With New Product Release, McLeod Software Continues their Commitment to Operations Excellence and Productivity for Customers

November 14, 2022 – BIRMINGHAM, AL – Today McLeod Software is releasing Version 22.2 of its industry leading LoadMaster Enterprise, LoadMaster LTL, and PowerBroker software solutions. The release includes new functionality to enhance operations and productivity for McLeod customers; it also brings security enhancements that strengthen the foundation of the McLeod Software platform.

New Capabilities for LoadMaster and PowerBroker

New Multicompany Accounting Module

With the release of Version 22.2, McLeod has enhanced the capabilities in our accounting system for companies that have multiple company frameworks under the same corporate structure. These new features simplify the process for accounts payable voucher distribution, journal entries, and cash receipts for those customers working within a multiple company framework.

A new drill down capability in McLeod’s financial systems now allows an authorized user to investigate a transaction in the General Ledger that was recorded in another company and see the full GL distribution across all companies to which the transaction was recorded.

Enhancements to Multicurrency Module

Another enhancement makes it easier for customers to be billed in multiple currencies. As long as exchange rates are defined in the system, the McLeod multi-currency capability will support Pesos, Canadian Dollars, and other currencies. The Multicurrency module allows for setting a master currency for each customer, which will become their default, but also allows the currency to be overridden on any specific bill, or split billing an order in multiple currencies. Mixed currencies are converted to the customer's currency and summed when viewing a customer's total receivables or aging, while some reports will also give a sum per currency. Cash receipts currency will default to the currency of the bank payment, and only allow users to apply cash to invoices in that same currency.

Enhanced Performance, Reliability & Scalability

Over the last few years, McLeod Software has invested heavily in the system platform architecture that the LoadMaster and PowerBroker systems are built upon. This investment means that our customers’ systems will scale larger, perform faster, and become more secure as the products grow. With the release of Version 22.2, we have made important security enhancements to ensure that every customer’s system is ready for the future and poised to grow with their company.

Security Enhancements
All internal system messages for LoadMaster and PowerBroker are now encrypted. This means that even if a customer were to suffer a network incursion, the bad actors cannot read LoadMaster or PowerBroker message traffic or use it to break into the system.

With the previous release of Version 21.2 last year, McLeod replaced the JBoss system with a new web server system for our application server to enhance performance, reliability, and scalability. Now with the release of Version 22.2, the internal web server for the LoadMaster and/or PowerBroker application server has been upgraded, so that major security patches may be rolled out and installed for the application web server between releases without the necessity for an upgrade.

McLeod Software is continually looking for security vulnerabilities that could impact LoadMaster and PowerBroker systems. When the Log4J vulnerabilities were exposed in 2021, McLeod quickly determined that none of those known vulnerabilities were present, and the vulnerable components were not being used in any part of the system architecture. In this release of Version 22.2., McLeod has removed all remaining elements of Log4J, and replaced them with Java Logging, to ensure that no future vulnerabilities related to Log4J, if they are identified, would be present.

Symphony Mobile Communications as a Service

With the release of Version 22.2, McLeod is introducing Symphony Mobile Communications Services, an open API developed to serve as a streamlined integration point for mobile communications systems, ELDs, and tractor/trailer telematics. Qualified vendors can obtain access to the API to write and test their own integrations to LoadMaster. This new approach for creating solution integrations makes it easier for mobile communications vendors to become certified partners quickly and make their solutions available to McLeod customers.

The first two integration solutions deployed through this open API are ISAAC Instruments’ tractor telematics, HOS, and driver workflow system and TGI Connect’s trailer tracking.

New and Enhanced Integrations for LoadMaster and PowerBroker

McLeod Software continues to welcome new Certified Integration Partners and expand existing integration solutions to give customers more choices.

