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Freight broker migration guide

Switch from Kuebix TMS to ARK TMS

Kuebix by FreightWise currently positions itself as a multimodal TMS for midmarket and larger shippers, with planning, execution, visibility, analytics, carrier rates, and managed transportation options. ARK TMS is a materially different product: a broker-centered system for managing customer freight, carriers, margin, documents, tracking, billing, and accounting handoff. Confirm that the desired future state is brokerage operations before planning a switch.

Book a DemoReview the evaluation plan

Current public positioning

Start with the platform you actually use

FreightWise acquired Kuebix in 2023 and now markets Kuebix as a full-featured SaaS TMS for midmarket and larger shippers. The current site emphasizes multimodal planning, carrier communication, tracking, business intelligence, carrier contracts, and managed transportation.

Read Kuebix by FreightWise product page

Kuebix TMS may remain the better fit when

  • Your main job is shipper-side freight planning, carrier rate shopping, audit, and managed transportation.
  • You rely on Kuebix multimodal shipper workflows or FreightWise services and contracts.
  • You do not operate a freight brokerage with customer, carrier-payable, and margin workflows.

ARK deserves the next proof session when

  • You are building or running a brokerage and need both customer and carrier sides of each load.
  • You need broker margin, carrier assignment, rate confirmations, tracking, documents, invoicing, and accounting handoff.
  • You want direct control of a broker workflow instead of a shipper or managed-transportation operating model.

Fit and proof

Kuebix TMS 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 areaKuebix TMSARK TMSAcceptance test
Buyer and workflowKuebix is currently positioned to midmarket and larger shippers managing freight and carrier relationships.ARK is positioned to freight brokerages managing customer revenue and carrier cost on each load.Model one shipment with customer charge, carrier cost, gross margin, documents, and invoice approval.
Modes and ratingKuebix promotes multimodal planning, rapid rate retrieval, carrier contracts, and managed transportation.ARK supports broker freight workflows; required rating engines and mode-specific automation must be validated.Test every mode and rating source in your real mix, especially LTL and parcel dependencies.
Financial recordKuebix highlights freight audit, invoice data, analytics, and shipper transportation cost control.ARK tracks customer and carrier financial work and can hand supported records to QuickBooks Online.Reconcile customer revenue, carrier expense, accessorials, margin, invoice, and bill for one load.
Service dependenciesKuebix customers may use FreightWise carrier contracts or managed transportation services.ARK is software for broker operations; provider agreements and transportation services remain separate.Identify every contract, negotiated rate, and managed service that does not transfer with software data.

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 Kuebix TMS without guessing at cutover

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

  1. 1

    Confirm the future operating model

    Decide whether the destination is a shipper TMS, a brokerage TMS, or a combined business that needs separate processes.

  2. 2

    Inventory FreightWise dependencies

    Record managed transportation, carrier contracts, audit services, rate sources, integrations, and support arrangements.

  3. 3

    Transform shipper records for brokerage

    Map shipments, carriers, facilities, rates, costs, documents, and invoices into customer and carrier sides of ARK loads.

  4. 4

    Validate modes and financials

    Prove the actual truckload, LTL, parcel, intermodal, or expedited mix and reconcile the financial result.

  5. 5

    Cut over only covered workflows

    Retain or replace any shipper optimization, managed service, or rate capability that does not belong in ARK.

Data scope

Export before access changes

  • Shippers, facilities, carriers, contracts, lanes, rates, and service levels
  • Shipments, stops, items, freight classes, tracking, exceptions, and documents
  • Audit data, invoice records, allocation fields, and analytics definitions
  • ERP, carrier, EDI, API, and rate-source connections
  • FreightWise services, contracts, negotiated rates, and operational responsibilities

Cutover controls

Name each risk and owner

  • Choosing a brokerage TMS for a business that primarily needs shipper optimization
  • Assuming carrier contracts or managed services transfer with exported data
  • Losing LTL, parcel, or intermodal rating dependencies during a truckload-focused test
  • Failing to create the customer-revenue side of records that began as shipper transportation costs

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 Kuebix TMS

Is Kuebix still part of Trimble?

No. FreightWise states that it acquired Kuebix from Trimble in 2023. Current commercial, support, service, and product questions should be verified with Kuebix by FreightWise.

Is ARK TMS a Kuebix replacement for shippers?

ARK is built for freight brokerages, not as a general shipper transportation-optimization platform. It is a relevant alternative when the future-state business is brokerage operations. Shipper-side multimodal planning, parcel, rate shopping, or managed transportation needs require separate validation.

What is most likely to stay outside ARK after a Kuebix switch?

FreightWise managed services, negotiated carrier contracts, certain rate sources, ERP connections, freight audit processes, and shipper-specific optimization may remain external or need replacement. Treat each as a contract and workflow, not just a data field.

Prove the fit

Test ARK against your Kuebix TMS 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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