Who we are
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC was founded in Minnesota in 2008. From the beginning, the firm has served one industry: freight transportation. Our clients are trucking companies, LTL carriers, brokers, 3PLs, and private fleets, and the people we work with are the owners, CFOs, operations managers, and IT managers who keep those businesses moving.
Our original website put the goal simply: "Our goal is to give high quality services to our clients, through our knowledge, experience, customer skills, and personal integrity." That is still the job. The tools have changed since 2008. The standard has not.
In plain terms, here is what we do. We look at how your company actually runs: how an order becomes a load, how a load becomes an invoice, how a driver gets paid, how the numbers reach the people who make decisions. We find where your technology helps that flow and where it gets in the way. Then we fix it, manage the change, and stay long enough to make sure the gains hold.
Who we are, in one line
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC: freight transportation technology consulting, Minnesota, est. 2008, affiliated with Exspeedite.
We are not affiliated with other businesses that use the "Strong Tower" name in other industries or other states.
A freight-only focus
We are not a general IT shop that happens to have a trucking client. Freight is the only industry we serve, and that focus shapes every engagement. We speak the language of the dispatch floor and the back office: lanes, tariffs, accessorials, fuel surcharge tables, detention, driver settlements, IFTA, EDI 204/214/210/990, ELD and HOS data, deadhead, revenue per mile, AR aging. When we walk into your operation, you don't spend the first two weeks teaching us how freight works.
That focus comes from the field. Since 2008, our work has included TMS conversions, version upgrades, database migrations, staff training, custom reports, and on-site go-live weeks with carriers around the country. Our clients' own letters describe that work better than we can, and you can read them on our clients page.
Independent by design
Strong Tower Consulting is independent advisory. Our recommendations are based on what is best for your company, never on a license sale. We work with the systems you already have, whether that is a long-standing TMS, a newer platform, a homegrown system, or a stack of spreadsheets.
Years ago we wrote: "As a third party, we can offer a unique perspective. We are not selling you more products, rather we offer to help you get more out of your existing investment. If we don't think the answer is more licenses or features, we will tell you." We still mean it.
Independent by design
Strong Tower Consulting never requires you to buy our software. Our sister company, Exspeedite, builds transportation software, and that is exactly why we understand what's under the hood of yours. If staying with your current system is the right answer, we'll say so. If another product fits better, we'll say that too.
Four practice groups
Our services are organized into four practice groups that follow the life of a technology decision, from strategy through day-to-day support. See every service on the practices page.
| Practice group | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Strategy & Alignment | IT strategy and planning, business and technology alignment, business management consulting, TMS selection, fractional freight CIO, and carrier M&A technology due diligence |
| Process & Project Delivery | Business process optimization, business analysis, project and program management, TMS implementation and go-live, and legacy TMS advisory and migration |
| Data & Intelligence | SQL data mining and analytics, reporting and business documents, and ELD, EDI and back-office integration |
| Infrastructure & Support | Data protection and business continuity, on-site and remote support, and training and enablement |
Engagements follow a consistent model: analyze, streamline, deliver, sustain. You can read how that works in practice on How We Work.
Leadership
Strong Tower Consulting is led by people who have spent their careers inside freight technology.
- Scott Elliott, Founder & President. Scott founded Strong Tower Consulting in 2008. His background is in carrier software training, implementations, and project management, on the ground floor with trucking companies working to become more profitable. He is also the founder and architect of Exspeedite. Read Scott's profile.
- Duncan Stickings, Head of Development. Duncan brings 20+ years of software development with extensive project management and quality assurance experience. He was formerly head of Training and Installation for Maddocks Systems, which later joined with TMW, coordinating installations, training, and go-lives for transportation and logistics clients across North America. Read Duncan's profile.
Our companies
Strong Tower Consulting is the flagship of the Strong Tower companies. Its sister company, Exspeedite, builds transportation software: the EXSPEEDITE TMS, CheckPoint for outside-carrier visibility, and Pipeline customer portals. Exspeedite is a Strong Tower company. The two are separately organized companies under common ownership, and each is responsible only for its own obligations.
The consulting practice stands on its own. Exspeedite comes up in an engagement only if you ask about it. More on how the two relate is on Our Companies.
Our name and our values
Our name comes from Proverbs 18:10: "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." We are a Christian company, and the name is a promise we try to keep for every client: to be steady, honest, and there when it counts, especially when systems fail or a project is in trouble. Read the story behind our name.
Our mission is to deliver high quality IT solutions and services to our clients in the transportation & logistics industry, to go the extra mile, to exceed our clients' expectations, and to create loyal client relationships. Five values guide how we work: integrity, service and support, loyalty, teamwork, and work/life balance. Each one is explained on our mission and values page.
Working with Strong Tower
Most relationships start with a conversation and a Technology Assessment: a clear look at your systems, data, and workflows, and a practical path forward. Some clients engage us for a single project, such as a TMS selection, an upgrade, or a go-live. Others keep us on for ongoing advisory and support. Either way, you work directly with experienced people, not a rotating bench of junior staff.
If you run freight and your technology isn't keeping up with your business, we'd like to hear from you. Contact Strong Tower Consulting or call 763-244-1373.
Truckmate and TMW are trademarks of their respective owners. Strong Tower Consulting is an independent consulting firm and is not affiliated with or endorsed by those companies.