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Logistics · head to head

Kuebix vs McLeod Software

Kuebix logo

Kuebix

Logistics

Shipper TMS known for its free tier, acquired by Trimble in 2020 and now sold inside the Trimble portfolio

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
McLeod Software logo

McLeod Software

Logistics

The long standing transportation management system for North American asset carriers and brokerages

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kuebix the free tier that made the product well known was the reason most buyers looked at it, and after the Trimble acquisition the entry level commercial terms are no longer what the widely circulated reviews describe, so any research older than the acquisition is misleading.; McLeod Software it is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • They diverge on capability: Kuebix covers Rate shopping, McLeod Software covers LoadMaster.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kuebix and McLeod Software actually diverge.

Attributes where Kuebix and McLeod Software differ
AttributeKuebixMcLeod Software
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Kuebix

  • Rate shopping
  • Booking and tendering
  • Shipment tracking
  • Freight audit support
  • Community capacity
  • Reporting

Only in McLeod Software

  • LoadMaster
  • PowerBroker
  • Driver pay and settlements
  • EDI and integration
  • Document Power imaging
  • Business intelligence

What people use each for

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

Kuebix

  • A small shipper with negotiated LTL rates that currently compares carriers in a spreadsheetnot McLeod Software
  • A distributor wanting to check carrier invoices against quoted rates without buying a freight audit servicenot McLeod Software
  • A shipper already invested in Trimble transportation technology and wanting the shipper side from the same vendornot McLeod Software
  • A logistics team needing basic lane and carrier spend reporting without an enterprise TMS implementationnot McLeod Software

McLeod Software

  • A truckload carrier above one hundred trucks whose driver pay rules break every simpler system it has triednot Kuebix
  • A brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicingnot Kuebix
  • A carrier required by large shippers to exchange EDI tenders, status messages and invoices in specific formatsnot Kuebix
  • A company running both assets and a brokerage that wants each side on the vendor system built for itnot Kuebix

Where each one falls short

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

Kuebix

  • The free tier that made the product well known was the reason most buyers looked at it, and after the Trimble acquisition the entry level commercial terms are no longer what the widely circulated reviews describe, so any research older than the acquisition is misleading.
  • Ownership by Trimble means the roadmap is set against a portfolio strategy centred on carrier and fleet technology, and shipper side investment competes internally with products that sell to a different customer.
  • It is a rating and booking tool rather than a full transportation management system, so shippers with multi leg, international or complex allocation requirements outgrow it quickly.
  • Rate accuracy depends on the shipper loading and maintaining its own carrier contracts, and stale rate tables produce confident quotes that the carrier invoice then contradicts.
  • Support and account management now run through a large diversified vendor, and small shippers on entry level arrangements report less direct access than they had with the original company.

McLeod Software

  • It is a Microsoft SQL Server application that most customers still run on their own servers, so the total cost includes hardware, database administration and a disaster recovery plan that the vendor does not provide.
  • Version upgrades are projects rather than background events, and carriers routinely run releases that are a year or more old because upgrading requires testing every customisation and integration.
  • Licensing is per seat with modules priced separately, so a carrier with part time weekend dispatchers or occasional finance users pays full seats for people who log in a few hours a week.
  • The interface is dense and built for trained operators, and onboarding a new dispatcher takes weeks rather than days, which is expensive in a role with high turnover.
  • Pricing is never published and implementations commonly run six months or more with vendor or partner services, so the first year cost is a multiple of the annual licence and difficult to estimate before a sales process.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kuebix

On request
  • Kuebix (Trimble Transportation)$undefined/year
    • Shipper rating, booking and tracking
    • Carrier rate management
    • Reporting and freight audit support

McLeod Software

On request
  • LoadMaster$undefined/year
    • Asset carrier transportation management
    • Driver pay and settlements
    • Dispatch and equipment management
  • PowerBroker$undefined/year
    • Brokerage operations
    • Carrier procurement and payables
    • Customer billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Kuebix if

  • You need rate shopping.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want booking and tendering.
Kuebix review

Choose McLeod Software if

  • You need loadmaster.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want powerbroker.
McLeod Software review

Questions people ask

Is Kuebix or McLeod Software better?
Neither clearly leads. Kuebix starts at On request and McLeod Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kuebix or McLeod Software?
Kuebix starts at On request and McLeod Software at On request.
Does Kuebix or McLeod Software run on more platforms?
Kuebix runs on Web, API. McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Kuebix best used for?
Kuebix is most often used for a small shipper with negotiated ltl rates that currently compares carriers in a spreadsheet, a distributor wanting to check carrier invoices against quoted rates without buying a freight audit service, a shipper already invested in trimble transportation technology and wanting the shipper side from the same vendor, a logistics team needing basic lane and carrier spend reporting without an enterprise tms implementation. Of those, a small shipper with negotiated ltl rates that currently compares carriers in a spreadsheet and a distributor wanting to check carrier invoices against quoted rates without buying a freight audit service are not what McLeod Software is typically brought in for.
What can Kuebix do that McLeod Software cannot?
Kuebix covers Rate shopping, Booking and tendering, Shipment tracking, Freight audit support. McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kuebix: Is Kuebix still free?

Do not assume so. The free community tier was central to the original company and the terms changed after Trimble acquired the business in 2020. Confirm current availability with Trimble.

McLeod Software: Is McLeod available as a hosted service?

Yes, McLeod offers hosting, but a large part of the installed base still runs on premises and budgets accordingly.

Kuebix: Who owns Kuebix?

Trimble Inc., which acquired it in 2020.

McLeod Software: Can a fifty truck carrier use it?

It will run, but the licence and implementation economics rarely make sense below roughly one hundred trucks.

Kuebix: Is it a full TMS?

It is strongest at LTL rate shopping, booking and tracking. Complex multimodal planning is not its territory.

McLeod Software: Who owns McLeod Software?

It has remained privately held and independent since it was founded in 1985, which is unusual in this market.

Kuebix: Does it work with my own carrier contracts?

Yes, that is the core use case, but you are responsible for keeping the rate tables current.

McLeod Software: How long is a typical implementation?

Plan for six months or more once data migration, EDI setup and settlement rule configuration are included.

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