There’s an elephant in the room. MachShip isn’t the only freight management software platform out there.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely already aware that there’s a range of tools and services on the market that aim to perform a similar function — namely, helping enterprises ship goods from A to B via multi-carrier freight solutions.
Given the nature of marketing and brand building, all of these offerings try to position themselves as ‘market leaders’ through some combination of pricing, convenience, speed, or versatility. Naturally, they all have various pro’s and con’s that are worth weighing up when searching for the freight management solution that’s right for you.
Of course, we’re inherently biased when comparing MachShip to its competitors. So the following comparisons call for a requisite grain of salt. But there are some objective facts worth pointing out to contextualise the competitive landscape of freight management services. So, let’s dive in!
CONTENTS
What’s the state of play in freight management?
Full-Featured Freight Management Systems Owned by Brokers
Dispatch & Label-Printing Platforms
Independent Full-Featured Freight Management Systems
Where MachShip helps you thrive
What’s the state of play in freight management?
As eCommerce and the freight industry continue to boom, there are more and more freight management solutions on the market.
It’s the old double-edged sword. More choice equates to more competitive pricing, and ultimately more services that potentially cater to your unique needs. The flipside is being spoiled for choice. It’s not always easy to sift through the options to figure out what specific services you need and where to find actual value.
That’s time you don’t have. If you’re looking for a new freight management solution, the whole point is that you probably don’t have time to spare. Chances are you’ll pick one that’s been recommended to you, try it out for a while, and hope for the best. It can take a little while to find the right fit, so the less trial and error you need to do, the better.
Looking at the freight management market, there are three key categories to mention:
- Full-Featured Freight Management Systems Owned by Brokers
- Independent Full-Featured Freight Management Systems
- Dispatch & Label-Printing Platforms
Full-Featured Freight Management Systems Owned by Brokers
Broker-owned FMS platforms often have a divided focus. Their primary business function and selling point is brokerage — in other words, negotiating and securing favourable rates from transport providers. The actual FMS software is secondary, which can result in limited investment.
When attention and funding are directed elsewhere, the platform you’re using may be under-developed. This can potentially lead to a clunky user experience, less innovation, and a tendency to focus on brokerage over things like customer service. The bottom line is that whatever software you’re using, you expect it to work. And when dealing with something as time-sensitive and sprawling as freight management, it needs to work seamlessly.
The other issue is carrier rates. It’s not that freight brokers can’t get favourable rates — that’s their whole thing, after all. But while using their software, you may be strongly encouraged to use certain carriers with whom that broker has already established rates. In most cases, you can bring your own rates to these platforms, but you risk being a second-class citizen of sorts when you use carriers from whom your broker receives less margin.
MachShip’s advantage over broker-owned FMS
- Pure Focus on Software:
With MachShip, software is the product. That’s solely our business. Every resource, every dollar, and every ounce of attention is directed towards developing and enhancing our FMS from a user perspective. This singular focus means our product continually evolves in line with market needs and client feedback.
- Independence:
We’re not a freight broker. Nor are we tied to any particular brokerage. Some brokers do use our platform, but not through any ownership or commercial affiliation. Our independence from brokerage ensures that freight brokers can trust us without any conflicts of interest. MachShip is agnostic when it comes to carriers. We don’t buy rates from carriers, which ensures no margin squeezing. Carriers trust us to provide fair and unbiased service, making it easier for their clients to do business with them.
- Dedicated Departments:
MachShip has specialised departments for each phase of the customer journey. Our Australian-based client onboarding team ensures swift and efficient platform adoption, often within five business days. The Client Integrations Team excels in integrating with dozens of ERP, WMS, and e-commerce platforms, delivering integrations in days, not weeks or months.
- World-Class Support:
Our support team consistently achieves world-class response and resolution times, ensuring our clients always have the help they need. Response and resolution times are usually a matter of minutes.
| “I’ve never met a team that responds so quickly.” Andrew Whittaker Systems Administrator Adventure Operations |
Dispatch & Label-Printing Platforms
Dispatch platforms are typically limited in scope and functionality. They tend to integrate with a small number of carriers (3-12) and offer basic services such as creating quotes, consignments, printing labels, tracking consignments, and providing branded tracking pages.
These platforms are well-suited for B2C eCommerce businesses but are likely to fall short for the complex logistics operations of larger retailers or wholesale and distribution enterprises.
MachShip’s advantage over dispatch platforms
- Extensive Carrier Integrations:
MachShip integrates with over 500 Australian carriers, providing unparalleled choice and flexibility. - Comprehensive Functionality:
Beyond the basics of a dispatch platform, MachShip offers full management capabilities, including:- Parent/Child (branch) company structures
- Permission settings for users
- Management of rate cards and fuel charges
- Extensive reporting (13+ types) for carrier performance and DIFOT analysis
- Carrier invoice reconciliation with automatic credit request
- Proof of deliveries (when available from carriers)
- Generic carrier capabilities to manage your own fleet
- Dangerous goods capabilities
- Integrations with both shopping carts and ERP systems
- A full broker version with the ability to add margins for their customers
| “We’ve saved 10+ hours per week with MachShip.” Adam Dobinson Sales Manager Dobinsons Spring & Suspension |
- Self-Sufficiency:
MachShip is designed for businesses that want to own their logistics function. Our platform allows clients to manage their entire logistics operations efficiently and independently. - Dedicated to 4PLs, Wholesale, Distribution and Major Retail:
MachShip is specifically designed for 4PLs and businesses insourcing their logistics. No other platform is more dedicated to these market segments.
Independent Full-Featured Freight Management Systems
This is where MachShip sits. And there actually aren’t many equivalent ‘apples for apples’ competitors that operate the same way.
That’s not to say there are none, however. And while those brands may be evolving to more closely mimic our model, they still aren’t able to match the ongoing commitment to software development, all-inclusive platform functionality, or market-leading customer support that MachShip has baked into our offering from day one.
Our focus is on being a customer-first software platform — a one-stop-shop that enables self-sufficiency to handle your freight operations in-house. No upselling. No hidden costs. No waiting days for tech support to resolve issues while you’re trying to placate your own customers with answers you don’t have.
We give you the tools to streamline how you manage freight for your customers, but the freedom to do it your way. MachShip remains unmatched in terms of carrier management and customer-centric functionality.
Where MachShip helps you thrive
| ✅ 100% independent platform ✅ 95% ave time saved creating consignments with MachShip ✅ 500+ carrier integrations (and growing) ✅ Market-leading response & resolution time ✅ Seamless carrier invoice reconciliation ✅ Continuous software refinement & optimisation |
We’re not a freight broker. Nor does our platform preclude you from partnering with freight brokers. We’re not a dispatch platform, but we do provide the most extensive suite of carrier and API integrations to dispatch all manner of goods as efficiently as possible.
MachShip remains the most extensive, fully-featured FMS for domestic freight in Australia. Our platform enables your business to maintain independence and autonomy to keep control of your own logistics operations in-house. Plug into a huge range of transport options with seamless multi-carrier connectivity, all from one seamless interface.
We have a singular focus on developing the best FMS in the market, supported by dedicated departments for onboarding, integration, and support. In other words, every advancement we make directly benefits our users.
Whether you’re a B2B or B2C enterprise — shipping goods of all shapes, sizes and volumes — MachShip equips you to meet freight expectations so you can continue to service and build your customer base.