A load leaves the dock in the morning, and by afternoon nobody knows exactly where it is. The carrier portal shows "in transit," the driver isn't answering, and the customer has already emailed twice. Multiply that by dozens of carriers and hundreds of loads a week, and freight teams spend more time chasing updates than actually managing freight.
When shipments go dark in transit, delays are discovered late, customers lose confidence, and expensive fixes like expedited freight become the default. Just as importantly, without consistent tracking data, it's almost impossible to know which carriers actually deliver on time, which damage freight, and which never answer the phone. Carrier decisions end up based on habit and price instead of performance.
Freight and carrier tracking software keeps eyes on every load from tender to delivery and holds carriers accountable with real data. In this guide, we've rounded up the top 10 freight and carrier tracking software solutions, with each tool's strengths, key features, pricing, and supported platforms.
1. Knowella
Why Use Knowella? Knowella is an AI-powered operations and logistics platform that keeps eyes on every load. Its Freight & Carrier Tracking solution tracks shipment status, carrier performance, and exceptions so nothing goes dark in transit.
Load status and milestones are tracked from pickup to delivery in one live view across carriers and lanes. Late, at-risk, or stuck shipments are flagged early so teams can intervene before they become failures, and every delay turns into an assigned action so someone owns each exception. Carrier scorecards measure on-time delivery, damage, and responsiveness, giving you real data to manage and select carriers. Because freight tracking runs on the same no-code platform as Knowella's freight agents for carrier tendering, track and trace, and exception handling, plus its logistics, dock scheduling, and supplier solutions, every load connects to the workflows around it, with AI agents surfacing what needs attention next.
- Live shipment tracking from pickup to delivery
- Early alerts for late, at-risk, or stuck loads
- Carrier scorecards for on-time, damage, and responsiveness
- Proactive follow-up with owned actions for every exception
- AI agents for track and trace and exception handling
Pricing: Contact Knowella for custom pricing plans
Platforms Supported: Web, iOS, Android
Explore: Book a Demo
2. Mitti (by SafetyCulture)
Why Use Mitti? Mitti is a widely used operations platform for logistics companies, including large freight forwarders. It isn't a shipment tracking tool, but teams use its checklists, scheduling, and reporting to standardize vehicle, equipment, and freight handling inspections across sites.
- Transport and logistics inspection checklists
- Real-time reporting and team announcements
- Analytics and workforce training
Free Version: Yes, for teams of up to 10
Pricing: Premium plan at $24/seat/month (free trial available)
Platforms Supported: Web, iOS, Android
3. project44
Why Use project44? project44 is one of the largest real-time visibility platforms, tracking shipments across road, rail, ocean, air, and parcel with predictive ETAs and delay alerts.
- Multimodal real-time tracking
- Predictive ETAs
- Carrier network connectivity
Free Version: No
Pricing: Contact project44 for pricing
Platforms Supported: Web
4. FourKites
Why Use FourKites? FourKites provides real-time supply chain visibility across modes, using tracking data and AI to predict arrivals and flag late shipments.
- Real-time multimodal visibility
- Predictive ETAs
- Yard and dock visibility add-ons
Free Version: No
Pricing: Contact FourKites for pricing
Platforms Supported: Web, mobile app
5. 3G
Why Use 3G? 3G is a transportation management system that gives shippers flexibility and visibility in managing shipments, carriers, and rates, with enterprise-grade integrations.
- Rate management and optimization
- Order and shipment visibility
- Enterprise integrations
Free Version: No
Pricing: Contact 3G for pricing
Platforms Supported: Web
6. FreightPOP
Why Use FreightPOP? FreightPOP is a cloud-based shipping and freight platform that brings carrier management, rate shopping, and multimodal shipment tracking into one place.
- Multimodal shipment management
- Rate shopping and optimization
- Carrier and vendor collaboration
Free Version: No
Pricing: Contact FreightPOP for pricing
Platforms Supported: Web
7. FreightView
Why Use FreightView? FreightView simplifies LTL and truckload shipping by combining rate comparison, booking, and shipment tracking in an easy-to-use tool.
- Rate comparison across carriers
- Shipment booking and tracking
- Customer and address management
Free Version: No (14-day free trial)
Pricing: Starts at $99/month
Platforms Supported: Web
8. ShipStation
Why Use ShipStation? ShipStation is a popular shipping platform for ecommerce and order fulfillment, offering multi-carrier shipping and real-time parcel tracking.
