Build a TMS Without Building Carrier Integrations

Why building a TMS is so hard

The TMS market is worth $12 billion because building one from scratch is brutal. The hardest part is not the UI or the workflow logic. It is the carrier connectivity layer. You need to connect to dozens of carriers, each with different APIs (or worse, EDI), different data formats, different tracking event schemas, and different billing structures.

Most TMS projects spend 60% to 70% of their engineering budget on carrier integrations. Quoting requires connecting to each carrier's rate engine. Booking requires implementing each carrier's tendering process. Tracking requires normalizing dozens of different event formats into a consistent timeline. Invoicing requires parsing carrier specific billing documents.

This is commodity work. Every TMS builder solves the same problem. Your differentiation is in the workflow, the user experience, the analytics, and the automation logic on top. The carrier connectivity layer should be infrastructure you consume, not code you write. With one API covering all freight modes, you skip months of carrier integration work.

What Warp's API replaces

TMS builders typically spend months on the carrier layer. Here is what you build versus what Warp handles.

Architecture: your TMS + Warp API

The integration is straightforward. Your TMS owns the user experience, business logic, and customer management. Warp owns the carrier network. The API sits between them.

Your TMS (UI + business logic + customer management)
    |
    v
Warp API (freight infrastructure)
    |
    v
20,000+ carriers (dispatched via Warp driver app)

Step 1: Quoting. Your TMS calls POST /api/v1/freights/quote, applies your margin, and shows rates to your customer.

// Your TMS calls Warp for rates, applies your margin
const response = await fetch('https://api.wearewarp.com/api/v1/freights/quote', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'apikey': process.env.WARP_API_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    pickupInfo: { zipCode: '90001', city: 'Los Angeles', state: 'CA' },
    deliveryInfo: { zipCode: '85001', city: 'Phoenix', state: 'AZ' },
    listItems: [{
      name: 'Pallet - Electronics',
      length: 48, width: 40, height: 48, sizeUnit: 'in',
      totalWeight: 800, weightUnit: 'lb',
      quantity: 2, packaging: 'pallet', stackable: false
    }],
    pickupDate: ['2025-04-10']
  })
});

const { data } = await response.json();
// data.totalCost = 485.00 (Warp's all inclusive rate)
// Your TMS adds margin: displayPrice = data.totalCost * 1.15

Step 2: Booking. Customer selects a rate. Your TMS calls POST /api/v1/freights/booking and stores the shipment ID.

// Customer selects a rate in your TMS, you book through Warp
const booking = await fetch('https://api.wearewarp.com/api/v1/freights/booking', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'apikey': process.env.WARP_API_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    quoteId: selectedQuote.quoteId,
    pickupInfo: {
      zipCode: '90001', city: 'Los Angeles', state: 'CA',
      street: '123 Warehouse Blvd',
      contactName: 'Dispatch Team', phone: '3105551234',
      specialInstruction: 'Dock 4, call 30 min before arrival'
    },
    deliveryInfo: {
      zipCode: '85001', city: 'Phoenix', state: 'AZ',
      street: '456 Distribution Dr',
      contactName: 'Receiving Dock', phone: '6025551234'
    },
    listItems: selectedQuote.items
  })
});

const { data } = await booking.json();
// data.shipmentId, data.trackingNumber, data.orderId
// Store these in your TMS for tracking and invoicing

Step 3: Tracking. Warp sends webhook events to your TMS. You display them to your customer however you want.

// Warp sends tracking events to your TMS via webhook
// Register your endpoint in the Warp dashboard
app.post('/webhooks/warp-tracking', (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;
  // event.status: 'pickupSuccessful', 'inRouteToDelivery', 'delivered', etc.
  // event.location: { city, state, timestamp }
  // event.shipmentId: 'shp_01HGA2K9MNPQ4RV8XW3YZ5TJ6'

  // Update your TMS shipment record
  await updateShipmentStatus(event.shipmentId, event.status);

  // Notify your customer through your own notification system
  await sendCustomerNotification(event);

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

What you ship with

Every freight mode is available through the same API. One integration gives your TMS access to all of them.

The infrastructure underneath

When your TMS calls the Warp API, it connects to a freight network that took years and hundreds of millions of dollars to build. You get all of it through a single integration. You can also automate shipping directly from your WMS.

Frequently asked questions