Who we work with, and who we don't
There are many kinds of trucking consultants, and the word covers very different work. Some help a new owner-operator get authority. Some run DOT compliance audits and safety programs. Some are freight brokers' sales coaches. We are none of those. Strong Tower is a trucking technology and business consulting firm, and our clients are operating companies.
We are a fit if you are:
- An asset-based carrier running a TMS (or a legacy system you have outgrown), with dispatchers, billing clerks, a payroll or settlements person, and a safety or maintenance function.
- A freight brokerage or 3PL with a load board, carrier onboarding, EDI customers and an accounting system that has to tie out.
- A private fleet inside a manufacturer or distributor that needs its transportation systems to talk to the ERP, the warehouse and the drivers.
- A leadership team that knows the business is running on workarounds, spreadsheets and one person who "knows how the system works."
What we do not do
Strong Tower does not do new-authority startup setup: no MC or DOT number applications, no BOC-3 process agent filings, no UCR registration, no new-entrant packages. We also do not perform DOT compliance audits or act as a safety compliance service. If that is what you need, a compliance or startup specialist is the right call, and we would rather tell you now than waste your time.
What a trucking technology consultant does
In a freight company, the business runs through its systems. Every order, rate, mile, stop, accessorial, fuel purchase, settlement and invoice is recorded in a TMS, an ELD platform, a fuel card portal, an imaging system or the accounting package. When those systems are set up well and connected, the office runs quietly. When they are not, you pay for it in re-keying, billing holds, settlement disputes, missed detention, late 214s and reports nobody trusts.
A trucking technology consultant works on that layer. In practice, our work falls into four groups.
Strategy and alignment
Deciding what the business needs from technology over the next few years, and making sure systems serve the operation instead of the other way around.
- IT Strategy & Planning: a technology roadmap tied to your growth plan, budget and risk.
- Business & Technology Alignment: connecting your goals and KPIs to the systems that produce them.
- Business Management Consulting: operations reviews, margin, cash flow and growth planning seen through your data.
- TMS Selection & Advisory: requirements, scripted demos and vendor-neutral scoring.
- Fractional Freight CIO: senior technology leadership on a part-time basis.
- Carrier M&A Tech Due Diligence: what you are really buying when you buy a fleet's systems and data.
Process and project delivery
Getting the work done: streamlining workflows, running projects and taking systems live without disrupting freight.
- Business Process Optimization: order-to-cash, dispatch and settlement workflows with fewer touches.
- Business Analysis: requirements, current-state and future-state mapping that the whole team signs off on.
- Project & Program Management: plans, owners and checkpoints so projects land on time.
- TMS Implementation & Go-Live: configuration, data conversion, parallel testing and go-live week.
- Legacy TMS Advisory & Migration: stabilize, optimize or exit an older system.
Data and intelligence
Getting the truth out of your database and moving data between systems without hands on keyboards.
- SQL Data Mining & Analytics: lane profitability, customer margin, utilization and deadhead from the tables you already have.
- Reporting & Business Documents: Crystal Reports, SQL and BI for invoices, settlements, aging, costing and financial statements.
- ELD, EDI & Back-Office Integration: ELD and telematics, EDI 204/990/214/210, accounting and fuel card feeds.
Infrastructure and support
Keeping the lights on and people productive.
- Data Protection & Business Continuity: backups you have actually restored, MFA and a plan for the bad day.
- On-Site & Remote Support: help when the system stops, including fixed-price monthly on-site agreements.
- Training & Enablement: role-based training for CSRs, dispatch, billing, payroll and management.
When to hire a trucking consultant
Most carriers do not call a consultant because things are calm. These are the situations where outside help pays for itself fastest:
- You are about to choose a new TMS. A wrong selection is expensive to unwind. Independent requirements and scripted demos protect you from buying the best sales presentation.
- A go-live is coming. Data conversion, opening balances, rate tables, driver pay rules and EDI maps all have to be right on day one.
- Your legacy system is fragile. The person who built the custom reports left, upgrades keep getting postponed, and nobody is sure what breaks if you touch it.
- Billing and cash lag freight. Loads deliver but invoices wait on paperwork, rate mismatches or accessorial approvals, and DSO keeps stretching.
- Leadership cannot get straight numbers. Operations, accounting and sales each have their own version of revenue per mile.
- Settlements cause driver complaints. Pay rules live in someone's head, and every settlement week brings corrections.
- You are buying or merging with another fleet. Two systems, two charts of accounts and two ways of paying drivers have to become one.
- You have no senior technology person. The owner or controller is making system decisions on top of a full-time job.