- Order and shipment management
- Multi-carrier shipping
- Automation rules and presets
Free Version: No (30-day free trial)
Pricing: Starter plan from $9.99/month
Platforms Supported: Web, iOS, Android
9. MachShip
Why Use MachShip? MachShip is a freight management platform for wholesalers and retailers that handles carrier integrations, quoting, and shipment tracking from warehouse to customer.
- Rate management and quoting
- Carrier integrations
- Invoice management
Free Version: No
Pricing: Enterprise plan from $549/month
Platforms Supported: Web
10. GoFreight
Why Use GoFreight? GoFreight is a freight forwarding platform that streamlines forwarding workflows, warehousing, and financials for forwarders of all sizes.
- Automated freight forwarding workflows
- Warehouse and financial management
- Multimodal tools
Free Version: No
Pricing: Contact GoFreight for pricing
Platforms Supported: Web, Android
What Is Freight and Carrier Tracking Software?
Freight and carrier tracking software is a digital system that monitors shipments from tender to delivery and measures how well carriers perform. It pulls status updates from carriers, ELDs, GPS, EDI, and tracking networks into one view, showing where every load is, whether it's on schedule, and which shipments are at risk.
Good tracking software goes beyond dots on a map. It flags late or stuck loads early, assigns follow-up so someone owns each exception, and keeps a history of carrier performance on metrics like on-time pickup and delivery, damage, and responsiveness. Some tools are full transportation management systems with tracking built in, some are dedicated visibility networks, and some focus on parcel or freight forwarding. Operations platforms like Knowella combine shipment tracking, exception alerts, carrier scorecards, and owned follow-up with AI freight agents, so tracking leads directly to action.
Why Use Freight and Carrier Tracking Software?
No more dark loads. One live view of every shipment eliminates the need to chase carriers by phone and email.
Earlier warnings. At-risk and late shipments are flagged in time to reroute, reschedule, or notify customers.
Clear ownership of delays. Turning exceptions into assigned actions makes sure someone follows up every time.
Better carrier decisions. Scorecards based on real on-time, damage, and responsiveness data help you reward reliable carriers and drop poor ones.
Lower freight costs. Fewer surprises mean less expediting, fewer detention charges, and stronger leverage in carrier negotiations.
Happier customers. Accurate ETAs and proactive updates build trust and reduce "where's my order" calls.
Less manual work. Automated status updates free logistics coordinators to focus on exceptions instead of routine check calls.
Key Features to Look For
- Multi-carrier tracking: One view of all loads across carriers, lanes, and modes.
- Milestone tracking: Pickup, in-transit, and delivery events with timestamps.
- Predictive ETAs: Arrival estimates that update as conditions change.
- Exception alerts: Automatic flags for late, at-risk, or stuck shipments.
- Owned follow-up: Turn exceptions into assigned actions with due dates.
- Carrier scorecards: On-time, damage, and responsiveness metrics by carrier and lane.
- Customer updates: Share status and ETAs proactively with customers.
- Integrations: TMS, ERP, WMS, EDI, ELD, and tracking network connections.
- Reporting: Trends in transit times, delays, and carrier performance.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Organization
Start with your freight mix and scale. Large shippers moving freight across many modes and regions often turn to visibility networks like project44 or FourKites. Shippers that need rate management and execution alongside tracking may prefer a TMS like 3G, FreightPOP, or FreightView. Ecommerce and parcel-heavy businesses lean toward ShipStation, while MachShip suits wholesalers and retailers, and GoFreight is built for freight forwarders.
Tracking is only half the job, though. Someone still needs to act when a load runs late, and carrier performance should drive future decisions. Mitti helps standardize logistics inspections, while Knowella connects shipment tracking, exception alerts, owned follow-up, and carrier scorecards with AI freight agents for tendering and track and trace, all on one no-code platform alongside your logistics and dock workflows.
Finally, check carrier coverage and integrations. Ask which carriers and data sources each tool supports, how quickly updates arrive, and how easily it connects to your TMS and ERP. A demo using a week of your real loads is the best way to compare.
Conclusion
Every load that goes dark in transit costs time, money, and customer trust. Chasing carriers by phone and email doesn't scale, and without real performance data, carrier decisions stay guesswork. The tools on this list all help bring visibility and accountability to freight, from real-time visibility networks to transportation management and shipping platforms.
For logistics teams that want to see every load and act on every delay, Knowella offers a complete freight and carrier tracking solution: live shipment tracking, early exception alerts, carrier scorecards, and owned follow-up, all on a no-code platform powered by AI freight agents.
Ready to keep eyes on every load? Explore Knowella Freight & Carrier Tracking or book a demo to see how it fits your operation.
