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Logistics · head to head

CargoWise vs Truckbase

CargoWise logo

CargoWise

Logistics

Single-database freight forwarding and customs platform, repriced in December 2025 to per-transaction Value Packs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Truckbase logo

Truckbase

Logistics

Transport management system for small and mid-size North American truckload carriers with a published price floor

From
$290/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CargoWise the December 2025 shift to per-transaction Value Packs repriced roughly 95 percent of the customer base, with early 2026 reports of twenty to fifty percent cost increases and large monthly rises at short notice.; Truckbase only the 290 USD monthly minimum is published; the per-truck, per-driver and per-load rates behind it are all consultative, so comparing quotes against another vendor is guesswork.
  • They diverge on capability: CargoWise covers Single global database, Truckbase covers Dispatch board.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CargoWise and Truckbase actually diverge.

Attributes where CargoWise and Truckbase differ
AttributeCargoWiseTruckbase
Starting priceOn request$290/month
Pricing modelquotePer truck per month
PlatformsWeb, Windows, CloudWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Logistics).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CargoWise

  • Single global database
  • Customs compliance
  • Value Packs licensing
  • Forwarding operations
  • Warehouse management
  • Accounting
  • eDocs and messaging
  • Universal Data Interchange

Only in Truckbase

  • Dispatch board
  • Driver mobile app
  • Settlements
  • Invoicing and factoring
  • ELD integration
  • Document management
  • Accounting sync
  • Flexible billing meters

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CargoWise

  • A multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination deliverynot Truckbase
  • A customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in housenot Truckbase
  • A 3PL consolidating forwarding, warehousing and financial accounting on one databasenot Truckbase
  • Trading electronically with other CargoWise users through the shared data interchange rather than building point-to-point EDInot Truckbase

Truckbase

  • A twenty-truck carrier running dispatch on a whiteboard and settlements in a spreadsheetnot CargoWise
  • A seasonal agricultural hauler whose driver count triples for three months and would be penalised by per-driver billingnot CargoWise
  • A carrier whose invoices are late because paperwork arrives days after deliverynot CargoWise
  • An operation that wants ELD location flowing into the TMS without a second data entry stepnot CargoWise

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CargoWise

  • The December 2025 shift to per-transaction Value Packs repriced roughly 95 percent of the customer base, with early 2026 reports of twenty to fifty percent cost increases and large monthly rises at short notice.
  • Pricing is now tied to transaction volume, so growth in the forwarding business raises the software bill proportionally, which inverts the economics of the old seat-based model for high-volume low-margin traffic.
  • WiseTech publishes no price list, so the only way to know what the new model costs your business is a written projection from an account representative.
  • Enterprise implementations are routinely cited in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars with professional services making up a large share, and organisations commonly underestimate that by a wide margin.
  • The system is deep and unforgiving to learn, so staff turnover carries a real productivity cost and trained CargoWise operators command a premium in the labour market.

Truckbase

  • Only the 290 USD monthly minimum is published; the per-truck, per-driver and per-load rates behind it are all consultative, so comparing quotes against another vendor is guesswork.
  • The published minimum is billed annually, so a carrier wanting month-to-month flexibility pays more or commits for a year up front.
  • Scope stops well short of enterprise TMS: complex LTL rating, multi-leg intermodal and cross-border customs are not covered, so growing carriers face a migration later.
  • It is a small, venture-stage software company in a market where carriers expect a system to last a decade, and vendor continuity is a legitimate concern for an operational system of record.
  • Reporting and analytics are basic compared with established TMS products, so carriers wanting detailed lane profitability analysis end up exporting to spreadsheets anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

CargoWise

On request
  • CargoWise Value Packs$undefined/month
    • Per-transaction automation fee replacing the seat and transaction licence model from December 2025
    • Unlimited users and more than two hundred modules bundled into the transaction fee
    • Standard CargoWise Cloud hosting costs removed from the model

Truckbase

$290/month
  • Minimum commitment$290/month
    • Billed annually
    • Free live virtual onboarding and implementation
    • 24-hour US-based support
  • Per driver, per load or flat annual$undefined/month
    • Alternative billing meters for fleets with more drivers than trucks
    • Per-load billing for non-asset operations
    • Flat annual rates for seasonal carriers with high turnover
  • Carrier Partner Program$undefined/year
    • On-site training
    • Dedicated engineering access for custom development
    • Enterprise terms, quoted

Which should you pick?

Choose CargoWise if

  • You need single global database.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want customs compliance.
CargoWise review

Choose Truckbase if

  • You need dispatch board.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want driver mobile app.
Truckbase review

Questions people ask

Is CargoWise or Truckbase better?
Neither clearly leads. CargoWise starts at On request and Truckbase at $290/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CargoWise or Truckbase?
CargoWise starts at On request and Truckbase at $290/month.
Does CargoWise or Truckbase run on more platforms?
CargoWise runs on Web, Windows, Cloud. Truckbase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is CargoWise best used for?
CargoWise is most often used for a multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination delivery, a customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in house, a 3pl consolidating forwarding, warehousing and financial accounting on one database, trading electronically with other cargowise users through the shared data interchange rather than building point-to-point edi. Of those, a multinational forwarder wanting one shipment record across origin booking, customs clearance and destination delivery and a customs broker needing maintained regulatory content across many jurisdictions rather than building declarations in house are not what Truckbase is typically brought in for.
What can CargoWise do that Truckbase cannot?
CargoWise covers Single global database, Customs compliance, Value Packs licensing, Forwarding operations. Truckbase covers Dispatch board, Driver mobile app, Settlements, Invoicing and factoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CargoWise: What changed in December 2025?

WiseTech moved about 95 percent of CargoWise customers from seat and transaction licensing to Value Packs, a per-transaction fee bundling modules and unlimited users.

Truckbase: What is the minimum cost?

290 USD per month billed annually, which Truckbase publishes; typical deployments sit higher depending on fleet size.

CargoWise: Are seat fees gone?

Under Value Packs, yes, along with standard CargoWise Cloud hosting charges. Cost is driven by transaction volume instead.

Truckbase: Is there a setup fee?

No. Live virtual onboarding and implementation are included, with in-person training available for larger fleets.

CargoWise: Does WiseTech publish prices?

No. Reported per-transaction figures come from forwarders and consultants, not from a vendor price list.

Truckbase: Can I be billed per load instead of per truck?

Yes. Truckbase offers per truck, per driver, per load, flat annual and custom billing shapes.

CargoWise: What does implementation cost?

Enterprise deployments are commonly reported in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, with professional services a large share of the total.

Truckbase: Does it integrate with my ELD?

Yes, it pulls location and hours of service from major ELD providers including Samsara and Motive.

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