Building your first load in a new TMS can feel a little overwhelming at first — totally normal. The good news? Once you understand the basic flow in AscendTMS, building loads becomes fast, straightforward, and second nature.

This guide (and videos included below) walks you through the complete Build a Load process step-by-step, from Load Basics → Financials.

And if you want to build loads even faster, AscendTMS PRO includes powerful AI-assisted load creation with AscendAI Load Building. Simply upload a rate confirmation, BOL, tender, or shipment document and let AscendAI convert it into usable load data within seconds.

Begin by locating the Loads menu, then click on Build a Load

Build a Load in AscendTMS gives you multiple ways to quickly Build a Load based on your workflow and operational needs.

After clicking on Build a Load, you’ll see the following options:

For this guide, we’ll focus on the Use the New Load Wizard option and walk through the standard load-building process step-by-step. Go ahead and smash that Use the New Load Wizard button and continue on below.

After clicking the Use the New Load Wizard button, AscendTMS automatically creates and assigns your next load number in sequential order (viewable in the upper-left corner of your screen).

You’ll then land on the Load Basics screen — the starting point of the standard Build a Load workflow.

This section is designed to capture the primary operational details needed to manage and track and the load inside AscendTMS, and provide important details needed on load documents generated. Here you'll enter the core shipment details for the load, including:

Define the equipment and shipment requirements for the load, including:

The Load Notes section gives you the ability to store both internal and external shipment notes.

Three note types are available:

Most new AscendTMS users likely won't see this, but if you belong to multiple Branches / Departments, you may first be prompted to select which Branch / Department this load should belong to before entering the Load Basics screen.

Once you’ve finished entering the basic shipment details, click the Customer Info button at the bottom of the screen to continue the Build a Load process.

The Customer Info tab is where you’ll assign the customer associated with the load, along with customer-specific contacts, billing details, and shipment instructions.

If the customer already exists in AscendTMS, simply begin typing their company name within the Customer field and select them from the list.

Once you select your customer, the remaining customer information fields will automatically populate using the information saved within the Customer Profile — helping speed up data entry and reduce repetitive typing.

Need to make changes? No problem — all fields on this screen can still be edited or updated as needed for the specific shipment by clicking on Edit Customer Profile.

If the Customer is new and does not already exist in AscendTMS, you can create them directly from the Customer Info screen.

Simply click on + Click here to create a new customer to add to this load

From here, you can enter a Customer name or address into the Search for a Customer field.

This field is powered by Google and performs an internet search to help locate the company for you. If a matching company is found and selected, much of the Customer information will automatically populate into the form — helping reduce manual data entry.

If the company cannot be located, simply complete the fields manually.

Once finished, click the Save & Return button located in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Creating the Customer here will:

Once created, the Customer Profile can be accessed by:

Once all of your Customer information has been entered, click the Carrier / Asset Info button located in the bottom-right corner of the screen to continue the Build a Load process.

The options available on the Carrier / Asset Info screen will vary slightly depending on how your organization is configured inside AscendTMS.

The ability to assign an outside carrier to the load, along with the ability to:

(We’ll cover these options in more detail later in this guide.)

Your Company Name listed as the Carrier assigned:

The ability to assign your company’s own assets, such as:

Two available options:

Choose the option that best fits this specific load and how it will be moved.

If you are using an outside carrier for the load, click Not Set within the Carrier field and search for the carrier you wish to assign to the load.

You can also use the following tools to help locate the best carrier option:

👉 Related Help Guides:

If the carrier does not already exist in your database, you will first need to create the Carrier profile.

👉 See the Add a Carrier Help Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Need to make updates to the selected Carrier profile? No problem.

You can quickly access and edit Carrier information directly from the load, including items such as:

This helps keep carrier management fast and centralized without needing to leave the Build a Load workflow.

If you are using your company’s own assets to move the load, the Carrier / Asset Info screen allows you to assign the operational resources needed for the shipment.

Depending on your operation and setup within AscendTMS, this may include:

Simply click the corresponding Not Set field to search for and assign the asset you wish to use for the load.

Once selected, Asset information can automatically populate throughout the load and related documents — helping reduce duplicate data entry and streamline dispatch operations.

Need to make changes to Assets? Each assigned Asset can quickly be edited directly from the load by clicking its corresponding Edit tab.

If an Asset does not already exist in your system, it will first need to be added to AscendTMS before it can be assigned to the load.

👉 Related Help Guides:

Organizations operating multiple business models inside AscendTMS — including Freight Brokers, Carriers, and Shippers managing both outside providers and internal Assets — will be able to choose how the load will be moved.

Two options are available:

Choose the option that best fits this specific load and operational workflow, then follow the steps within the Freight Broker or Carrier sections above.

The Edit Stops screen is where you build out the actual movement and flow of the load inside AscendTMS.

This is where you will add and manage the various Stop Actions associated with the load, including common actions such as:

Along with more advanced operational actions like:

The Edit Stops screen is also where you can manage important shipment scheduling and cargo details, including:

Whether you’re building a simple one-pick/one-drop shipment or a more complex operational workflow, the Edit Stops section gives you the flexibility to manage the load exactly how your business needs it handled.

To add a Stop Action to the load, click:

OR

After selecting the Stop Action, you will first need to assign a stop location.

If the location already exists in your system, simply begin typing the location name and matching results will automatically appear for selection.

