November 2026 ARK TMS Update: Faster Quotes, Clearer Appointments, and Closeout

October’s releases help you turn RFQ emails into quotes, distinguish requested appointments from confirmed bookings, and see which completed trips need closeout. Here’s what’s new in ARK TMS for November, including clearer load conversations, tracking invitations, and billing.

Give completed trips their own Closeout queue

The load board now has a Closeout tab alongside Available, Pending, and Dispatched. Once the final stop has both arrival and departure times, the load moves out of the active Dispatched view and into Closeout.

Your team still chooses Deliver and Bill. If an earlier stop is missing its arrival or departure time, the load shows INCOMPLETE, and that action stays disabled until the times are corrected. Loads with every stop recorded show READY.

Dispatch can focus on freight still moving while the team closing out deliveries has a queue of its own.

Build quotes with less entry and clearer margins

Drop an RFQ email into Spot Quotes and ARK can use AI to fill supported shipment details from its text, including stops, timing, equipment, dimensions, weight, and stated requirements. It fills only empty, untouched fields and leaves your edits in place. Review the result before creating the quote; missing or uncertain details can remain blank.

Quote Customer and Edit Quote now use margin percentages. Enter a target margin and the customer price updates; change the price and the margin follows. A $1,000 carrier cost at a 20% margin produces a $1,250 customer quote and $250 in profit.

The profit display shows dollars, with the margin in the pricing field. Saved quote prices keep their precision when you reopen them. Margin calculations appear when there is a known carrier cost in the same currency as the quote.

For Available loads, Market now brings bids and Max buy into the same view as lane history and any enabled market-rate sources. Review the lane, edit your maximum buy, and work the bids without switching between History and Bids.

Keep appointment requests and confirmed bookings clear

Use APPT for a requested appointment, then mark Confirmed when the booking is agreed. Requested and confirmed timing stay separate, so you can compare the booking with the request. A date-only request can stay date-only until you have a time.

Open the focused appointment editor directly from a load card or a pickup or delivery cell on the board. Confirm a single booked time without opening the full load editor, and return to the same load when you’re done.

Keep the load conversation together

The new Notes tab brings the load’s internal note and its chronological notes feed into one place. Author names and times give each message context, while dispatch events show when a carrier was assigned, canceled, or replaced.

Edit the internal note in place, or add a message to the feed. Notes remain available after delivery, and archived loads keep a read-only history. That makes it easier for the next person taking over a load to pick up the conversation.

Send tracking requests drivers can receive

The driver picker now distinguishes a driver who is signed in to ARK Tracking from one who has been invited but has not signed in. The phone icon reflects whether the app is ready to receive tracking requests.

When a linked driver cannot receive an app request, ARK sends an SMS invitation so the driver can open the app and accept tracking. A previous invitation no longer prevents a fresh text invitation when the app is not ready.

Match billing to the way your brokerage works

October added more control over charges, supporting documents, and collections:

• Daily charges: use Per Day for storage or layover with a daily rate and the number of days you enter.
• Percentage charges: choose % of Linehaul or % of Subtotal for customer charges, depending on whether the percentage applies to linehaul or the full pre-tax subtotal. Multiple subtotal percentages use the same base rather than compounding.
• Deductions: the customer Deduction charge reduces the invoice amount. Carrier pay also gains a Late Paperwork Fee deduction.
• Delivery photos: select Product Delivery Photo in a customer’s required packet files. Photos have their own file type, satisfy that requirement, and join the billing packet separately from the proof of delivery.
• Billing filters: narrow A/R to a customer or A/P to a carrier or factoring company, including Paid records.
• Collection reminders: include customer references and an invoice CSV with original, paid, and open amounts. Add a missing Collections email during reminder review, and choose whether to attach the CSV for each email.

Find the records and shipment details you need

Locations now has multi-select Customer and State / Province filters, including a No customer option. Combine them with search to find a customer’s facilities or narrow the list to the regions you work.

Factoring companies now have a profile with remit-to information, payment details, notes, linked carriers, and activity. Open it directly from a carrier’s profile when you need to check the relationship.

The bill of lading generator also supports a freight Class for each commodity line, so mixed-class shipments can carry the detail on the document.

Put October’s improvements to work on your next quote, delivery, or billing run.