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Logistics · head to head

McLeod Software vs Rose Rocket

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
Rose Rocket logo

Rose Rocket

Logistics

Transportation management system built around customer portals and an open API for carriers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Rose Rocket settlement and driver pay handling is lighter than the established asset carrier systems, so a fleet with layered owner operator pay schemes ends up maintaining calculations in spreadsheets alongside the system.
  • They diverge on capability: McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, Rose Rocket covers Branded shipper portal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which McLeod Software and Rose Rocket actually diverge.

Attributes where McLeod Software and Rose Rocket differ
AttributeMcLeod SoftwareRose Rocket
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

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 McLeod Software

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

Only in Rose Rocket

  • Branded shipper portal
  • LTL and final mile planning
  • Driver mobile app
  • Open API
  • Billing and rating
  • Dispatch board

What people use each for

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

McLeod Software

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

Rose Rocket

  • A regional LTL carrier losing bids to national networks because it cannot offer shipper self serve trackingnot McLeod Software
  • A final mile or courier operation that needs manifesting and scanning rather than long haul truckload dispatchnot McLeod Software
  • A carrier with an in house development team that wants to build custom workflows against a documented APInot McLeod Software
  • A growing fleet moving off a legacy on premises system and unwilling to run its own database serversnot McLeod Software

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Rose Rocket

  • Settlement and driver pay handling is lighter than the established asset carrier systems, so a fleet with layered owner operator pay schemes ends up maintaining calculations in spreadsheets alongside the system.
  • It is not an accounting package, so the general ledger stays in QuickBooks, Xero or similar and month end still involves a reconciliation between two systems.
  • The strength is North American LTL and final mile, and truckload only carriers get less out of the portal and manifesting features they are paying for.
  • Pricing is not published and is structured per user, so a carrier with many part time dispatchers, terminal clerks and after hours staff pays for seats that are used a few hours a week.
  • The customer portal only helps if your shippers use it, and a carrier serving small shippers that still email pickup requests will not see the differentiation it bought.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Rose Rocket

On request
  • Rose Rocket$undefined/year
    • Transportation management and dispatch
    • Branded customer portal
    • Driver mobile application and API access

Which should you pick?

Choose McLeod Software if

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

Choose Rose Rocket if

  • You need branded shipper portal.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want ltl and final mile planning.
Rose Rocket review

Questions people ask

Is McLeod Software or Rose Rocket better?
Neither clearly leads. McLeod Software starts at On request and Rose Rocket at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McLeod Software or Rose Rocket?
McLeod Software starts at On request and Rose Rocket at On request.
Does McLeod Software or Rose Rocket run on more platforms?
McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Rose Rocket runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
What is McLeod Software best used for?
McLeod Software is most often used for a truckload carrier above one hundred trucks whose driver pay rules break every simpler system it has tried, a brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicing, a carrier required by large shippers to exchange edi tenders, status messages and invoices in specific formats, a company running both assets and a brokerage that wants each side on the vendor system built for it. Of those, a truckload carrier above one hundred trucks whose driver pay rules break every simpler system it has tried and a brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicing are not what Rose Rocket is typically brought in for.
What can McLeod Software do that Rose Rocket cannot?
McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration. Rose Rocket covers Branded shipper portal, LTL and final mile planning, Driver mobile app, Open API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Rose Rocket: Is it built for truckload or LTL?

LTL, courier and final mile are where the planning and portal features earn their cost. Truckload works but uses less of the product.

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.

Rose Rocket: Does it handle driver settlements?

Basic pay handling is present. Complex owner operator schemes usually need work outside the system.

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.

Rose Rocket: Is there a public API?

Yes, and it is one of the reasons carriers with development capacity choose it.

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.

Rose Rocket: Where is the company based?

Toronto, Canada, with customers across Canada and the United States.

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