If the location does not already exist, click + Click here to create a new location to add to this load

From here, you can enter a location name or address into the search field.

This field is powered by Google and performs an internet search to help locate the facility for you. If a matching location is found and selected, much of the address and contact information will automatically populate into the form.

A new screen will then open allowing you to complete and save the remaining location details.

Once your new location has been saved, you’ll automatically be returned to the Add New Stop screen where you can continue entering and editing stop-specific information for the load.

Additional stop details that can be configured here include:

This allows you to capture both the operational and scheduling details needed to properly manage the shipment within AscendTMS.

Once you’ve entered the Stop information, simply click Save Stop to return to the Edit Stops screen.

From there, you can continue adding any additional Stop Actions, locations or appointments needed for the load by repeating the steps outlined above.

Not every Stop or Stop Action needs to appear on every document generated by AscendTMS.

Using the Show on column, you can control which Stops and Actions appear on:

By default, the screen initially displays the load from the carrier's, or your own trucking company's perspective.

This means you are viewing the Stops and Actions exactly as the assigned Carrier or Driver would typically see them on Carrier/Driver-facing documents.

To preview the load from the Customer perspective, simply switch the toggle from:

Carrier → Customer

While viewing the Customer perspective, you can still control visibility by selecting or deselecting Customer Docs

This gives you flexibility to hide operational-only Stops or Actions that your Customer does not need to see.

While working within the Stops screen, you can also quickly edit certain Stop details directly from the grid view.

Simply hover over the Stop within the Scheduled Date/Time column to edit items such as:

This allows for fast operational adjustments without needing to fully reopen and edit the Stop itself.

Once your Stops have been added, AscendTMS can help optimize the flow of the shipment and calculate routing information for the load.

From this screen, you can:

This is especially helpful for multi-stop shipments where changing the Stop order may improve efficiency, reduce mileage, or better align with appointment schedules.

The Optimize Stop Order feature helps automatically organize the sequence of Stops on the load based on the routing and locations entered.

This can help:

This feature is especially useful when managing loads with multiple pickups, deliveries, or additional Stop Actions.

If needed, you can still manually adjust or rearrange Stops after optimization to better fit appointment times, operational requirements, or specific Customer instructions.

To manually reorder Stops, simply use the Reorder column by clicking and holding the three horizontal lines next to the Stop, then drag and drop the Stop into the desired order.

As Stops are added to the load, AscendTMS will automatically calculate:

The total calculated mileage will appear beneath the list of Stops within the load.

In addition to calculating mileage, AscendTMS also displays the routing path visually on an interactive map.

If needed, individual routes between Stops can be reviewed and adjusted.

To access the route between Stops, click the blue information icon next to the calculated miles between Stops

Select Click to view/change route via interactive map

From here, you can customize the route by:

If you want to remove your custom routing changes, simply click Revert to default route

Below the Stops section, AscendTMS also displays an overview map showing the complete route for the load.

To open the Route Map:

View of Route Map opened:

Unlike the interactive Stop-to-Stop maps, the overall route overview map is display-only and cannot be directly edited.

Route adjustments must instead be made within the individual route segments between Stops.

For additional routing controls, expand the routing options section by clicking on +Routing Options

Then, select click here to load your Default Routing Options

You will notice the ability to select to your preferred route based on key items such as:

Once routing selections have been updated, click:

Save selected options and update route and mileage

The route map and mileage calculations will automatically refresh based on the updated selections.

If you ever want to return to your standard routing preferences, simply click:

Reset routing options to my defaults

Further down the page, you also have the ability to manually override the calculated mileage values.

This includes:

To manually edit mileage:

If you wish to revert back to the system-calculated mileage, simply click the blue reset arrow next to the edit icon.

For operations tracking deadhead mileage (commonly for IFTA purposes), AscendTMS can also calculate deadhead routing separately.

To do this:

The system will then calculate and store the deadhead mileage separately from the loaded route mileage.

With your Stops, routing, scheduling, and operational details now configured, it’s time to move into the financial side of the load.

The Financials section is where you will manage the money associated with the shipment, including:

Don’t worry — like the rest of the Build a Load workflow in AscendTMS, the Financials section is flexible.

The Income section is where you will enter the revenue being charged for the load.

For most users, this represents the amount that will eventually be invoiced to your Customer or Broker.

To add Income to the load, simply click Add Line Item

From there, you can enter details such as:

Multiple Income line items can be added if needed for items such as freight charges, fuel surcharges, detention, lumper fees, or other billable accessorials. To do so, simply click Add Line Item and enter additional Income items needed.

The Expenses section is where you will enter the costs associated with moving the load.

This commonly includes items such as:

To add an Expense to the load, click the Add Line Item option shown below and follow the same process used when adding an Income / Budget item.

From there, you can enter details such as:

Once both Income and Expense information have been added to the load, AscendTMS can automatically generate the operational documents associated with the shipment.

After adding Income line items to the load, AscendTMS can generate a Customer Confirmation document outlining:

This document is commonly used to confirm shipment details and pricing with the Customer.

After adding Expense line items tied to a Carrier, AscendTMS generates a Carrier Confirmation document outlining:

This document is commonly referred to as a Rate Con and is used to formally dispatch and communicate load details to the assigned Carrier.

Because these documents pull directly from the information entered throughout the Build a Load workflow, keeping your load details accurate and organized helps ensure clean, professional documentation with minimal additional work.