Before you write the RFP
An RFP is only as good as the thinking behind it. Before any vendor sees a document, do three things.
- Map how freight moves today. Walk an order from quote to cash: order entry, planning, dispatch, tracking, delivery, POD, billing, settlement, accounting. Note every spreadsheet, re-key and workaround. Those are your real requirements.
- Separate must-haves from preferences. A must-have is something you cannot run the business without, such as percentage pay for owner-operators or EDI 204 change handling. A preference is something nice that you could work around.
- Name a selection team. Include dispatch, billing, payroll or settlements, safety, maintenance, accounting and IT. People who do the work catch what executives miss.
Our guide How to Choose a TMS Without Getting Sold covers the full selection process. This page focuses on the RFP document itself.
The TMS RFP outline, section by section
1. Instructions and timeline
- Point of contact and rules for questions (one channel, answers shared with all vendors)
- Key dates: questions due, responses due, shortlist, scripted demos, reference calls, decision
- Response format: answer in the provided requirements spreadsheet, not a brochure
- Confidentiality terms
2. Company profile
Give vendors enough to answer accurately. Vague profiles get vague answers.
- Segments: truckload, LTL, brokerage, intermodal and drayage, dedicated, city cartage, private fleet, specialized
- Fleet: company tractors, owner-operators, trailers by type, terminals
- Volume: approximate loads or shipments per month, stops per load, customers billed
- Users by role: CSR, dispatch, billing, payroll, safety, maintenance, accounting, management
- Current systems: TMS, accounting, ELD, fuel card, imaging, EDI provider, mileage engine
- Planned changes: new divisions, acquisitions, growth
3. Scope and objectives
State what is in scope (modules, divisions, integrations), what is out, and the three to five business outcomes that matter most, for example "invoice within one day of POD" or "settlements without manual corrections." Outcomes keep the evaluation honest.
12-Domain Enterprise TMS Functional Scoring Rubric
Evaluating enterprise freight systems requires a standardized scoring framework. Strong Tower utilizes a 12-domain functional evaluation rubric where each capability is weighted by operational risk and assigned pass/fail gates on non-negotiable carrier workflows.
| Functional Domain | Evaluation Focus & Mandatory Capabilities | Carrier Operational Risk Gate |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Order Entry & Dispatch Planning | Multi-stop planning, split legs, cross-dock moves, driver HOS validation, equipment compatibility checks, and deadhead leg tracking. | Must support dynamic load split and relay reassignment without re-keying billing legs. |
| 2. Rating & DOE Fuel Surcharges | Contract and spot tariffs, multi-tier mileage bands, accessorial rule engines, and automated DOE weekly fuel surcharge indexing. | Must calculate multi-stop rating and customer fuel schedules with 100% automated calculation. |
| 3. Touchless Invoicing & Imaging | Auto-batch billing runs, document capture (BOL/POD), automatic image indexing, and real-time EDI 210 generation with invoice auditing. | Must enforce billing hold rules for missing PODs or unapproved accessorial variances. |
| 4. Driver Settlements & Payroll | Pay-by-mile (loaded vs. empty), percentage pay, stop pay, recurring escrow/lease deductions, and automated fuel card advance reconciliation. | Must produce transparent, dispute-free settlement statements with gross-to-net pay audits. |
| 5. EDI & Trading Partner Protocols | Native EDI 204 load tenders, 990 tender accepts, 214 shipment status telemetry, 210 freight invoices, and 997 functional acknowledgments. | Must process EDI 204 load changes and cancellations with automated exception alerting. |
| 6. Fleet Telematics & Live HOS Clocks | Carrier-neutral ELD integration (Samsara, Motive, Geotab), bidirectional in-cab dispatch messaging, and real-time duty status validation. | Must prevent assigning loads to drivers lacking sufficient legal HOS drive time. |
| 7. Intermodal, Drayage & Container Logistics | Gate move TIR tracking, Last Free Day (LFD) detention alerts, steamship line per diem calculation, and container chassis tracking. | Must automate per diem accrual tracking to prevent costly demurrage penalties. |
| 8. Safety, DVIR & Fleet Maintenance | Preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling by miles/hours, parts inventory, electronic DVIR defect workflows, and shop work orders. | Must lock dispatch from assigning power units with open critical safety out-of-service defects. |
| 9. Automated IFTA Tax Reporting | Automated jurisdictional mileage calculation via ELD GPS coordinates, fuel card purchase FTP imports, and quarterly audit tax returns. | Must provide complete jurisdiction route audit trails down to individual odometer readings. |