• FreightWaves TRAC spot market rates are now integrated in the Rate Index module in LoadMaster and PowerBroker.
• The fuel interface with EFS has been enhanced to send Fuel Card Direct Deposit batch files using SFTP .
• McLeod Rapid Alert module users can setup a rapid alert to be received when ORBCOMM trailer tracking messages are sent to alert them of trailers with low tire pressure.
• Data processing performance for inbound data from Maven Machines handles multiple processes working simultaneously.
• Samsara driver workflow now includes planned fuel stops when a third-party fuel optimization integration is used in LoadMaster.
• The Pedigree OneView integration improvements enhance the driver and dispatcher experience. Customers can specify fields on the driver's dispatch-related forms to be prefilled for the driver’s review and updating when needed. Driver's preassigned orders receive updates from the tractor ID based on the driver pairing or logging into the OneView tablet.
• Customers using the Platform Science interface can now specify different workflow dispatch templates based on LoadMaster table field values, such as specific revenue codes, customers, locations, etc.
• Omnitracs ES customers using their Expert Fuel solution receive fuel level readings for use with tractor fuel level updates. These automated updates from Expert Fuel provide data for use with fuel optimization solutions to determine when and where to direct drivers to fueling locations. The tractor fuel level data is now available for analysis of fuel usage for delivered loads assisting with the evaluation of tractor and driver performance against averages and ways to improve fuel usage.

New Capabilities for PowerBroker

Digital Freight Matching API Enhancements

McLeod's Digital Freight Matching (DFM) API web service for PowerBroker allows customers to integrate external capacity matching solutions with their brokerage operations through a secure and configurable set of web service endpoints specifically designed for freight matching functions, including automated load booking. This web service provides flexibility to integrate the capacity matching solutions that help brokers and 3PL’s operate more efficiently and remain competitive in the digital brokering market.

Current Integrations for McLeod’s DFM API include:

• Cargo Chief
• Descartes MacroPoint
• FleetOps
• FreightFriend
• newtrul
• Parade
• Trucker Tools

Target Pay
The DFM API provides customers with the choice to use target pay when loads are booked by Freight Matching partners. When enabled, the target pay function is used for the purpose of computing the maximum pay amount for the booking.

Carrier Offer Status
New endpoints in McLeod’s DFM API enable our Freight Matching partners to receive notifications within their system and make requests for status changes on offers submitted on behalf of carriers as well as loading the bookings converted to counteroffers.

Carrier Settlement Status
The McLeod DFM API can be used to request information about carrier payment status and amounts for loads booked through the DFM API for our Freight Matching partners.

Retrieving Movements
The McLeod DFM API retrieves movement/segment and order responsibility data and can enable partners to match the customers’ users with loads within their system.

Available Tractors
In PowerBroker’s Freight Matching Tools, McLeod users can choose whether to have available tractors created automatically as carrier offers are created by their DFM partners.

Upload Documents
McLeod’s DFM partners can upload documents to PowerBroker, such as PODs and Carrier Invoices using the DFM API. McLeod PowerBroker customers using DocumentPower are then able to choose whether or not these uploaded documents are indexed on the associated order or included with customer billing.

Enhanced Integrations for PowerBroker

• The Trucker Tools integration now includes an option that allows users to choose whether to send the “bill-to” customer information to Trucker Tools when tracking loads with Load Track.
• The project44 Truckload Brokerage Tracking integration now offers an option to enable carrier capacity searching through project44's cooperative solution.
• During carrier onboarding with RMIS, a certified value is provided indicating the carrier meets the broker’s business rules defined in their RMIS account.
• An integration with Assure Advantage is now available in the Carrier Monitoring module. The integration automatically imports current carrier insurance information from Assure Advantage into PowerBroker on a recurring interval throughout each day.
• The MyCarrierPackets carrier onboarding interface now creates dispatcher and owner contacts for the carrier, selects carrier modes, and adds carrier drivers, which are all visible within PowerBroker.  

New Capabilities for LoadMaster LTL

The LTL Cross-Dock Mobile Application

The LoadMaster LTL Mobile Application for terminals and cross-docking now includes support for handheld mobile devices with a larger portrait view and the ability to capture OS&D photos via a webcam or a Granit barcode reader.

A new interface between the Cross-dock Mobile Application and FreightSnap Dimensionalizer now offers the opportunity to capture actual dimensions during the freight handling process. An interface with Avery Weigh-Tronix on-fork scales can capture actual weight.

Combined, this ability for the fork truck operators to capture images, actual dimensions, and actual weight during the material handling process in the terminal/cross-dock expands their ability to accurately characterize and classify freight. The ROI from correctly reclassifying freight using these automated measuring functions can pay for the investment within a few months’ time.

Interactive Maps

LoadMaster LTL Dispatch and Delivery Routing screens offer a new version of visual mapping that can display multiple routes and unrouted stops on a single view. These maps reflect the current view as changes are made to the route.

Leave Freight

Users can now easily pre-position an order for delivery by unloading some freight at any given location so that it can be picked up and delivered later. This provides additional flexibility in servicing orders.