William B. Cassidy | Mar 15, 2010 11:00AM EDT
Trucking supplier TMW Systems says motor carriers are stepping up their purchasing of new software or upgraded technology, suggesting an economic recovery is taking hold in the industry.
The Cleveland-based company said it signed new software contracts with 140 customers in 2009, despite a recession that drained capital budgets across the industry.
An increase in business among industry suppliers, including software firms, often presages an increase in freight demand and better business for carriers.
TMW is a major trucking software supplier, with 1,800 customers managing more than 400,000 trucks and maintaining 1.2 million pieces of equipment.
The increase in sales last year pushed TMW into higher gear, said TMW President and CEO David W. Wangler. In 2009, "TMW invested nearly 250,000 hours across all of our business units in software development and we are still hiring," he said.
TMW's customers, which include truckload and private fleets, logistics providers and shippers, are using technology to boost productivity ahead of a recovery, he said.
Strong sales continued into 2010, with truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises licensing TMW software in January to support its brokerage service, said TMW.
Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com.
