments helps you spot a problem before a claim hits your bond.

What should a carrier or broker test before buying?

Every TMS demo looks smooth with one sample load. Test with a week of your real loads instead.

Your load types: Run full loads, partial loads, multi-stop trips and any reefer or flatbed work you haul.
ELD link: Confirm the TMS links to your ELD brand and pulls in location and hours data.
Factoring: If you factor invoices, check the TMS sends invoices and documents to your factoring company in the format it needs.
Accounting sync: Check invoices and driver pay sync with your accounting software without duplicates.
Driver app: Give the app to a driver. They should upload a signed bill of lading in under a minute.
Cost as you grow: Work out the bill at your fleet size today and at double that size.
Data export: Ask how you get your loads, customers and documents out if you leave.

Which AI features help trucking companies?

AI helps most with the paperwork and phone calls that fill a dispatcher's day. Each of these features keeps a person in charge of the final decision.

Rate confirmations read by AI

A broker emails a rate confirmation as a PDF. AI reads it and fills in the pickup, delivery, rate and reference numbers in your TMS. The dispatcher checks the fields and approves. This saves typing on every load and cuts errors that delay payment.

Proof of delivery checks

A driver snaps a photo of the signed bill of lading. AI checks that the page is readable and signed, matches it to the load and flags missing pages. Clean paperwork means you can invoice the same day.

Carrier calls and check calls for brokers

Brokers spend hours calling carriers for updates. An AI voice agent can make routine check calls, ask for the truck's location and estimated arrival, and log the answer. It passes anything unusual to a person. My guide to AI for logistics covers more uses like this.

When does custom trucking software make sense?

Most small carriers should buy a TMS. TruckingOffice costs little for a small fleet, and larger products such as Truckbase and Rose Rocket offer more depth. If you run standard truckload lanes, start with a trial or demo.

A custom build begins to pay off in these cases.

Unusual operations: You run specialized freight, mixed carrier and broker work, or dedicated contracts with rules a standard TMS cannot follow.
Many tools that do not connect: Your load board, ELD, TMS, factoring and accounting tools do not share data, and staff retype loads.
Customer portals: Your shippers want to log in, book loads and see live status under your brand.
Fees at scale: Per-truck or per-load fees across a large fleet make a big yearly bill.
Data you control: You want your lane, rate and margin history in your own database.

A middle path also works. You keep your TMS and add custom parts, such as an AI tool that reads rate confirmations or a shipper portal. My guide to AI integration services explains how those links work. My build vs buy guide helps you compare the costs.

What mistakes do small carriers and brokers make with this software?

An ELD that is connected but not properly certified or configured. The FMCSA removes non-compliant devices from its approved list periodically, and a carrier running a delisted device can face real violations even if the device still appears to work day to day. Check your device's current status, not just whether it is logging data.
Manual check calls eating a dispatcher's whole day. Phoning every driver for a status update does not scale past a handful of trucks. This is one of the clearest places AI or automated tracking pays for itself.
Rate confirmations handled by email or fax with no system of record. A rate confirmation that only exists in an inbox is where billing disputes start. Get it into the TMS the moment it is agreed, not after the load delivers.

How would Blur Studio approach a trucking build?

I would trace five real loads from the first email to the paid invoice. I would mark every place where a dispatcher retyped data, waited on a call or chased a document. If a TMS fixes those gaps, I would tell you which one to try. If no product fits, I build the missing parts around the tools you keep. That might be an AI agent for check calls, a rate confirmation reader or a full system for an unusual operation. The code and accounts belong to your business, and I keep the software running after launch.

Questions people ask

What is the best trucking software for a small fleet?

TruckingOffice is a low-cost start for owner operators and small fleets, from $25 a month as of October 2026. Truckbase suits growing carriers, with a $290 a month minimum billed yearly. Test each with a week of your real loads.

Do I need an ELD?

Most drivers who must keep a record of duty status must use an ELD from the FMCSA registered list. Exceptions include drivers who log 8 days or fewer in 30 days, some driveaway and towaway work, trucks made before model year 2000 and qualifying short-haul drivers.

What happens if my ELD is removed from the FMCSA list?

FMCSA gives carriers up to 60 days to switch to a registered device. During that time, drivers use paper logs or logging software. After the deadline, drivers using the revoked device can be placed out of service.

What is freight broker software?

Freight broker software helps a broker find and vet carriers, post loads, send rate confirmations and track the margin on each load. Some products, such as Rose Rocket and TruckingOffice's Broker plan, serve brokers directly.

When should a trucking company build custom software?

Build when your freight or contracts do not fit a standard TMS, when many tools need to be joined, or when per-truck fees grow large. For standard truckload work, buying a TMS is faster and cheaper.

Do I need different software as a broker versus as a carrier?

The core job, matching loads and tracking them to delivery, overlaps, but a broker needs stronger carrier-vetting and margin-tracking tools, while a carrier needs stronger dispatch, ELD and driver-pay features. Check which side of the business a tool was actually built for before you buy.

Roughly what does this cost?

As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.

Is my business too small for this?

No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.