Comparison
Tai TMS alternative: Nucra
Tai is a freight broker TMS that has served US brokerages for more than 20 years. It runs truckload, LTL and drayage brokerage in one workflow, with AI working across quoting, tracking and billing. Its entry plan, Growth, is $995 a month for two staff logins and 200 shipments. Nucra is built for the brokerage that is not there yet: from $99 a month with unlimited users — and $199 covers up to 400 loads. Here is a fair side-by-side.
| Nucra | Tai TMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $99/mo · users unlimited | $995/mo (Growth) |
| At about 200 loads a month | $199 (M, up to 400 loads) | $995 (Growth, 200 shipments) |
| A year at the entry price | $990 (S, paid for 12 months) | $11,940 |
| Users included | Unlimited on every plan | 2 staff and 10 client logins on Growth · 6 staff on Premium ($2,465) |
| Shipments included | S up to 150 · M up to 400 · L up to 1,000 loads/mo; more on request | 200/mo on Growth, overage pricing above that |
| Free trial | 14 days on plan S, no card | No free plan or trial listed |
| Getting started | Self-serve sign-up — no consultation needed | Consultation and a switching plan; live within weeks |
| Carrier bidding / RFQ | Double-blind tender — carriers never see your customer | Broadcast to your network and book from one screen |
| Carrier vetting | FMCSA lookup by USDOT or MC; nightly re-check while a load is open | Carrier-fraud prevention features and integrations |
| Rate guidance | Freight Intelligence — expected rate from your own past loads | Live market indices and your lane history on one screen |
| Tracking | Driver App, GPS/ETA, reads Samsara or Motive | Tracking integrations, AI track-and-trace agents and SMS |
| Customer visibility | Tracking link for your customer — no login | Branded client portal |
| Invoicing & payments | Invoicing, factoring, bank-statement matching | Carrier bill audit, automatic invoices, export to accounting |
Choose Nucra if…
- You are a small brokerage, and $995 a month is more than the software should cost at your volume.
- You want to start on your own today — sign up and put real loads through it, no consultation first.
- You want carrier bidding where carriers never see who your customer is.
- You want your bank statement matched to your invoices instead of marking payments by hand.
Choose Tai TMS if…
- You broker LTL or drayage as well as truckload — Tai runs all three in one workflow, with direct LTL carrier connections.
- You need EDI with your shippers, load-board and capacity tools connected, and a branded portal for your customers.
- You want phone support and a dedicated success manager — both start on Premium ($2,465 a month).
Questions
- How much does Tai TMS cost?
- Tai publishes four priced plans, with further options for larger brokerages on request: Growth $995 a month (2 staff logins, 200 shipments), Premium $2,465 (6 logins, 600 shipments), Premium + $4,595 (12 logins, 1,200 shipments) and Pro $7,925 (25 logins, 2,500 shipments), with overage pricing above the included shipments. Nucra is $99 a month for up to 150 loads, $199 for up to 400 and $399 for up to 1,000, with unlimited users on every plan.
- What is a good Tai TMS alternative for a small freight broker?
- If you want the core broker process — load, carrier, documents, invoice, payment — without a $995 entry price, Nucra: from $99 a month with unlimited users, a double-blind carrier tender, an expected rate from your own past loads and an FMCSA lookup on the carriers you add. If you broker LTL and drayage, or need EDI and a branded customer portal now, Tai is the stronger fit.
- Can I try Nucra before I talk to anyone?
- Yes. Sign up and run the 14-day free trial on plan S with no card. After it you can still see and export everything you entered; to add new loads, choose a plan.
See it on one of your real loads.
14 days free on plan S, no card · then from $99 a month, users unlimited.
Comparison based on the information Tai TMS publishes on its own website, checked October 2026 (tai-software.com/pricing, its home page and its truckload page). Prices and features change — check with the vendor before you decide. Nucra is not affiliated with or endorsed by Tai TMS. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.