Configurability ranges from adding a custom field on a delivery form to rebuilding a driver's entire sequence, so test which version a vendor actually means.
Every TMS vendor claims configurability somewhere on their site. Fleets shopping for it should know what to actually test for, because the term covers a wide range of very different capabilities.
At the shallow end, configurable might mean you can add a custom field to a delivery form. That's useful, but limited. At the deeper end, it means the entire sequence a driver moves through, dispatch notification, pre-trip checklist, delivery documentation, signature capture, exception handling, can be rebuilt by the fleet itself to match how a specific operation actually runs.
The difference matters most for fleets that don't look like a textbook general-freight operation. A bulk hauler, a fleet running mixed liquid and dry freight, or an operation split across multiple business units each has workflow needs a generic template wasn't built around. Platforms like BeyondTrucks, built on multi-tenant architecture from the ground up, treat workflow configuration as core to the product rather than a settings menu bolted onto a fixed process, which is part of why the company can support fleets across chemical, fuel, agriculture, and construction segments on the same underlying platform without forcing them into identical processes.
Before signing anything, it's worth asking a vendor to actually demonstrate a workflow change live, not describe it. If the answer involves "we'd need to scope that with our implementation team," it's not the kind of configurability that will keep pace with how fast a fleet's own requirements tend to change.
Natasha Martinez
Head of Fleet Success
Natasha brings extensive operational leadership experience from executive transportation roles at UNFI, Supervalu, and C&S Grocers where she managed 3,000+ drivers.