TMS Analytics: How Unishippers Helps You Turn Shipping Data Into Action

In the shipping and logistics industry, words like "data"; and "analytics"; get used constantly — especially by companies promoting their technology and capabilities. But what do those terms really mean for your business? Many providers promise powerful insights, yet it's not always clear what kind of data they deliver or how it can truly help you improve your shipping operations.

At Unishippers, we take a different approach. We believe data and transportation management system (TMS) analytics are only valuable if they help you make smarter shipping decisions. Here, we have asked our technology experts to explain how our myUnishippers™ TMS  turns raw information into practical, actionable insights you can use every day.

Powerful TMS Analytics with myUnishippers

Built for both parcel and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, myUnishippers gives you the clarity you need to optimize your shipping operations from end to end. With our TMS software analytics, you can:

• Track and evaluate performance by analyzing both past and current shipments to uncover trends and measure results.
• Visualize your shipping network with dashboards and heat maps that reveal top lanes, service levels and regional shipment density.
• Monitor carrier performance through detailed KPI reports such as on-time delivery rates and price per pound for LTL shipments.
• Forecast and plan ahead using predictive analytics in supply chain management to anticipate volume fluctuations and prepare for demand.
• Control costs by identifying inefficiencies and tracking "quoted versus billed charges"; to prevent unexpected fees and accessorials.
• Automate your reporting with scheduled updates — daily, weekly or monthly — so you always have the latest data at your fingertips.
• Enhance team productivity and customer satisfaction by giving everyone real-time visibility into shipments in transit, recent deliveries and overall performance.

MyUnishippers makes it easy to generate, schedule and share logistics analytics reports — giving you the freedom to manage your freight and parcel operations with confidence. With one intuitive dashboard and flexible reporting options, your parcel and freight TMS shipping data becomes a single source of truth that keeps you informed, efficient and ready for what's next.

Turning Data Insights Into Business Advantages

So, how exactly can all these TMS analytics help your business? It's not just about collecting numbers — it's about transforming them into insights that drive smarter, faster decisions. With myUnishippers and its powerful TMS reporting capabilities, you gain the information you need to optimize performance, control costs and deliver better service.

Here are a few real-world ways these insights come to life:

Predict or prevent fees and surcharges

One of the most useful TMS analytics tools is the "quoted versus billed"; report, which shows what you were originally quoted for a shipment and what it ultimately cost. If something changes in transit — for example, if a receiver needs a liftgate for an LTL delivery — an accessorial fee may be added.

"This helps reconcile the accounting on the back end and prevent the same thing happening in the future,"; says Sam Maupin, Senior Manager of Business Intelligence at WWEX Group. "If you ship to that recipient again, you know to include a charge for the lift gate in your next quote.";

Prepare for business fluctuations

With spend analytics showing monthly shipping costs and tracking reports that detail shipment volume, you can easily identify busy and slower periods.

"Some of our customers have to hire additional personnel to come in to help unload trucks during busy periods,"; says Megan Lukich, Director of Account Management at WWEX Group. "Our reports help them predict surges and know when inbound shipments are coming.";

This level of predictive analytics in supply chain management helps businesses plan staffing, manage capacity and meet compliance requirements. Tracking reports can also help ensure shipments with "must-arrive-by dates"; meet contractual deadlines.

Give a high-volume customer more attention

Sometimes data helps you deliver a more personalized experience — especially for a high-volume or detail-oriented customer. If you want to monitor every shipment going to a specific receiver, you can create a report subscription dedicated solely to that location. These targeted supply chain analytics allow you to stay one step ahead of your customer's expectations.

Make bookkeeping easier

In logistics, accounting rules require businesses to recognize goods in transit at month-end — even if they haven't yet arrived. MyUnishippers makes this simple by letting you set up automated end-of-week or end-of-month reports that estimate delivery timing and apply percentage-based accruals. These operational logistics reports streamline financial reconciliation and keep your records accurate.

Identify sales growth opportunities

Your shipping data doesn't just reflect past performance — it can point to future growth.

"Reports by lanes or by state help our customers identify which areas they're not shipping to as much,"; Lukich says. "That can tell you where you could market your products to help increase sales in those locations.";

This kind of freight spend analytics can highlight untapped markets and show where strategic outreach could drive new business.

Customizable data analytics

If you need insights beyond standard reports, Unishippers can tailor custom logistics analytics reports to fit your goals.

Lukich explains, "In addition to monthly or quarterly spend reports, we can pull two years or more worth of data. So, if you want to look at a longer length of time than standard reporting provides, we can get that to you.";

"We want to meet everyone's needs,"; Maupin adds. "One specific report we've set up is for a customer who has a lot of deliveries to one specific site and needs details about when they should expect pallets to arrive.";

And those special requests often inspire new features for everyone.

Maupin added, "Sometimes when people have new ideas, they're so good we want to implement for everyone. We're constantly evolving our offerings with our customers in mind.";

Personalized support

If you're unsure how to interpret your reports or want help turning insights into action, Unishippers has you covered. "Your franchise owner can explain what the data means,"; Maupin says.

For instance, when reviewing spending, it's not always clear whether your shipping costs are on track — especially when every commodity is different.

"If you're shipping ping pong balls and comparing it to someone who's shipping refrigerators, it's totally different.";

That's where expert support makes the difference. Unishippers can benchmark your supply chain performance KPIs against similar businesses to give you a clearer, more meaningful evaluation of your data.

Get Actionable Insights With Unishippers' TMS Analytics

If you're ready to make smarter, data-driven shipping decisions, Unishippers' logistics experts are here to help. MyUnishippers is a freight TMS and parcel TMS, all in one place — giving you the tools to analyze shipping performance, monitor carrier KPIs and uncover new opportunities for savings and efficiency.

Whether you need help interpreting your logistics analytics reports, setting up automated dashboards or benchmarking your results against similar shippers, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

At Unishippers, we're passionate about helping SMBs simplify logistics, improve visibility and grow confidently. See how myUnishippers can help you turn data into decisions that drive results. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with one of our shipping experts!