The Freight Industry’s Dirty Secret: Ageing TMS Tech
When the Market Moves—Does Your TMS Keep Up?
If you’re a UK freight forwarder, you’re probably feeling it more than ever: the squeeze. Margins are tighter, customers more demanding, and every week seems to bring a new disruption—from Red Sea route closures to container shortages in Asia to strikes in mainland Europe.
And through it all, you’re meant to be agile, responsive, and efficient. But what happens when the very system you rely on to keep things ticking is the thing slowing you down?
Too many forwarders are still relying on outdated Transport Management Systems—those on-premise behemoths that were built in the early 2000s and haven’t kept pace with a market that’s shifting by the hour.
Let’s be honest. If your TMS still needs a VPN to access or can’t pull live data from your carriers, you’ve got a problem.
What’s Changed in Freight? (Almost Everything)
It’s not just the software that’s ageing—the whole logistics game has changed.
1. More Complexity, Less Predictability
From Brexit customs delays to global port congestion, forwarders today have to manage more uncertainty, more moving parts. Your TMS needs to be the nerve centre—connecting, tracking, flagging. If it’s not giving you live data or alerts, it’s just another silo.
2. Digital Customer Expectations
Shippers now expect the same seamless experience they get from Amazon—track and trace, live updates, and zero paper trails. If your TMS can’t give them visibility without a dozen phone calls or spreadsheets, you’re losing ground.
3. Sustainability Isn’t Optional
With Scope 3 emissions reporting becoming a contractual requirement for many UK businesses, being “green” isn’t just PR—it’s procurement-critical. If your TMS isn’t helping you track and reduce carbon output, your clients may soon go elsewhere.
Legacy TMS: Still Holding the Fort—or Holding You Back?
Let’s break this down. What’s actually going wrong with traditional TMS platforms?
| Feature | Legacy TMS | Modern TMS (e.g. CocoonOPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Local desktop, VPN | Cloud-based, browser login |
| Integration | Limited APIs, manual data input | Full API suite, plug-and-play |
| User Experience | Clunky interfaces, steep learning curves | Intuitive design, quick onboarding |
| Updates | Infrequent, expensive upgrades | Continuous updates included |
| Reporting | Static reports, limited filters | Real-time dashboards, customisable exports |
| Carbon Tracking | Non-existent | Built-in CO₂ calculators (e.g. CocoonCarbon®) |
You wouldn’t run a modern warehouse on pen and paper. So why run your operations on a TMS that was built when Blackberry was cutting-edge?
CocoonOPS: Built by Freight People, for Freight People
Here’s where CocoonOPS comes in. This isn’t just another cloud system trying to repackage old workflows. It’s a platform built around how freight forwarders actually work—fast, reactive, and constantly juggling new client needs.
Let’s take a closer look at what CocoonOPS brings to the table:
1. Seamless Integration Without the Headaches
Ever had to manually copy shipment data from your TMS into a customs platform, then again into a finance system? That’s hours lost every week—not to mention the typos and mismatches.
CocoonOPS was built API-first, meaning it plugs into your existing ecosystem—whether that’s CHIEF, CDS, Descartes, accounting software, or customer portals. No more duplicating data. No more switching between screens.
Better still, it’s been tested and integrated with platforms UK forwarders actually use—not just theoretical connectors dreamed up in a dev lab. If it matters to your workflow, CocoonOPS probably talks to it.
2. Reporting That Actually Tells You Something
Legacy systems tend to give you data. CocoonOPS gives you insight.
Want to know your average container dwell time over the past 6 months? Done. Looking to benchmark your team’s performance by branch or client? Easy. Need to send a customer a weekly KPI report with branded visuals? You can export it with a click.
The system’s reporting engine isn’t just powerful—it’s human-friendly. No SQL queries, no dragging fields around for hours. Just filters, selections, and export. So your operations manager can actually make decisions, not just stare at columns.
And for the finance team? The ability to match shipment profitability against costs, fuel surcharges, and demurrage in one place is game-changing.
3. Built-in Sustainability with CocoonCarbon®
Here’s the thing: carbon tracking used to be a “nice to have.” Now it’s on RFQs. Large shippers, especially those dealing in FMCG and retail, are demanding emissions reports down to shipment level.
With CocoonOPS, you’re not left scrambling for estimates or hiring consultants. The built-in CocoonCarbon® module tracks emissions per shipment, based on mode, distance, and cargo weight—giving you automatic calculations for every leg of the journey.
Need to show a CO₂ comparison between air and sea routes for a client? It’s in the system. Want to track monthly emissions per customer? Already there.
And because it’s all embedded in your workflow, your operations team doesn’t have to become climate scientists to use it.
Why Freight Forwarders Are Making the Switch
So, why are more and more UK forwarders jumping ship from legacy platforms?
- Speed – New clients are on-boarded in days, not months.
- Control – You can configure workflows to suit your operation, not the other way around.
- Service – Support that doesn’t treat you like a ticket number (real humans, based in the UK).
- Development – Features evolve monthly, based on real user feedback—not biannual updates.
As one user recently put it, “We didn’t realise how much time we were wasting until we stopped wasting it.”
So Why Do Some Still Stick With the Old?
Honestly? Fear. Fear of data migration. Fear of user training. Fear of breaking something that mostly works.
And that’s understandable. Moving systems can be painful. But here’s the truth: the pain of staying static is growing faster than the pain of change.
CocoonOPS gets that. That’s why they offer migration support, sandbox environments, and staggered rollouts—so you’re not jumping into the deep end. You’re walking in gradually, with someone holding the torch.
Let’s Be Blunt—The Market’s Only Getting Tougher
Rates will continue to yo-yo. Shippers will expect more for less. Regulators will demand cleaner data. And the forwarders who are still fiddling with spreadsheets, waiting 3 days for reports, or fighting old UI bugs—they’re going to fall behind.
There’s a saying in logistics: “You’re only as good as your last shipment.”
But maybe it should be: “You’re only as good as your system lets you be.”
Final Thought: Are You Running a Freight Business or a Museum?
If your TMS is more ‘historical archive’ than operational engine, then it might be time to rethink things.
Modern TMS platforms like CocoonOPS aren’t just about tech—they’re about freeing your team to focus on what really matters: service, growth, and resilience.
Because in a world where shipping conditions change overnight, your software shouldn’t be the reason you can’t keep up.
🚨 Still Using a Legacy TMS? That’s a Risk You Can’t Afford.
You wouldn’t run your trucks on bald tyres. So why run your business on outdated software?
The market won’t wait, and neither should you. Every week you delay is another week of lost visibility, clunky workarounds, and missed opportunities.
CocoonOPS was built for forwarders who are done with excuses.
✅ Fast implementation
✅ No-nonsense onboarding
✅ Real humans at the other end of the phone
See what modern TMS should feel like. Book your demo now — not “sometime next quarter” — now.
👉 Request a Demo Today — and start running your ops the way they should run.