In the freight brokerage industry it’s important to maintain strong customer relationships to streamline shipping processes and grow your client base. A CRM platform is the perfect way to make the everyday more efficient and perpetuate a environment of good communication – in turn nurturing proper trust between you and your customer.
Top 8 Best Freight Broker CRMs
- Shipthis — Best CRM for Customisation
- SugarCRM — Best CRM for Any Size Business
- Sage CRM — Best All-Round CRM
- Bitrix24 — Best Budget CRM
- Zoho CRM — Best Adaptable CRM
- Pipeline CRM — Best CRM for Ease of Use
- Less Annoying CRM — Best CRM for Small Businesses
- Allotrac — Best CRM for Customer Support
1. Shipthis — Best CRM for Customisation
PRICING: Plans from $49/month.
Shipthis delivers a range of administrative and logistical tools designed to encourage business growth. Its CRM provides valuable insights into customer marketing and development.
KEY FEATURES:
- Customer lifecycle tracking
- Accounting modules
REASONS TO BUY:
- Highly customisable
- Handles all types of shipments
- Easily migrate data from other platforms
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks software development
2. SugarCRM — Best CRM for Any Size Business
PRICING: From $52/month/user.
Although disliked by some users for its clunky UI, SugarCRM is an effective platform for adapting to your business. As a freight broker you are likely looking to save time and effort, which SugarCRM looks to deliver on with its unique Sugar Market – a digital hub of project automation.
KEY FEATURES:
- Cloud portability
- Asset dashboard
- Sugar Market: automates tasks based on client engagement
REASONS TO BUY:
- Intuitive
- Scalable
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Pricing per user can get expensive for larger teams
3. Sage CRM — Best All-Round CRM
PRICING: On request.
Sage CRM is a global platform available for use across industries. For a freight brokerage it offers expansive data management and embedded customer service, so clients can quickly receive a response to queries and issues.
KEY FEATURES:
- Marketing and sales reports
- Team collaboration
- Inbuilt customer service
REASONS TO BUY:
- Reputed
- Organised interface
- Integration
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Frequent software bugs
4. Bitrix24 — Best Affordable CRM
PRICING: Free version, paid plans from $49/month.
Bitrix24 is primarily a project management platform with additional CRM capabilities. Its functions are basic, and as such unsuitable for companies with complex needs, but Bitrix24 nonetheless provides a sufficient service to smaller freight brokers.
KEY FEATURES:
- Channel management
- Automated sales and invoices
- Customisable CRM hub
- Virtual workspace
REASONS TO BUY:
- Cloud-based
- Budget-friendly
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Faulty integrations
- Only 5GB storage with free plan
5. Zoho CRM – Best Adaptable CRM
PRICING: Plans from $17.
A large and globally reputed software, Zoho CRM is easily adapted to the specific size and requirements of your business. Its functionality is efficient and easy for beginners to learn.
KEY FEATURES:
- Sales visibility
- Inventory management
- Customer communications hub
REASONS TO BUY:
- Easy to use
- Flexible
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Very limited features with lower price points
- Poor customer service
6. Pipeline CRM — Best CRM for ease
PRICING: From $12.50/month.
Pipeline offers efficient functionality primarily for small to medium sized businesses. It offers the fundamentals in customer relationship management, making it a sensible choice for users learning on the go, but for more complex tools it falls behind.
KEY FEATURES:
- Complete sales visualisation
- Integrations available
- Centralised dashboard
REASONS TO BUY:
- Sleek UI
- Easy to communicate with clients via different channels
- Substantial storage per user
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Not great value for money
7. Less Annoying CRM – Best CRM for Small Businesses
PRICING: Free 30-day trial, plans from $15/user/month.
Less Annoying aims to do exactly what its unique name suggests: simplify customer relationship management. The no-frills approach proves popular with users, and businesses report increased productivity resulting from the ease of completing tasks with Less Annoying.
KEY FEATURES:
- Daily task list distributed amongst users
- Updated client tracking
- Import from previous CRM platform
- Email integration
REASONS TO BUY:
- Saves time on data entry
- Affordable
- Free trial gives access to all features
- Easy to learn
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks overarching search function to locate files by keyword
- No mobile app
8. Allotrac — Best CRM for Customer Support
PRICING: On request.
A platform dedicated to management in the transport business, Allotrac prides itself on developing in line with client needs and suggestions. They’re further set apart from competitors by the provision of nuanced user advice to help users make the most of Allotrac’s tools.
KEY FEATURES:
- Real-time workflow visibility
- Document delivery for business and customer
- Daily checklist
- Integrates with accounting software such as Xero
REASONS TO BUY:
- Helpful and enthusiastic support team
- Features such as digitised invoicing saves time and labor costs
- Customisable
- Cloud-based
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks financial tools for end-to-end transport process
- Despite good support team, there is no basic written manual
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of a CRM platform?
The use of a CRM system brings your business into the modern day. By digitising the various spreadsheets, reports, and communication involved in business you ensure consistency and accessibility. In a chronically online world it is important to move into digital marketing campaigns, and be available to your clients even when miles apart.
The proper organisation of data allows you to fully know the client and your business history with them, which in turn proves your trustworthiness in a professional context.
How can a CRM help freight brokers?
The busy environment of a freight brokerage requires utmost organisation and diligence. A cloud-based CRM system can help organise disorder by coalescing various strands of the business into one place.
From the client’s perspective, it becomes easier to get in touch and liaise about shipments and scheduling. Improved customer experience can contribute to the growth of your business, as word of mouth and client retention keeps your client base healthy.
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