A Transportation Management System (TMS) is meant to support freight forwarders, not introduce new cost uncertainty into already complex operations.
Freight forwarding operates on thin margins. Rates fluctuate, operating costs change, and market conditions shift constantly. In this environment, forwarders depend on stability and predictability wherever possible, especially when it comes to core operational systems like their TMS.
Yet pricing has become one of the most overlooked risks in TMS selection.
Why TMS Pricing Matters More Than Ever
A modern TMS sits at the center of freight operations. It manages shipments, documentation, visibility, billing, customer communication, and increasingly, automation across the entire supply chain.
Because of this central role, TMS costs scale directly with business activity. When shipment volume increases, system usage increases, and with certain pricing models, costs rise rapidly.
This is where many freight forwarders encounter challenges.
Some TMS platforms rely heavily on per-shipment or usage-based pricing structures that appear reasonable at first, but become difficult to manage as volume grows. Over time, forwarders may find that:
Software costs increase faster than operational margins
Pricing adjustments are introduced with limited notice
Costs become harder to forecast accurately
Growth adds financial pressure instead of reducing it
In a business where margins are already carefully managed, these issues can have a noticeable impact.
The Limitations of Per-Shipment TMS Pricing
Per-shipment pricing is often positioned as a fair model: pay only for what you use. In practice, freight forwarding does not always benefit from this approach.
As operations scale:
Processes become more efficient
Automation reduces manual work per shipment
Systems handle higher volumes with less incremental effort
However, per-shipment TMS pricing does not reflect these efficiencies. Instead, software costs increase in direct proportion to volume, regardless of how streamlined operations become.
This creates a mismatch:
Operational efficiency improves
Margins remain tight
TMS costs continue to rise
Over time, forwarders may notice that software expenses consume a growing share of each shipment’s profit, even though the system itself requires little additional effort to support the increased volume.
Cost Predictability Is a Core TMS Requirement
A TMS should provide operational clarity, and that includes financial clarity.
Predictable pricing allows freight forwarders to:
Forecast costs accurately
Price their services with confidence
Scale operations without introducing hidden risks
Evaluate profitability by customer, trade lane, or service type
When TMS pricing changes frequently or scales unpredictably, it becomes difficult to maintain this level of control.
Forwarders should not have to reassess their software costs every time shipment volume increases or business expands into new markets.
What Freight Forwarders Should Expect from a Modern TMS
When evaluating a TMS, pricing transparency should be treated as a core capability, not a secondary consideration.
A well-designed TMS pricing model should:
Be clear and easy to understand
Avoid unexpected increases
Scale in a way that aligns with real business growth
Support both small and large freight forwarding operations
Remain stable as shipment volumes increase
Most importantly, a TMS should enable growth, not penalize it.
How Logistaas Approaches TMS Pricing
Logistaas was designed with freight forwarders’ operational realities in mind. The goal was to create a TMS that supports scale while keeping costs predictable and manageable.
The Logistaas pricing model focuses on:
Transparency from the outset
Predictable costs that do not fluctuate unexpectedly
No hidden per-shipment penalties
A structure that works across different company sizes and shipment volumes
This approach allows forwarders to increase output, automate processes, and improve visibility without worrying that software costs will erode their margins over time.
Choosing the Right TMS Is a Long-Term Decision
A TMS is not a short-term tool. It becomes deeply embedded in daily operations, data workflows, customer communication, and financial processes.
For that reason, forwarders should evaluate not only features and integrations, but also:
How pricing scales over time
How costs behave as volume increases
Whether the vendor’s model aligns with the realities of freight forwarding margins
The right TMS should remain a stable foundation as the business grows, not a variable cost that introduces uncertainty.
Final Thoughts
Freight forwarding is complex enough without adding avoidable financial unpredictability. A TMS should provide efficiency, visibility, and control, both operationally and financially.
Transparent and predictable TMS pricing is not about cost alone. It’s about enabling sustainable growth, accurate forecasting, and long-term confidence in the systems that run the business.
See how transparent TMS pricing should work
👉 Book a Free Demo
Or review the pricing structure directly:
👉 https://logistaas.com/pricing/
Choosing the right TMS is about more than features. It’s about long-term alignment with how freight forwarding actually works.