Diesel TMS

Diesel TMS is a transportation management system for trucking and freight brokerage, built for owner-operators, small fleets, and growing brokerages. It brings dispatch, driver workflows, and accounting into one product; its free plan is unusually open on capacity, while paid plans add ad-free use and dedicated support.

Overview

Diesel TMS combines trucking and brokerage operations, covering load management, dispatch, quoting, rate confirmations, driver updates, and accounting. That range makes it a sensible fit for businesses that want these core workflows together rather than split across separate tools. It is less compelling for teams that need broader mobile platform coverage: the driver app is available for iOS, alongside the web platform.

The company says it operates across multiple datacenters and locations for redundancy, and guarantees less than five minutes of downtime per month. That commitment will matter to dispatch operations that depend on system availability, though it is not a substitute for assessing the fit of the workflows themselves.

Key features

Dispatch and driver workflows

Dispatchers can manage loads, assign dispatches, quote, and create rate confirmations. The driver app handles load assignment notifications, tracking, status updates, and geofenced automatic updates, as well as document access, scanning, and log book entries. This gives drivers a practical set of load and paperwork tasks on the road, but Android is not among the supported platforms.

Accounting and integrations

Accounting includes double-entry bookkeeping with a general ledger, invoicing, payment receipts, carrier and vendor payments, and ACH file downloads. QuickBooks Online two-way integration can connect bookkeeping workflows, while 123Loadboard, MyCarrierPortal, email, and factoring integrations extend its operational connections. Zapier works on every plan, including free, and connects Diesel TMS with over 6,000 apps. The no-cost API provides create, read, update, and delete access to core data, which gives businesses another route to connect their systems.

Customization and access

A rate confirmation builder, customizable load list and interface, dark mode, logo upload, and white labeling offer useful control over daily presentation and documents. More than 500 permission settings plus customer and carrier portals can help businesses shape access for different roles and external partners. The breadth is promising for growing operations, although teams with unusually specific processes should confirm that the permissions and customization meet their needs.

Support and file limits

The free plan includes phone, email, and chat support, along with tutorials and onboarding. A file-size distinction matters for document-heavy teams: Basic uploads are capped at 2 MB, while paid Flex and Pro plans allow 35 MB per file. That may make paid plans the practical choice when scanned paperwork or other large files are routine.

Pricing

Diesel TMS offers a free plan and two paid options. All three include standard features, but the paid plans remove ads and include a dedicated account representative and support.

• TMS Unlimited — free: Unlimited users, loads, customers, carriers, trucks, drivers, and quotes, with no credit card required. It is a strong starting point for small operators and brokerages that want to use standard features without seat or load caps. The trade-offs are ads, the Basic 2 MB file limit, and no dedicated account representative.
• TMS Flex — $0.40 per contact: Billed per user, per hour, accruing only while logged in, with no minimum. It includes standard features, no ads, and a dedicated account representative and support. This suits operations with variable usage that prefer charges to track logged-in time; costs can vary with that usage.
• TMS Pro — $40 a month: Billed per user, per month, with standard features, no ads, and a dedicated account representative and support. Its fixed monthly cost per user is easier to budget than hourly billing, but may be less suitable for teams with occasional users.

Flex and Pro both allow 35 MB uploads per file. The free plan’s unlimited operational counts are generous, but they do not remove the file-size limit or the paid plans’ ad-free and dedicated-support advantages.

Platforms

Diesel TMS is available on the web and iOS. The iPhone and iPad app supports the driver workflow, while the web platform serves the broader system. Businesses whose drivers rely on Android should consider whether this platform coverage fits their operation.

Who it's for

Owner-operators, small fleets, and growing brokerages are the clearest fit, particularly those wanting dispatch and accounting in the same system or a free way to start with uncapped users and loads. The usage-based Flex plan can suit fluctuating staffing, while Pro is aimed at teams that prefer a fixed per-user monthly charge. Businesses needing Android driver tools or larger uploads without paying should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The free plan has unlimited users, loads, and other core counts, so growing activity does not trigger a seat or load cap.
• Pros: Dispatch, driver tools, accounting, portals, and integrations cover a broad set of trucking and brokerage workflows in one product.
• Pros: Zapier works on the free plan, and the API provides core-data access at no cost.
• Cons: Basic uploads are limited to 2 MB per file, a meaningful constraint for teams handling larger documents.
• Cons: The driver app is iOS-only, narrowing the fit for fleets with Android devices.
• Cons: Flex charges per user for logged-in hours, so its cost varies with usage; Pro is fixed but billed per user.

Alternatives

For a wider set of options, browse Trucking Software.

• Super Dispatch is worth comparing if Android support, an API, or an extension matters. Its free Carrier TMS Lite plan includes a driver app, a limited Carrier TMS dashboard, and Super Loadboard, but excludes advanced reporting and automated invoicing.
• Numeo is another freemium option with Android, iOS, and web support. Its Spot Free plan is limited to one seat and one MC connection, so Diesel TMS is a better fit when unlimited users and loads matter.
• Axon Software is a paid alternative with a free trial and Android, iOS, web, and Windows platforms.
• Ditat is a paid option with Android, iOS, web, and API platforms; pricing is custom, and the company offers a personalized demo.
• Alvys is a paid alternative starting at $514 a month, with usage-based pricing based on monthly loads, unlimited users and business divisions, and 120+ integrations.
• Infinity Trucker is a paid option available on iOS and web.
• MendriX is a paid alternative with no free plan and a free trial. Its Economy plan is $129 a month and includes order planning, billing, standard reports, and multiple users.
• PCS TMS is a paid alternative for Android, iOS, and web, with custom pricing and a demo available on request.

Verdict

Diesel TMS is a strong candidate for owner-operators, small fleets, and growing brokerages that want dispatch, driver workflows, and accounting together, especially if unlimited users and loads on a free plan are priorities. Choose it when that breadth and its integration options outweigh the Basic upload cap and iOS-only driver app; look elsewhere if Android driver support or larger free uploads are essential.