To celebrate 10 years of helping forwarders thrive, we’re unpacking 10 of the biggest shifts in global freight—one list at a time.
Choosing freight software is no longer just about ticking off feature boxes—it’s about ensuring your team can actually use it, your clients get value, and your business stays agile as the industry evolves. But most RFPs still ask outdated or surface-level questions.
This post breaks down the 10 most strategic questions to ask when evaluating freight tech platforms in 2025—questions that separate game-changers from legacy tech in disguise.
1. “Will My Team Actually Use This?”
Why it matters: A powerful platform means nothing if your ops team hates logging into it. Adoption is the #1 killer of ROI in logistics tech. Clunky interfaces, steep learning curves, or confusing workflows guarantee low usage.
What to look for in a great answer:
- A UI/UX designed for non-technical users
- Fast onboarding, with guided training and in-app support
- Real usage stats from similar-sized clients
💡 Pro Tip: Ask for a live demo using a real shipment workflow—not just a marketing slide deck.
2. “How Fast Can I Start Seeing Value?”
Why it matters: Long implementation timelines kill momentum. SMBs and mid-sized forwarders don’t have the luxury of 6-month rollouts. You need real value—fewer emails, faster updates, better client UX—within weeks, not quarters.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Go-live timelines under 30 days
- Clear milestones: when you’ll see visibility, automation, or billing benefits
- No-code configuration to reduce IT dependency
⏱️ Pro Tip: Ask what % of customers go live within the first month.
3. “Does Modal Coverage Justify the Cost?”
Why it matters: End-to-end visibility sounds great, but it’s expensive. Do you really need inland depot updates for every FCL shipment—or are you paying for features that clients don’t even use?
What to look for in a great answer:
- Option to start with core ocean visibility and expand as needed
- Clear pricing breakdown by feature or modal
- Real usage data showing what % of clients actually track inland/last mile
🚚 Pro Tip: Ask how the tool handles transshipment points and final-mile exceptions.
4. “Can My Customers Use It Without Calling Me?”
Why it matters: Clients now expect Amazon-style experiences—real-time tracking, self-serve documents, and instant shipment status. If they still have to call or email for updates, your visibility solution is failing.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Branded customer portal with live ETAs and milestones
- Easy access to invoices, PODs, and shipment documents
- Configurable access levels per client or shipment
📦 Pro Tip: Test the client experience by logging in as a customer. Would you pay more for that experience?
5. “Should I Integrate—Or Go Modular?”
Why it matters: Integrations can add power—but also complexity and cost. If your team isn’t ready for deep integration, a modular platform may offer faster ROI with less risk.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Support for both integrated and non-integrated use
- Modular features you can use “out of the box”
- Real examples of clients using it standalone vs. fully integrated
🔌 Pro Tip: Ask for a demo that shows how a typical shipment flows without integrations. You’ll quickly see how plug-and-play it really is.
6. “What Happens When a Carrier Doesn’t Send Data?”
Why it matters: Even the best platforms break down if carrier feeds go silent. That’s why backup methods and exception handling matter.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Redundant data sources (e.g., AIS, terminal feeds, port APIs)
- Automatic alerts for missing milestones
- Manual override options with audit trails
🛑 Pro Tip: Ask how the system flags “no update in 48 hours” and how your ops team gets notified.
7. “Can I See Exceptions Before My Customer Does?”
Why it matters: Delayed ETDs, rolled bookings, and transshipment issues can kill trust. If your client sees the problem before you do, your visibility tool isn’t working—your ops team is firefighting.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Proactive alerts for vessel delays, port congestion, or blank sailings
- AI-powered ETA revisions based on real-world variables
- Exception dashboards with risk scoring or color flags
🚨 Pro Tip: Ask if they can simulate a shipment disruption and show how your team would be alerted.
8. “Can Non-Tech Teams Run This Without Constant Support?”
Why it matters: Freight tech should empower ops teams—not create new IT bottlenecks. Tools that require constant support or dev time will slow you down.
What to look for in a great answer:
- No-code config for workflows and alerts
- Built-in documentation and in-app guidance
- Real examples of ops teams running the system solo
🧑💼 Pro Tip: Talk to a CS rep, not just sales. They know where most users get stuck—and how long it really takes to get comfortable.
9. “Is This Built for Freight, or Just Rebranded SaaS?”
Why it matters: Some tools rebrand SaaS basics with a freight sticker—but their pricing model assumes enterprise logistics complexity. You pay per BL or container, but the feature set doesn’t match.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Freight-native logic (INCOTERMS, rollovers, transshipments)
- Transparent per-container or pay-as-you-go pricing
- Evidence the tool handles real-world freight exceptions
💸 Pro Tip: Ask how their pricing works for a shipment with 4 containers and 1 BL. If it’s unclear—or flat per-container—it’s time to dig deeper.
10. “What Happens If I Outgrow the Platform—or It Outgrows Me?”
Why it matters: A tool that works today may fail you tomorrow—especially if pricing balloons or features stagnate. Think beyond your current scale.
What to look for in a great answer:
- Transparent pricing as volumes or seats grow
- Clear product roadmap (ask to see it!)
- Optional add-ons, open APIs, or sandbox environments
🔁 Pro Tip: Ask about the biggest customer that left—and why. Their answer will reveal more than the sales deck.
Ready to Ask Smarter Questions?
Whether you’re evaluating a new partner or auditing your current stack, these 10 questions separate flashy demos from real ROI. In a volatile market, your freight software must do more than look good—it needs to scale, flex, and deliver daily operational clarity.
🚀 If you’re ready to ask the hard questions—and get better answers—book a visibility demo with Tradlinx. We’ll show you how smarter software can work harder for your freight.
Why overpay for visibility? TRADLINX saves you 40% with transparent per–Master B/L pricing. Get 99% accuracy, 12 updates daily, and 80% ETA accuracy improvements, trusted by 83,000+ logistics teams and global leaders like Samsung and LG Chem.
Prefer email? Contact us directly at min.so@tradlinx.com (Americas) or henry.jo@tradlinx.com (EMEA/Asia)
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