Running a growing fleet requires a dispatch tool that can handle many moving parts. If you’re looking at Truckbase alternatives, you’re probably realizing that spreadsheets and basic apps can’t keep up once you’re managing dozens — or even hundreds — of trucks. Fleets searching for Truckbase alternatives usually need a TMS with automation, real-time visibility, and built-in accounting that can scale without extra manual work.
In this article, we’ll look at what Truckbase does well, where it falls short for mid-sized and large carriers, and which alternatives are worth considering. We’ll also show how PCS Software stands apart as a full, all-in-one transportation management system (TMS) built for carriers, brokers, and shippers.
What Is Truckbase and Who Is It For?
Truckbase is a lightweight transportation management tool designed primarily for small trucking companies. Its main appeal is simplicity: fleets moving off whiteboards and spreadsheets can use Truckbase to digitize basic dispatch tasks, assign loads, and message drivers without a complicated setup.
For very small carriers — typically those under 25 trucks — Truckbase provides:
- Load creation and dispatch: A straightforward way to build and assign loads.
- Driver communication: Digital messaging so dispatchers aren’t relying on endless calls and texts.
- Quick onboarding: A cloud-based system that’s easier to adopt than legacy TMS platforms.
That makes it a good fit for first-time technology buyers — family-owned carriers or regional operators who need structure but don’t yet require full enterprise-level functionality.
However, Truckbase is not built for fleets running 26 trucks or more, where challenges around accounting, compliance, optimization, and scalability quickly outgrow basic dispatch tools. Mid-sized and large carriers need deeper automation, integrated financials, and reporting capabilities that Truckbase doesn’t provide.
Why Fleets Outgrow Truckbase
Once your fleet begins to scale, the limitations of Truckbase show up quickly. Mid-sized and large carriers need advanced automation, built-in compliance tools, and integrated financial management capabilities that Truckbase does not provide in a single platform.
Here are the main reasons fleets outgrow Truckbase:
- No integrated accounting – Truckbase lacks GAAP-compliant accounting, driver settlements, and payroll. Growing fleets end up juggling multiple systems or relying on QuickBooks, which isn’t designed for trucking.
- Manual-heavy workflows – Load planning, document capture, and invoicing require extra steps. That slows down cash flow and increases errors.
- Limited scalability – Truckbase isn’t built for multi-division operations, intermodal, or fleets with multiple offices. Once you expand, it struggles to keep pace.
- Compliance risks – There’s no built-in Hours-of-Service tracking, IFTA reporting, or preventative maintenance scheduling — all critical once your trucks are running across states and borders.
- Lack of real-time visibility – Without integrated GPS/ELD data or customer portals, dispatchers and shippers don’t get the end-to-end transparency they expect.
Truckbase is effective for small fleets, but carriers running 26 to 100+ trucks often search for Truckbase alternatives because its limited automation, accounting, and compliance features slow growth. At that point, the smarter move is to evaluate a true Truckbase alternative that unifies dispatch, finance, fleet management, and compliance under one platform.
How RDX Grew Faster With a Truckbase Alternative
RDX LLC, a 100-truck carrier based in Tennessee, faced a challenge familiar to many growing fleets: slow cash flow. Manual invoicing and delays in collecting driver paperwork often pushed billing back by days, extending their days sales outstanding (DSO) and creating unnecessary strain on operations.
When RDX adopted PCS Software as their Truckbase alternative, the impact was immediate:
- Automated invoicing: PCS generated invoices as soon as loads were delivered, cutting the invoicing cycle by up to seven days.
- Driver mobile document capture: Using the PCS Mobile app, drivers submitted proof of delivery in real time, eliminating lost paperwork and reducing rebills.
- Integrated accounting and dispatch: Financial data flowed directly from operations, eliminating double entry and improving accuracy.
- Faster cash flow: With clean, timely invoices, RDX reduced DSO by 8–12 days.
As a result, RDX gained the liquidity needed to fuel further growth while improving back-office efficiency and customer service. For fleets that have outgrown Truckbase, RDX’s story shows how PCS delivers the automation and financial control required to scale profitably.
Why PCS Is the Best Truckbase Alternative for Your Fleet
Truckbase helps very small carriers get organized. But once you’re managing 26, 100, or even 500+ trucks, its limitations create roadblocks. PCS is the Truckbase alternative designed for fleets that need automation, financial control, and scalability.
Here’s how they compare:
| Feature | Truckbase | PCS Software |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch and load Management | Basic load creation and driver messaging | Full multi-modal dispatch, AI-driven optimization (Cortex), mobile dispatch |
| Accounting and billing | No built-in accounting; relies on external tools like QuickBooks | GAAP-compliant accounting, automated invoicing, driver settlements, payroll |
| Automation | Limited; manual-heavy workflows | End-to-end automation: dispatch, invoicing, compliance, document capture |
| Compliance and fleet management | Minimal tools for HOS, IFTA, or maintenance | Preventative maintenance scheduling, HOS tracking via ELD, IFTA reporting |
| Driver experience | Basic communication | PCS Mobile app with real-time updates, ePOD, payroll transparency |
| Scalability | Best for <25 trucks | Proven for 26–1,000+ trucks across multiple divisions and modes |
| Cash flow | Invoices are delayed by manual processes | Faster billing, reduced DSO by 8–12 days for fleets like RDX |
Truckbase works as a starter tool, but fleets comparing Truckbase alternatives usually choose PCS because it supports larger operations with dispatch, accounting, compliance, and automation in one system.
Ready to see how PCS can transform your operations?
Schedule a demo today and discover why carriers, brokers, and shippers trust PCS to keep trucks rolling and profits growing.
FAQ
Mid-sized and large carriers often compare PCS Software, McLeod, Trimble, and Rose Rocket. PCS stands out with all-in-one TMS functionality.
Truckbase works for small carriers with under 25 trucks. Fleets with 26+ trucks typically outgrow it and need advanced automation, accounting, and compliance tools.
PCS combines dispatch, accounting, compliance, and fleet management in one TMS. It automates workflows, improves cash flow, and scales from 26 to 1,000+ trucks.
Yes. PCS Mobile provides real-time driver updates, proof-of-delivery capture, payroll transparency, and two-way communication between drivers and dispatch.
PCS automates invoicing and integrates accounting, helping carriers cut Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) by 8–12 days — as seen with RDX LLC’s results.
