Real-time visibility for you and your customers
Carriers send their updates straight into alpha-TMS. You follow every shipment and keep your customers updated.
Live visibility in one place
Updates from your carriers land on each order as they happen, so the live status of every shipment sits in one overview. Instead of logging into each carrier's own track-and-trace system, you follow your complete transport operation from a single place.
What a carrier connection to alpha-TMS adds
Any carrier can take part from day one using their free account. Manual working is always available, and it is what lets you onboard any carrier, whatever their size or system.
A carrier connection to alpha-TMS via API or EDI is the optional next step, typically taken when volumes are high. Where a carrier is connected, the full set of below updates comes in automatically, with no effort on either side:
01
Booking confirmation and booking number
02
Collection date and time
03
Live ETAs
04
Track-and-trace links
05
Proof of delivery, as both a document and a link
06
Actual delivery date and time
In practice, carriers working manually almost always confirm bookings and sometimes enter a delivery date. A connection captures the rest automatically, turning track and trace into a complete, real-time picture of every shipment.
Live ETAs keep you ahead of delays
Where a carrier sends live ETAs, alpha-TMS compares them against the requested delivery date and automatically updates the order status to early or late. You see which shipments are at risk while there is still time to act, instead of finding out once a delivery has already run late.
This is the forward-looking side of delivery performance. Once an order is delivered, the actual result is recorded against the planned date, with a delay reason where relevant, building the structured data behind your OTIF reporting.
View order management
Keep your customers informed
As an order moves through alpha-TMS, you can share its progress with your own customer at each step:
Scheduled for transport, when the carrier confirms the booking.
Collected, when the goods are picked up.
ETA, when the carrier shares an estimated time of arrival.
Delivered, when they arrive at their destination.
Proof of delivery, once the POD is added.
You decide, per customer, which updates they receive. Where the carrier has shared a track-and-trace link with alpha-TMS, it can be included in these updates, so your customer can follow the shipment in real time. Fewer "where is my order" enquiries reach your customer service, and your customers get the visibility they expect.
Key track & trace functions
Live order overview
The status of every shipment, across all carriers, in one place.
Automatic updates
Data from connected carriers lands on the order without manual entry.
Early/late flagging
Orders flagged automatically when an ETA differs from the requested delivery date.
Track-and-trace links
Follow each shipment in real time through the carrier links.
Proof of delivery
PODs attached to the order, as a document or a link.
Collection and delivery confirmations
Recorded on the order as they happen.
Customer updates
Share milestones with customers, with the track-and-trace link included.
Timeline
Every status change, update and message logged on the order.
Track and Trace Software
Alpha-TMS gives shippers real-time track and trace across their entire carrier network. For carriers connected by API or EDI, status updates, ETAs, track-and-trace links and proof of delivery flow into alpha-TMS automatically and land on each order, while live ETAs automatically flag orders as early or late. Shippers follow every shipment from one place, without logging into separate carrier portals, and can keep their own customers informed at each step, from booking confirmation through to proof of delivery. By bringing tracking from every carrier together in a single overview, alpha-TMS delivers full real-time visibility over outsourced road transport, from collection to delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about alpha-TMS
How does track and trace work in alpha-TMS?
Alpha-TMS collects status updates, ETAs, track-and-trace links and proof of delivery from carriers and displays them on each order as they arrive. For connected carriers, this happens automatically. For carriers working manually, they enter updates through their free account or via a secure link on each order.
Do all carriers need to be connected via API to provide tracking?
No. Any carrier can take part from day one using a free alpha-TMS account and manual updates. A digital API or EDI connection automates the flow of updates, but manual working gives you booking confirmations and delivery dates in almost every case.
Can I keep my customers updated through alpha-TMS?
Yes. Alpha-TMS lets you share shipment milestones with your own customers — such as booking confirmation, collection, ETA and delivery. Where the carrier has shared a track-and-trace link, it can be included in these updates so your customer can follow the shipment in real time.
What happens when an ETA shows a shipment will be late?
Alpha-TMS automatically compares incoming ETAs against the requested delivery date. If the ETA indicates a late delivery, the order status is updated to 'late' so you can see which shipments are at risk while there is still time to act.
Does alpha-TMS prefer certain carriers?
No. We are fully independent and have no agreements with carriers. This means we have no preference — the interest of our clients is always our top priority.
Where are track-and-trace links and PODs stored?
Track-and-trace links and proof of delivery documents are stored directly on the order in alpha-TMS. They appear in the order timeline alongside all other updates, so the full history of each shipment is always visible to everyone involved.