Engagement models
We scope work to fit the problem, not a package. Most clients use one or more of these models. Read How We Work for the full detail.
| Model | Best for | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Assessment | Knowing where you stand before spending money | Interviews, workflow walk-throughs, system and data review, then written findings with ranked recommendations |
| Defined project | A TMS selection, implementation, migration, report build or integration | Written scope, deliverables, plan and checkpoints |
| Ongoing advisory | Companies without a senior technology leader | Fractional freight CIO time on a regular cadence: roadmap, vendors, budget and projects |
| Support and training | Keeping users productive and systems healthy | Remote or on-site help, monthly on-site agreements and role-based classes |
What does it cost?
We do not publish a rate card, because a two-week report project and a year-long TMS replacement are different animals. Work is scoped and priced after an assessment, once we understand your operation, systems and goals. You get the scope, deliverables and pricing in writing before anything starts, and no engagement requires buying software.
How to evaluate a trucking consultant
Whether you hire us or someone else, ask these questions. A good trucking consultant should answer every one without hesitation.
- Have they worked inside carrier operations? Ask them to explain how a split load settles, how FSC is calculated against a DOE index, or how a 204 change should update an existing order. Generic IT firms struggle here.
- Are they independent? Ask whether they resell software, earn referral fees, or have a related company that sells a product. If they do, ask how they keep advice separate.
- Will they tell you not to buy something? The best advice is sometimes "fix your setup, keep your system."
- Can they work in your data? Ask whether they can write SQL against your TMS database and build reports themselves, or whether they hand you off.
- Who does the work? Meet the people who will be on site and in your system, not just the person selling.
- How do they scope? Expect a written scope with deliverables and checkpoints. Be wary of open-ended hourly work with no defined outcome.
- What happens at go-live? Ask whether they are physically present for cutover week and what the post-go-live support plan is.
- Do they leave you stronger? Documentation, trained staff and handover should be part of every engagement, so you are not dependent on them forever.
- Can you talk to past clients? Ask for references and call them.
Strong Tower has worked with carriers since 2008. Founder and president Scott Elliott started on the ground floor of carrier software training, implementation and project management. Head of development Duncan Stickings previously led training and installation for a major TMS vendor, coordinating installations and go-lives across North America. Read more on our leadership page and see what clients say.
Freight segments we serve
Each segment runs freight differently, and the systems have to follow. We work across:
- Truckload: dispatch, utilization, deadhead and mileage pay.
- LTL: terminals, linehaul, P&D and freight bills.
- Brokerage & 3PL: carrier sourcing, margin per load and carrier pay.
- Intermodal & Drayage: container tracking, last free day, per diem and chassis.
- Private Fleet: ERP integration, cost allocation and service levels.
- City Cartage: high stop counts, routing and same-day billing.
- Specialized & Heavy Haul: permits, escorts and complex rating.
Independent by design
Strong Tower Consulting never requires you to buy software. Exspeedite is a Strong Tower company that builds a TMS, which is why we can read the data in yours. Our job is a better-run operation, not a software sale. If the answer is more training or a cleaner setup instead of new licenses, we will tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Do you help new trucking companies get their MC and DOT numbers?
No. Strong Tower Consulting does not do new-authority startup setup, such as MC and DOT number applications, BOC-3 process agent filings or UCR registration, and we do not perform DOT compliance audits. We work with operating carriers, brokers and private fleets that already run systems and staff.
What does a trucking technology consultant actually do?
A trucking technology consultant looks at how freight moves through your systems, from order entry and dispatch to billing, driver settlements and accounting, and fixes what slows it down. That can mean selecting or implementing a TMS, stabilizing a legacy system, building reports from SQL data, connecting ELD and EDI feeds, protecting data, training staff, or acting as a part-time freight CIO.
How much does a trucking consultant cost?
It depends on scope. Strong Tower scopes and prices work after an assessment, once we understand your operation, systems and goals. Engagements can be a defined project, an ongoing advisory arrangement or support time, and you see the scope in writing before work starts.
Do we have to buy software to work with Strong Tower?
No. Strong Tower Consulting is independent advisory. Our sister company, Exspeedite, builds a TMS, but our consulting never requires buying it. We work with the systems you already have and recommend changes only when they pay off.
What types of freight operations do you work with?
Truckload, LTL, brokerage and 3PL, intermodal and drayage, private fleets, city cartage, and specialized and heavy haul operations.
How do we get started?
Call 763-244-1373, use the contact form, or request a Technology Assessment. Most work starts with a conversation and an assessment of your operation, followed by written findings and a scoped recommendation.