| 10. Accounting & General Ledger Sync | Direct bidirectional synchronization with QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, or Microsoft Dynamics; sub-ledger AR/AP posting. | Must maintain penny-perfect reconciliation between operational invoicing and general ledger. |
| 11. SQL Data Access & BI Analytics | Direct read-only SQL querying, automated nightly ETL feeds, data warehouse replication, and pre-built operational KPI dashboards. | Must grant unrestricted SQL query access to carrier-owned operational databases. |
| 12. Cloud Architecture & Cyber Resilience | Zero-trust access, MFA, SOC2 Type II compliance, high-availability multi-region hosting, and air-gapped immutable disaster recovery backups. | Must demonstrate verified RTO < 4 hours and RPO < 15 minutes during disaster recovery simulation. |
4. Functional requirements
Put these in a spreadsheet with columns for requirement, priority (must, should, nice), vendor response (standard, configuration, customization, third party, not available) and comments. Ask vendors to note which release introduced each capability. Typical areas:
Order entry and customer service
- Multi-stop orders, appointment windows, reference numbers, commodity and hazmat data
- Templates and recurring orders; quote-to-order conversion
- Order changes and cancellations with audit trail
- Customer credit limits and holds
Dispatch and planning
- Planning board with driver HOS availability, equipment and location
- Splits, relays, swaps, repowers and cross-dock moves
- Empty and deadhead legs recorded as legs
- Brokerage: carrier assignment, rate confirmations, carrier compliance checks
Rating and fuel surcharge
- Contract and spot rates by lane, zone, mileage band, weight, pallet or hundredweight
- Accessorial tables with rules (detention free time, stop-off, layover, TONU)
- Fuel surcharge tables tied to a weekly DOE index, by customer schedule
- Mileage engine integration and which version of miles is used for rating and pay
Billing
- Billing hold rules (missing POD, unapproved accessorial, rate variance)
- Batch invoicing, customer-specific invoice formats, consolidated billing
- Invoice with attached images; EDI 210 output
- Credit memos, rebills and audit trail
Driver and carrier settlements
- Pay by mile (loaded, empty, practical or shortest), percentage, hourly, stop, flat and accessorial
- Split pay for team and relay moves
- Recurring deductions, escrow, lease payments, fuel advances and fuel card reconciliation
- Settlement statements and payroll or AP export
IFTA and fuel
- State mileage from ELD or routing; fuel purchases from card imports
- Quarterly return support and audit trail by unit
Maintenance
- Work orders, parts inventory, labor, PM schedules by miles, hours and days
- Inspections, DVIR defects and outside repair tracking
EDI
- 204, 990, 214, 210 and 997 at minimum; 322 for intermodal if relevant
- Change and cancel 204 handling; partner code cross-references
- Exception queue and monitoring; VAN, AS2 and API options
ELD and telematics
- Named, working integrations with your ELD provider
- HOS clocks in dispatch, GPS positions, geofence arrival and departure events
- Driver messaging and forms
Document imaging
- Driver app or scanning capture of BOL and POD; auto-indexing to the order
- Images attached to invoices and available to customers
Accounting integration
- Built-in accounting or integration with your package (name it)
- GL mapping by division, AR and AP sync, payroll export
Reporting
- Standard reports for revenue, margin, utilization, deadhead, aging and settlements
- Direct database or data warehouse access for SQL and BI tools
- Ad hoc report builder and scheduled report delivery
5. Technical and security requirements
- Hosting model: vendor cloud, private hosting or on-premises
- Uptime commitments, maintenance windows and support hours
- Backup frequency, retention, restore testing and disaster recovery
- Single sign-on, MFA, role-based permissions and audit logs
- Data ownership and how you get a full export if you leave
- API availability, documentation and any usage limits or fees
- Security certifications or third-party audit reports the vendor can share
6. Data migration
- What the vendor converts: customers, vendors, drivers, equipment, rates, open orders, open AR and AP, history
- How much history comes over, and in what form
- Who cleans data, who maps it, and how many trial conversions are included
- How opening balances are reconciled at cutover
7. Implementation and training
- Proposed plan, phases and typical duration for a company your size
- Named implementation team and their experience with your segment
- Test environment, parallel run approach and go-live support (on site or remote)
- Role-based training and training materials
- Post-go-live support process and escalation
See our TMS go-live checklist for what has to be true on cutover day.
