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Freight broker migration guide

Switch from Descartes Aljex to ARK TMS

Descartes Aljex is a broker-focused cloud TMS commonly paired with other Descartes products for visibility, capacity, carrier, and connectivity. ARK TMS is a strong option for brokerages that want a modern broker operating system and can map those network services to ARK’s supported providers. The core work is dependency discovery: determine which outcomes come from Aljex itself and which come from MacroPoint or another Descartes product.

Book a DemoReview the evaluation plan

Current public positioning

Start with the platform you actually use

Descartes describes Aljex as a cloud, brokerage-focused TMS. Official customer material highlights order entry, lane-rate comparison, covering loads, rate confirmation, carrier acceptance, dispatch, EDI, back-office automation, and combinations with MacroPoint visibility and other Descartes services.

Read Descartes freight broker TMS overview

Descartes Aljex may remain the better fit when

  • You depend on a tightly connected Descartes stack for Aljex, MacroPoint, carrier tools, capacity, or messaging.
  • Your existing Aljex configuration, EDI, and back-office automations are reliable and well understood.
  • Descartes network breadth is a strategic requirement for the brokerage.

ARK deserves the next proof session when

  • You want the broker load and provider state presented in a modern ARK operating workflow.
  • You can replace or reconnect Descartes services through ARK-supported integrations and explicit ownership.
  • You want to validate carrier, tracking, documents, billing, QuickBooks, and reporting in one proof load.

Fit and proof

Descartes Aljex and ARK: what to verify

This is an evaluation framework, not a feature-count scorecard. Current contracts, plans, configurations, and integrations can change what either system supports.

Decision areaDescartes AljexARK TMSAcceptance test
Core TMS and networkAljex is a broker TMS that can be combined with Descartes visibility, carrier, capacity, and connectivity products.ARK is a broker TMS with provider-specific integrations whose status remains visible in the operating record.Separate the Aljex license from every Descartes and third-party service used around it.
Tracking and exceptionsDescartes commonly presents Aljex with MacroPoint for real-time visibility and automated tracking.ARK supports configured tracking workflows, including MacroPoint, with load-level status and events.Test consent, activation, location, milestones, exception alerts, customer visibility, and failed tracking.
EDI and order entryDescartes customer material describes EDI/API integration and streamlined load building in Aljex.ARK supports EDI work, but trading-partner certification and operating fallbacks must be scoped.Replay an order, acknowledgment, status sequence, document, and invoice with negative cases.
Back-office flowAljex is positioned with automated back-office operations and freight-broker financial workflows.ARK supports billing, carrier payable work, reports, audits, and QuickBooks Online handoff.Reconcile one load through customer invoice, carrier bill, payment state, and general-ledger handoff.

Evaluation plan

Prove the switch with one representative load

Use the same people, source records, and acceptance criteria in both systems. A guided demo is useful; a completed workflow is stronger evidence.

  1. 1

    Define the test

    Choose a real lane, customer, carrier profile, document set, and accounting path.

  2. 2

    Create the load

    Enter or import the order, assign ownership, and confirm the operational fields.

  3. 3

    Source the carrier

    Test the load-board, carrier, rate, safety, and confirmation steps you actually use.

  4. 4

    Run execution

    Validate statuses, tracking, exceptions, documents, and team handoffs.

  5. 5

    Close the loop

    Generate the billing records and reconcile the supported accounting handoff.

Migration sequence

Move from Descartes Aljex without guessing at cutover

Confirm export rights, archive requirements, open-load ownership, provider credentials, and acceptance criteria before the prior system changes.

  1. 1

    Draw the Descartes system map

    Identify Aljex, MacroPoint, MyCarrierPortal, capacity tools, messaging, EDI, APIs, and other products or contracts.

  2. 2

    Map broker records and automations

    Document customers, carriers, loads, teams, lanes, rates, status rules, documents, alerts, and back-office actions.

  3. 3

    Choose provider destinations

    For each Descartes or third-party service, decide reconnect to ARK, retain externally, replace, or retire.

  4. 4

    Certify data exchange and tracking

    Test EDI, APIs, tracking activation, events, exceptions, and customer updates before moving live freight.

  5. 5

    Reconcile operations and finance

    Complete open-load, document, invoice, carrier bill, and reporting acceptance before the final account transition.

Data scope

Export before access changes

  • Customers, carriers, contacts, teams, lanes, rates, loads, and status history
  • Aljex documents, forms, alerts, back-office rules, and report definitions
  • MacroPoint and other tracking identifiers, events, consent, and exception data
  • EDI partners, API connections, Descartes services, and third-party credentials
  • Invoices, carrier bills, payments, accounting identifiers, and audit history

Cutover controls

Name each risk and owner

  • Assuming a Descartes capability belongs to Aljex when it is a separate product or contract
  • Moving loads without preserving external tracking references and consent state
  • Treating EDI as complete after only a successful happy-path order
  • Closing access before documents, reports, and audit history are retrievable

ARK evidence

Inspect the workflow behind the pitch

Truckstop posting workflowRMIS carrier evidence workflowQuickBooks Online accounting workflowShipment tracking workflow

Migration FAQ

Questions to settle before leaving Descartes Aljex

Can ARK TMS continue using MacroPoint after leaving Aljex?

ARK supports a MacroPoint tracking integration, but provider access, commercial terms, credentials, configuration, and load-level activation must be confirmed. Test the full tracking and exception workflow before cutover.

What is the hardest part of an Aljex migration?

The difficult part is often distinguishing the Aljex core from surrounding Descartes and third-party services. Build a contract and data-flow map before estimating effort so visibility, carrier, capacity, EDI, and back-office dependencies are not missed.

Should old Aljex loads be imported into ARK?

Import the history required for daily service, claims, collections, compliance, and reporting. Older records can remain in a verified read-only archive if users can search and retrieve the associated documents after production access changes.

Prove the fit

Test ARK against your Descartes Aljex workflow

Bring one representative load, the integration list, required exports, and the people who own each handoff. Leave with documented fit, gaps, and next steps.

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