WHAT NEW CARRIERS ACTUALLY USE
TBOS, a factoring app or a spreadsheet?
Most new owner-operators start with two free things: the app from their factoring company and a spreadsheet. That is a reasonable start. This page is about what each one does, and where TBOS fits.
Factoring companies such as RTS, Triumph and MyFactor give carriers free apps for submitting invoices, checking brokers and getting paid quickly. They are good at that job, and they are paid by the fee on each invoice you sell them.
Free to set up · 14-day trial starts with your first load · No card required
Side by side
| Factoring company app | Spreadsheet | TBOS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | The app is free. The company earns its fee on each invoice you sell to it. | Free. | Free to set up. 14-day trial from your first load, then $29.99/month for one truck. |
| Getting paid on an invoice | Its main job: submit the invoice and paperwork, get paid fast for a fee. | You email the invoice yourself and track it by hand. | PDF invoice with your paperwork attached, emailed from the load. Records what you factored and the fee, with any factoring company. It does not submit to the factor for you. |
| Checking a broker before you book | Most include broker credit checks for loads you factor. | — | Not built in. Use your factoring company's check. |
| Finding loads | Some include a load board. | — | Free public board where brokers mark loads open to new authorities. |
| Profit before you book | Usually not. | If you build the formula. | Each load shows its estimate from your own cost per mile. |
| Detention | Usually not. | If you write the times down. | Tap Arrived and Departed; time past your free hours goes on the invoice. |
| Paperwork, expenses, trucks, drivers | Usually only what factoring needs. | Whatever you keep up with. | Rate confirmations, BOLs, PODs, expenses, truck and trailer records, driver invites and a startup document checklist in one place. |
| Switching factoring companies | Your records live in that company's app. | Yours. | Yours, whichever factoring company you use. |
Factoring apps differ; check each company’s current terms and features. Checked October 2026.
Use them together
If you factor, keep doing it the way that works for you. TBOS keeps the load, its paperwork, your costs and your detention times in one place, and records which loads you factored and what it cost you. If you change factoring companies, nothing in TBOS changes.
Questions
Do I have to stop using my factoring company's app?
No. If you factor, keep using its app to submit invoices and check brokers. Use TBOS to run the rest of the business. They do different jobs.
Is a spreadsheet enough at the start?
For a few loads, it can be. It stops being enough when you are chasing paperwork for an invoice, guessing whether a rate covers your costs, or forgetting to bill detention.
Why does TBOS cost money when factoring apps are free?
A factoring company's app is paid for by its fee on the invoices you sell to it. TBOS is paid for by a subscription, so it works the same whether you factor, with whom, or not at all. Setting up is free, and the trial starts with your first load.