What Is Drayford? A Complete Overview of the Freight Broker TMS
TL;DR: Drayford is a transportation management system (TMS) built specifically for freight brokerages. It combines carrier onboarding with FMCSA verification, load dispatch, shipment tracking, document management, and invoicing in one platform — replacing the patchwork of separate tools most brokerages use today.
What is Drayford?
Drayford is an all-in-one software platform for freight brokers. A freight broker sits between shippers who need freight moved and carriers who move it. Running that business requires vetting carriers, collecting their documents, dispatching loads, tracking shipments, and invoicing customers. Drayford handles all of these workflows in a single system.
Who is Drayford for?
Drayford is designed for freight brokerages of any size — from a single broker working alone to teams managing hundreds of loads per month. It is purpose-built for brokers, not adapted from carrier software.
What does Drayford do?
Drayford covers the full broker workflow in six core areas:
- Carrier onboarding. Brokers send carriers a single link. The carrier completes a guided five-step process: SMS identity verification sent to the phone number on file with the FMCSA, COI upload, W-9 upload, carrier agreement signature, and payment details. No accounts or app downloads are required for carriers.
- FMCSA data lookup. Entering a USDOT number pulls the carrier's legal name, MC number, authority status, address, and fleet details directly from FMCSA records, eliminating manual data entry and reducing fraud risk.
- Load management and dispatch. Drayford provides a full load board with a split-leg dispatch model: pickup and delivery can be assigned to different carriers and drivers, each with independent status tracking from dispatched through delivered.
- Shipment tracking. Every load carries a timestamped history of status updates and GPS pings, with a live view of all active freight.
- Documents and compliance. Rate confirmations, BOLs, PODs, COIs, W-9s, and invoices are stored against the correct carrier or load. Drayford monitors carrier insurance expiration dates and sends automatic email alerts before coverage lapses.
- Invoicing and financials. Every load shows customer rate versus carrier costs and fees, so net margin is visible in real time. Dual-side invoicing tracks what customers owe and what carriers are owed.
Why does Drayford exist?
Most brokerages assemble their operation from separate products: one tool for carrier vetting, another for tracking, a TMS for loads, plus spreadsheets and email. Drayford was built to consolidate that stack into one system designed around a broker's actual day.
Key takeaways
- Drayford is a TMS built specifically for freight brokerages.
- It combines onboarding, dispatch, tracking, documents, compliance, and invoicing in one platform.
- Carriers onboard themselves through a secure link with FMCSA-based identity verification.
- Carrier insurance monitoring with automatic alerts is included, not an add-on.