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Logistics · head to head

McLeod Software vs Shippabo

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
Shippabo logo

Shippabo

Logistics

Freight forwarder with its own import management platform, priced on container volume

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.; Shippabo the software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • They diverge on capability: McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where McLeod Software and Shippabo differ
AttributeMcLeod SoftwareShippabo
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Shippabo

  • Purchase order tracking
  • Shipment visibility
  • Customs brokerage
  • Supplier collaboration
  • Landed cost
  • System integrations

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 Shippabo
  • A brokerage that needs carrier payables, factoring interfaces and settlement controls rather than a load board with invoicingnot Shippabo
  • A carrier required by large shippers to exchange EDI tenders, status messages and invoices in specific formatsnot Shippabo
  • A company running both assets and a brokerage that wants each side on the vendor system built for itnot Shippabo

Shippabo

  • A mid-sized importer bringing containers from China that needs PO-level visibility without building it in-housenot McLeod Software
  • A wholesaler that wants factories updating purchase order status directly instead of by emailnot McLeod Software
  • A retailer needing landed cost per shipment to price goods before they arrivenot McLeod Software
  • An importer consolidating forwarding, customs brokerage and tracking with one providernot 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.

Shippabo

  • The software is priced on container volume under an annual service agreement, so the fee moves with freight rather than usage and a soft import season still carries a committed cost.
  • Platform and forwarding are bought together, which makes tendering freight to a cheaper carrier expensive because you risk losing the visibility layer your team uses.
  • As a small forwarder it has less network depth and weaker space allocation than the global incumbents, which bites hardest in a tight ocean market when capacity is rationed to large accounts.
  • Nothing is published about price, so importers cannot benchmark the software fee against independent visibility vendors without a sales process.
  • Coverage is concentrated on the trans-Pacific import lane, so companies with significant intra-Europe, Latin American or export flows need a second provider anyway.

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

Shippabo

On request
  • Shippabo Platform$undefined/year
    • Annual software service agreement
    • Priced on container volume and partner count
    • Purchase order and container visibility

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 Shippabo if

  • You need purchase order tracking.
  • You also want shipment visibility.
Shippabo review

Questions people ask

Is McLeod Software or Shippabo better?
Neither clearly leads. McLeod Software starts at On request and Shippabo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, McLeod Software or Shippabo?
McLeod Software starts at On request and Shippabo at On request.
Does McLeod Software or Shippabo run on more platforms?
McLeod Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Shippabo runs on Web.
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 Shippabo is typically brought in for.
What can McLeod Software do that Shippabo cannot?
McLeod Software covers LoadMaster, PowerBroker, Driver pay and settlements, EDI and integration. Shippabo covers Purchase order tracking, Shipment visibility, Customs brokerage, Supplier collaboration.

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.

Shippabo: Is Shippabo still trading?

Yes. The platform and freight services are active, operated by Galleon Technology with United States and China operations.

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.

Shippabo: Can I buy the software without using Shippabo as my forwarder?

The visibility product is sold as an annual agreement priced on container volume and partners, so it is structured around the freight relationship rather than as a standalone subscription.

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.

Shippabo: How is it priced?

On container volume and partner count under an annual software service agreement. No figures are published.

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.

Shippabo: Is it a neutral multi-carrier platform?

No. It is a forwarder's own platform, so it will not give you a genuinely carrier-agnostic view of freight you tender elsewhere.

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