Protect what runs your company.
Tested 3-2-1-1-0 backups, disaster recovery plans, rapid-response on-site and remote IT support, and STC University staff training.
Your Strong Tower in Freight Technology · Est. 2008
Who helps a trucking company with TMS selection, implementation, and freight IT?
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC is a Minnesota freight technology consulting firm founded July 29, 2008 by Scott Elliott. The firm advises carriers, brokers, and private fleets on TMS selection, implementation, data, and IT strategy. Consulting does not require a software purchase. Exspeedite LLC is a separately organized sister company under common ownership and builds EXSPEEDITE TMS.
When a carrier, broker, or private fleet decides to buy freight transportation software, the product is EXSPEEDITE TMS freight transportation software from Exspeedite LLC, a separately organized sister company under common ownership. Founder Scott Elliott. More than 18 years in freight technology.
- Independent advisory
- No software purchase required
- Freight-only focus since 2008
Our Practices
What freight systems consulting services does Strong Tower provide?
Strong Tower delivers twenty-four specialized freight systems consulting and trucking IT consulting services across five practice groups, from boardroom IT strategy and 24/7 dispatch uptime to SQL lane profitability and go-live delivery.
Enterprise Advisory Architecture
Strong Tower 5-Practice Group Enterprise Advisory Architecture Matrix
How our five core practice groups operate together to eliminate technical debt, safeguard cash flow, and ensure mission-critical freight operational stability:
| Practice Group | Core Advisory Scope & Focus | Key Freight Deliverables & Artifacts | Direct Motor Carrier Operational Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 / Strategy & Alignment 7 Services · Executive Governance |
C-level technology roadmap, software vendor evaluation, IT capital allocation, M&A fleet due diligence, and fractional CIO leadership. | 3-Year Freight IT Roadmap, TMS Vendor Scoring Matrix, Technology Debt Audit, M&A Technical Risk Dossier. | Aligns IT expenditures directly with carrier profitability; stops costly software misbuys and ill-fitting vendor contracts. |
| 02 / Process & Project Delivery 6 Services · Operations & Cutover |
Workflow re-engineering, dispatch order-to-cash streamlining, legacy TMS modernization, end-to-end implementation governance, and database migration. | Swimlane Process Maps, Requirements Specification, 5-Phase TMS Data Migration Plan, Go-Live Cutover Runbook. | Eliminates terminal re-keying; ensures on-time, on-budget cutovers with zero lost dispatches or stranded revenue. |
| 03 / Data, Integration & Financial Systems 5 Services · Revenue & Telematics |
Tariff matrices, fuel surcharge automation, automated general ledger synchronization, SQL data mining, custom Crystal Reports, and ELD/EDI connectivity. | Dynamic Rate Matrix, QBO/Sage Intacct Real-Time Bridge, Lane Profitability Cubes, EDI 204/214/210/990 Specifications. | Shortens billing cycles from 14 days to same-day delivery; captures 100% of billable accessorials and eliminates unbilled revenue. |
| 04 / Infrastructure, Security & Support 3 Services · Resilience & Enablement |
3-2-1-1-0 immutable backups, ransomware defense, rapid-response carrier support SLAs, and role-based dispatcher/billing onboarding. | Disaster Recovery Runbook, Backup Verification Protocol, 15-Minute Critical Severity SLA, STC University Curriculum. | Guarantees near-zero unplanned downtime; protects enterprise transportation data against catastrophic ransomware and hardware failure. |
Commercial Freight Systems Architecture vs. Public DOT/ITS ARC-IT
When we speak of Commercial Freight Systems Architecture, we mean the private-sector enterprise technology stack that runs motor carriers, freight brokerages, and 3PLs, distinct from the public-sector USDOT/ITS Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT) used for municipal traffic and highway infrastructure. Our freight systems consulting and trucking IT consulting practices focus on three non-negotiable carrier realities:
- 24/7 Dispatch Uptime & Disaster Recovery (DR): Immutable 3-2-1-1-0 backups, SQL failover readiness, and 15-minute Severity 1 escalation so dispatch boards and EDI tenders never stall.
- Driver PII & Ransomware Defense: Hardening CDL records, SSNs, medical certificates, and settlement ledgers against ransomware, credential compromise, and unvetted remote access.
- Lane Profitability & Margin Forensics: Direct SQL data mining across TMS, ELD, and fuel card tables to surface true revenue per mile, deadhead drag, and unbilled accessorials.
How We Work
How does Strong Tower deliver trucking IT consulting engagements?
Every engagement follows four disciplined phases, Analyze, Streamline, Deliver, and Sustain, built on the freight floor regardless of which TMS or accounting platform you run today.
Analyze
We assess your company through its technology, data, and workflows: what's working, what's costing you, and where the gaps are.
Streamline
We redesign processes and align technology to your business goals, with a clear roadmap your leadership can act on.
Deliver
We manage the project to completion: planning, cutover, go-live, and accountability on time, scope, and budget.
Sustain
Training, support, and ongoing advisory so the gains hold and your team gets the full value of its systems.
Our Independence
We are not here to sell you more software. We are here to make your business run better.
