You have more in your system than you know
A modern TMS is like a Swiss army knife. It can handle the demands of even the most complex trucking operation, and because it is complex, most companies never use its full capabilities. As our original site put it: there is a lot to the software, and you have more there than you know.
The gap usually comes from how people learned the system in the first place. Someone was trained at go-live years ago. They trained the next person, who trained the next. Each handoff dropped a few features and added a few workarounds. Today your team re-keys data the system could import, builds spreadsheets for numbers the system already calculates, and fixes billing errors that a proper setup would prevent.
Ask yourself:
- Do your people really know the software ins and outs that automate daily tasks, speed up data entry, reduce errors, and improve planning?
- Is there a powerful feature in the software, one your people are unaware of, that could be just what they need to be more effective?
- When a dispatcher, biller, or payroll clerk leaves, does their knowledge leave with them?
- Are new hires learning your procedures, or just copying the habits of whoever sits next to them?
Training is the most direct way to leverage the investment you have already made in your transportation software. The sooner people are trained, the sooner the savings start.
STC University: how we train
STC University is the name we have long used for our software training classes. It is not a library of recorded videos. These are real trainers who answer questions and tailor the program to fit your people, your configuration, and the way your company actually moves freight.
On-site classes for larger groups
For larger classes, we come to you with a customized program built around your needs. That gets your team up to speed as cost-effectively and as quickly as possible. On-site training works especially well for:
- Go-live preparation, when a whole department must be ready on day one (see TMS Implementation & Go-Live)
- Upgrades and new modules that change how a department works
- Department-wide refreshers when error rates or cycle times creep up
- Standardizing procedures across terminals or after an acquisition
Remote training for individuals and small groups
For smaller groups and individuals, we offer live online training. A trainer works directly with your people on their own screens, which suits new-hire onboarding, one person taking over a new role, or a quick deep dive on a single workflow. Remote sessions also make follow-up easy after an on-site class.
Scott had the knowledge, skills, and tools to train our staff and do necessary hardware setup remotely.
Role-based training tracks
People learn fastest when training matches the job they do every day. We build each program around roles, using your setup, your customers, and your procedures as the examples.
| Role | What we cover |
|---|---|
| Order entry & customer service | Customer and location setup, order entry shortcuts, quotes, load tenders and EDI 204 handling, track and trace, and status updates to customers |
| Dispatch & planning | Dispatch boards, driver and power unit assignment, trip planning, empty and loaded miles, deadhead, check calls, ELD and HOS visibility, and exceptions |
| Billing & AR | Rating and tariffs, fuel surcharge, accessorials and detention, invoice review, EDI 210, credit and rebill, AR aging, and collections follow-up |
| Payroll & settlements | Pay codes and pay rules, owner-operator settlements, deductions and advances, settlement statements, and closing a pay period cleanly |
| Safety & compliance | Driver qualification records, DVIR follow-up, accident and claims records, IFTA data, and compliance reporting |
| Maintenance | Equipment records, work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, parts, and repair and maintenance reporting |
| Management | Reading the reports that matter: revenue per mile, margin by customer and lane, utilization, and AR, plus how to ask the system better questions |
What a training program includes
- Needs review. We talk with department leads, watch how work is done today, and look at the system configuration. We find where people struggle, where errors start, and which features go unused.
- Program design. A tailored outline by role, built on your data and procedures, with a schedule that keeps the trucks moving while people learn.
- Delivery. Hands-on classes on site or live remote sessions. Trainees work real scenarios, not generic demos.
- Reference material. Quick guides and step-by-step procedures written for your configuration, so knowledge stays in the building after the class.
- Follow-up. Short remote check-ins to answer the questions that only come up once people are back on the floor.
Making training stick
A class that is forgotten in two weeks is an expense, not an investment. We design for retention from the start:
- Your data, your screens. Trainees practice on scenarios drawn from your own customers, lanes, pay rules, and tariffs, ideally in a test copy of your system so nobody is afraid to click.
- Short and focused. Sessions are scheduled around the freight day, so dispatch isn't pulled off the board during the morning rush and billing isn't in class during month-end close.
- Procedures in writing. Every class leaves behind step-by-step guides that match your configuration, which become the starting point for training the next hire.
- Internal champions. We identify one or two power users per department and give them extra depth, so day-to-day questions have an answer in the building.
- Check back. After people have used the system for a few weeks, we look at where errors still appear and run short follow-up sessions to close the gaps.
Where training uncovers a setup problem rather than a people problem, such as a rate table that forces manual overrides or a report that no longer matches the business, we flag it and fix it or route it to the right practice, such as Reporting & Business Documents.
Independent by design
Strong Tower Consulting never requires you to buy our software. We train your people on the systems you already own, because the goal is getting more out of your existing investment. Our sister company, Exspeedite, builds transportation software, which is part of why our trainers understand how these systems are designed to be used.
Experience behind the training
Training has been part of Strong Tower from the start. Our founder, Scott Elliott, came up through ground-floor carrier software training, implementations, and project management. Our Head of Development, Duncan Stickings, formerly led Training & Installation at Maddocks Systems, coordinating installations, training, and go-lives for carriers across North America. Our team has years of experience training clients on how to get the most out of transportation software, and much of it was earned during go-live weeks, when training has to work the first time.
His knowledge of Truckmate and PeopleNet are beneficial. He has done our Truckmate upgrades, worked with us on Mobile Comm and now Repair & Maintenance.
Our work has also reached beyond freight. One educator wrote to us:
Your professionalism and support was beyond expected, it was exceptional!!!
Who this is for
Carriers, brokers, 3PLs, and private fleets that want their people to get more from the systems they run, especially if you are:
- Preparing for a go-live, upgrade, or new module
- Onboarding new dispatchers, billers, or payroll staff and want them productive sooner
- Seeing billing errors, rebills, or settlement corrections that trace back to how the system is used
- Running a long-standing system that people learned by word of mouth (see Legacy TMS Advisory & Migration)
- Changing workflows after a process optimization project and need the new way to stick
Training pairs well with an On-Site & Remote Support agreement, where short sessions for new hires can be part of each regular visit.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer on-site training or remote training?
Both. For larger classes we offer on-site training and customized programs. For smaller groups and individuals we offer live online training. Either way, you work with real trainers, not automated programs.
Which software do you train on?
We train on the transportation software you already run, including Truckmate and other TMS platforms, plus the reports, interfaces, and supporting tools around it. We confirm the specific modules and versions with you before we build a program.
Can training be tailored to each department?
Yes. Training is role-based. Dispatch, customer service, billing, payroll and settlements, safety, and management each learn the workflows they actually use, built around your configuration and your procedures.
Do you train new hires as well as existing staff?
Yes. We run onboarding for new hires, refresher training for experienced staff, and focused sessions when you add a module, upgrade, or change a process.
Do we need to buy software from you to get training?
No. Strong Tower Consulting is independent. We train your people on the systems you already own so you get more from that investment. Buying our sister company's software is never a requirement.
Truckmate is a trademark of its respective owner (Trimble Inc.). PeopleNet is a trademark of its respective owner. Strong Tower Consulting is an independent consulting firm and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Trimble, TMW Systems, or PeopleNet.