Automatic general ledger account coding. ■ Account codes can be automatically assigned to freight expenses through shipper- defined programmed logic. Ability to create carrier payments. ■ Once freight invoice data has been audited and processed, it is exported for carrier payment. Data analysis and reporting capabilities. ■ Probably the greatest benefit to these programs is the ability to easily query, analyze, report, and export logistics information. This function is invaluable for tracking freight costs including fuel expenses; allocating costs to account codes, customers, and vendors; and producing volume reports by shipping lane for carrier negotiations. CT Logistics, Cleveland, Ohio, provides outsourcing as well as technology solutions for shippers that choose insourcing. “Some companies’ senior management philosophies dictate FBAP as a core competency,” says CT Logistics President Allan Miner. Depending on their shipping volumes, some clients license CT
Logistics’ FreitRater freight bill audit, payment, and management reporting system for in-house use, while others use FreitRater as a remotely accessed Software-as-a-Service solution. The system determines transportation rates both for pre-shipment routing and accrual information, and post-shipment pre-audit. It also checks for duplicate billings and matching processes for authorized shipments and freight payments. ABC Logistics, Greensboro, N.C., blurs the lines between service provider and user: the company licenses National Traffic Service’s TrafficPro software program to aid its own shipper customers. Electronically receiving and auditing invoices has produced significant results. “The ability to receive invoices electronically via EDI transfer has saved countless hours of data entry,” says Bryan Fary, vice president of ABC Logistics. “Since we’ve been using the product, it has nearly paid for itself in time and labor savings.”
charge, customized reports or services may incur a nominal fee. There might also be monthly fees for Internet services or graphic and mapping reports. “Reporting services will no doubt be the most valuable to clients,” says Lynch. “The modern freight bill payment pro- vider is a supply chain information company with a wealth of accumu- lated data about its clients’ shipping practices.” “The cost savings realized from the data analysis and reporting services make them a wise decision for virtually any company,” adds Oswald. CREATING A WIN-WIN For many companies, outsourc- ing could be the most economical way to properly audit and process freight invoices. “Once companies bring us in to pro- cess their bills, they wish they had done it a long time ago,” says Bryan Fary, vice president, ABC Logistics Inc., Greensboro, N.C. “Companies with any number of freight invoices can benefit
from using a third-party freight pay- ment company. ABC Logistics has customers with as few as 25 freight bills a week that see the advantages of using an FBAP company.
“Certainly, the customers with hun- dreds of freight invoices see the savings,” he continues. “Outsourcing to a freight payment company is a win-win situa- tion for shippers.” ■
Looking to Streamline and Automate Your Freight Bill Payment Process?
Our TrafficPro Software C ould be Just What You’re Looking For!
If you’re looking to audit and pay your freight bills yourself, our TrafficPro System is the product for you! TrafficPro was designed to eliminate all duplicate payments and overcharges for your truckload, LTL, parcel shipment and airfreight bills. And customized reports are easily generated to allow you to track your logistics activity. Contact us today!
800-775-8253 ext. 206 www.trafficprosoftware.com
September 2009 • Inbound Logistics 107
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