8. Pricing format
Give every vendor the same pricing template so you can compare like for like. Ask for:
- One-time fees: licenses, implementation, data conversion, training, travel
- Recurring fees: subscription or maintenance, hosting, per-user or per-unit charges
- Integration fees: EDI, ELD, accounting, imaging, mileage engine, APIs
- Rates for customization and change requests
- Price escalation terms and contract length
- A five-year total cost of ownership based on your stated users, units and volume
9. References
Ask for references in your segment and of similar size, including at least one company that went live recently and one that has been on the system for several years. Ask for a reference that migrated from your current system if possible.
Scripted demos: make them run your freight
Standard demos show what the system does best. Scripted demos show how it handles what you do every day. Send shortlisted vendors your scripts and sample data in advance, and give each the same time slot.
Good scenarios for a carrier include:
- An EDI tender arrives, then a change with a new appointment, then a cancellation of a second load.
- A multi-stop load with a relay, detention at the second stop and a lumper reimbursement.
- Fuel surcharge recalculated when the weekly DOE price updates.
- An owner-operator on percentage pay with a fuel advance, an escrow deduction and a lease payment.
- A team load where pay splits between two drivers.
- Billing hold for a missing POD, released when the driver scans it from the cab.
- Month-end: AR and settlements post to accounting by division.
- A manager pulls revenue per total mile and deadhead by customer for last month.
Have the people who do each job score their own scenarios on the spot. Note when a vendor says "we can do that with a customization" or "that's in the next release," and write it down.
Weighted scoring
Agree on weights before responses arrive, so nobody adjusts them to favor a vendor. A starting structure:
| Scoring Category | Core Scope of Evaluation | Standard Recommended Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Operational Fit | 12-domain requirements checklist, scripted demo execution, and freight edge-case handling. | 30% - 35% (All must-have capabilities enforced as strict pass/fail gates) |
| Integrations & Partner APIs | Certified EDI 204/990/214/210 connectivity, ELD telematics, and native accounting synchronization. | 15% - 20% (Crucial for high-velocity carriers with enterprise shipper accounts) |
| Implementation & Go-Live Support | Named migration team experience, data conversion runbooks, parallel run design, and on-site support. | 15% - 20% (Guarantees go-live stabilization without terminal dispatch disruption) |
| Cybersecurity & System Architecture | Cloud-native vs on-premise, immutable backups, SOC2 compliance, MFA, and direct SQL data access. | 10% - 15% (Essential for insurability and multi-terminal business continuity) |
| Total Cost of Ownership (5-Year TCO) | Implementation fees, subscription licenses, integration charges, customization rates, and travel. | 15% - 20% (Evaluated over full 5-year operating lifecycle, not initial upfront quote) |
| Vendor Viability & References | Carrier segment specialization, customer retention rate, product roadmap velocity, and peer references. | 5% - 10% (Final risk verification and organizational culture alignment check) |
Score each requirement on a simple scale (for example, 0 = not available, 1 = customization, 2 = configuration, 3 = standard), multiply by priority, then roll up by category and apply the weights. Any vendor that fails a must-have is out, regardless of total score.
5-Section Enterprise Carrier TMS RFP Requirements Matrix
To prevent vendors from returning vague marketing proposals, carrier procurement packets should structure the formal RFP around five contractually binding functional sections:
| RFP Module | Core Scope of Specification | Mandatory Carrier Deliverables | Vendor Compliance Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1: Operational Dispatch & Rating | Order intake, multi-stop planning, contract rating tariffs, automated DOE fuel indexing, accessorial rules, and live HOS pre-dispatch checking. | Submit real-world rating matrices, sample customer contracts, and split-route load scenarios for live vendor reproduction. | Pass/Fail: Vendor must demonstrate live rating without custom script workarounds. |
| Section 2: Telematics, In-Cab & Visibility | Carrier-neutral ELD integration, GPS geofencing, detention triggers, two-way messaging, mobile driver scanning, and public customer tracking links. | Provide current ELD provider specs, geofence radius guidelines, and customer tracking requirements. | Pass/Fail: Native bi-directional ELD sync with active position and HOS clock telemetry. |
| Section 3: Invoicing, Settlements & Accounting | Touchless nightly billing runs, verified POD image packet attachment, multi-tier driver settlements, escrow deductions, and general ledger sync. | Supply sample settlement deduction schedules, owner-operator contracts, and general ledger chart of accounts. | Pass/Fail: Complete gross-to-net settlement calculation with automatic escrow ledger update. |
| Section 4: EDI & Trading Partner Protocols | Native EDI 204, 990, 214, 210, and 997 interchange engine, AS2 communications, partner exception alerts, and REST API access. | List top 10 shipper EDI implementation guides, companion documents, and translation requirements. | Pass/Fail: In-house translation without mandatory third-party network mailbox fees. |
| Section 5: Data Sovereignty & Commercial Terms | Database portability, daily automated backup delivery to carrier cloud, unencumbered document imaging export rights, and 5-year capped pricing. | Demand written confirmation of carrier database ownership and standardized 5-year TCO cost breakdown. | Pass/Fail: No proprietary egress fees or per-gigabyte exit penalties for historical data. |
Red flags
- Every answer is "yes." No system does everything as standard. Ask for proof in the demo.