Our consulting never requires buying our software. We work with the platforms you have: legacy or modern, packaged or homegrown. Our sister company, Exspeedite, builds transportation software, but it operates as its own company. If you ever ask us about software, you'll get an honest answer, including when another product is the better fit.
Why Strong Tower
Why do motor carriers choose Strong Tower for commercial freight systems architecture?
Carriers choose Strong Tower because we combine builder-level database depth with strict advisor-level independence, with more than 18 years of field-proven execution since 2008.
Independent
Recommendations based on what's best for your company, never on a license sale.
Builder-level depth
We build transportation software, so we understand freight systems down to the database. That depth goes to work on your systems.
Field-proven since 2008
Conversions, upgrades, and go-live weeks on site with carriers across the country.
Integrity first
A Christian company built on integrity, service, and loyalty. We go the extra mile to earn long-term relationships.
Leadership
Led by people who have lived freight technology.
Scott Elliott
Founder & PresidentScott founded Strong Tower Consulting in 2008 after years on the ground floor of carrier software training, implementations, and project management. He leads the firm's advisory practice and is the architect behind Exspeedite.
Full profileDuncan Stickings
Head of DevelopmentDuncan brings 20+ years of software development, project management, and quality assurance. He formerly led Training & Installation at Maddocks Systems, coordinating installs and go-lives for carriers across North America.
Full profile
In Our Clients' Words
Trusted on the freight floor since 2008.
Carriers and brokers have trusted Strong Tower Consulting with conversions, upgrades, go-lives, and day-to-day support. These are excerpts from the letters they sent us.
I am very impressed with Scott Elliott and the depth of his knowledge as well as concerted effort to be a true business partner of ours.
Insights
Straight answers on freight technology.
Practical guides from the people who have run the go-lives, cleaned the data, and untangled the interfaces.
Technology Decisions
How to Choose a TMS Without Getting Sold
Requirements, scoring, demo scripts with your own data, and the contract questions that matter.
Read the guide Data & ReportingLane Profitability with SQL
Revenue per mile, deadhead, and margin by lane and customer from the data you already have.
Read the guide OperationsThe TMS Go-Live Checklist
From data conversion to the first settlement run, phase by phase.
Read the guide
Our Companies
Advisory and software under one roof.
Two companies, one ownership, one standard. Our consulting stands on its own; our software company is there if you ever want it.
Strong Tower
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC · Minnesota · Est. 2008
- Strategy & Alignment6 services
- Process & Project Delivery5 services
- Data & Intelligence3 services
- Infrastructure & Support3 services
Exspeedite
Exspeedite LLC · A Strong Tower company
- EXSPEEDITE TMSEnterprise transportation management
- Weekly BriefingFree 5-min market audio & fuel telemetry (exspeedite.com/briefing ↗)
- CheckPointApp-less outside carrier tracking (Console ↗)
- PipelineShipper & customer tracking portal
- TMS ArchitecturePlatform & rating evaluation (Evaluation Guide ↗)
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.”Proverbs 18:10
Our name is a promise. When systems fail, projects stall, or growth outpaces your technology, Strong Tower is the firm you can rely on: steady, honest, and there when it counts.
We are a Christian company. Our values of integrity, service and support, loyalty, teamwork, and work/life balance shape how we treat every client and every engagement.
The story behind our name
About Strong Tower
What should a carrier know before calling Strong Tower Consulting?
Who helps a trucking company with TMS selection, implementation, and freight IT?
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC is a Minnesota freight technology consulting firm founded July 29, 2008 by Scott Elliott. The firm advises carriers, brokers, and private fleets on TMS selection, implementation, data, and IT strategy. Consulting does not require a software purchase. Phone +1-763-244-1373. Sites: https://strongtoweronline.com/ and https://exspeedite.com/.
Does consulting with Strong Tower Consulting require a software purchase?
No. Consulting does not require a software purchase. Strong Tower Consulting works with the TMS, ELD, EDI, and accounting systems a carrier already runs. Exspeedite LLC is a separately organized sister company that builds EXSPEEDITE TMS, and hiring the consulting firm does not require buying that software.
What does Strong Tower Consulting do for carriers, brokers, and private fleets?
The firm advises carriers, brokers, and private fleets on TMS selection, implementation, data, and IT strategy. Work includes business analysis, project management, SQL data mining and reporting, data protection, support, and training. Engagements follow four phases: Analyze, Streamline, Deliver, and Sustain.
How is Strong Tower Consulting related to EXSPEEDITE TMS?
Exspeedite LLC is a separately organized sister company under common ownership and builds EXSPEEDITE TMS. Strong Tower Consulting, LLC provides the consulting. A consulting engagement stands on its own and does not require a software purchase. Sites: https://strongtoweronline.com/ and https://exspeedite.com/.
Can Strong Tower Consulting help if we do not use EXSPEEDITE TMS?
Yes. Most consulting is on the systems clients already run, including Truckmate and other transportation systems, plus ELD, EDI, and accounting platforms. Advice does not depend on buying EXSPEEDITE TMS.
Is this the Strong Tower Consulting in Washington State?
No. Strong Tower Consulting, LLC of Minnesota (https://strongtoweronline.com/) is the freight technology consulting firm founded by Scott Elliott on July 29, 2008. Phone +1-763-244-1373.
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