- The demo avoids your script. If a vendor keeps steering back to its standard presentation, the scenario probably does not work well.
- Key features are "on the roadmap." Score what exists today.
- Vague migration answers. "We'll figure it out" means you will pay for it later.
- No direct data access. If you cannot query your own data or export it fully, you are locked in.
- Integration costs appear late. EDI, ELD and API fees should be on the pricing template, not discovered in the contract.
- References are all new or all hand-picked. Ask for a long-time customer in your segment.
- The implementation team is unnamed. The sales team will not be the people configuring your rates.
How Strong Tower Consulting helps
We help carriers and brokers write requirements from how freight really moves, build the RFP and pricing template, script and facilitate demos, run reference calls, and score responses against your weights. When a system is chosen, we can stay on through implementation and go-live.
- TMS Selection & Advisory: requirements, RFP, scripted demos and scoring.
- TMS Implementation & Go-Live: configuration, conversion, testing and cutover.
- Business Analysis: current-state mapping and requirements sign-off.
Disclosure
Exspeedite is a Strong Tower company that builds a TMS. We say so at the start of every selection. Strong Tower's selection advice is independent: the requirements are yours, the scoring is based on your weights, and our consulting never requires buying our sister company's software.
Frequently asked questions
What are the core sections required in an enterprise TMS RFP for motor carriers?
A comprehensive carrier TMS RFP must contain nine structured modules: operational company profile and fleet telemetry, scope of work and critical business outcomes, a 12-domain functional requirements matrix, technical architecture and cyber security standards, detailed data migration protocols, implementation and go-live methodology, standardized 5-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) pricing schedules, scripted live demo scenarios, and verified carrier references.
How many software vendors should receive a full TMS RFP invitation?
Carriers should restrict formal RFP invitations to three to five thoroughly pre-vetted vendors. Distributing RFPs to 10+ providers generates overwhelming administrative overhead, delays procurement by months, and results in superficial evaluation. A focused short list enables disciplined evaluation against your specific operational freight workflows.
Why are scripted demonstrations mandatory in freight technology procurement?
Standard vendor sales demonstrations rely on pristine, pre-configured sandbox environments designed to mask software flaws. Scripted demos force every vendor to execute your actual freight operations: processing split loads, applying multi-tier customer tariffs, calculating team driver settlements, and handling EDI 204 change exceptions in real time under uniform scoring rules.
How should a freight brokerage or 3PL modify this RFP template compared to asset carriers?
Brokerages and 3PLs should replace asset-heavy modules (such as shop maintenance, DVIR inspection, and quarterly IFTA returns) with deep freight brokerage capabilities: automated carrier onboarding, digital rate confirmations, real-time RMIS or carrier compliance API verification, load board syndication, and margin analytics.
How does Strong Tower Consulting maintain fiduciary independence when evaluating software like Exspeedite?
Strong Tower Consulting and Exspeedite are separate legal entities under common ownership, separated by an operational liability firewall. Strong Tower operates as an independent advisory firm. Our TMS selection engagements evaluate all market solutions (including Trimble TMWSuite, Truckmate, McLeod LoadMaster, and Exspeedite) purely against the client operational requirements, tariff structures, and long-term financial interests.
How do modern cloud-native TMS options compare in RFP scoring against legacy client-server software?
Modern cloud-native platforms score substantially higher in infrastructure agility, total cost of ownership, and cyber resilience. By operating through web browsers with zero desktop client installations, platforms like our sister company Exspeedite eliminate terminal server licensing, expensive database administrators, and tedious manual version upgrades while providing native REST API connectivity.