45% of Brokers Say This Is the #1 Barrier to Automation

Brokers know they need automation. But 45% of them say their biggest barrier is getting tools to integrate, according to a recent FreightCaviar poll. In an industry juggling CRMs, TMSs, load boards, and onboarding portals, integration issues have become the silent killer of efficiency.

Six Real Roadblocks to Integration

Tech onboarding isn’t just a matter of plugging in a new tool. It’s often a complex, multi-team initiative, and one that stalls for predictable reasons:

1. No Clear Owner: Integrations fail when no one takes the lead. Without a dedicated project owner or internal champion, timelines get fuzzy and momentum dies.
2. Legacy Systems & Missing APIs: Many brokers run on highly customized or outdated tech with limited documentation. Without accessible APIs, integrating new platforms becomes a slow, manual process.
3. Fear of Disruption: Even inefficient workflows are seen as safer than ripping out what “technically works.” Leadership often resists change, especially during peak seasons.
4.  It’s Not Set-and-Forget: Integration is never one-and-done. It requires testing, maintenance, and updates over time. Many brokers underestimate the long-term lift.
5. Change Fatigue: Teams already overwhelmed by tech stacks may hesitate to onboard something new—especially if they’ve had bad experiences in the past.
6. Status Quo Bias: It’s easy to say “we’re doing fine.” But the longer teams delay modernization, the more they fall behind the brokers who didn’t wait.

Modern Brokers Run Complex Stacks

Today’s freight brokers operate like fast-moving startups. They rely on:

• Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
• Load boards and rating tools
• Carrier onboarding platforms
• Visibility and tracking systems
• Compliance and risk management tools
• Payment platforms and ERPs

When even one of these doesn’t integrate, brokers default to copy-paste workflows and endless email loops.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Even when integrations are clearly beneficial, many brokerages hesitate, often paralyzed by uncertainty, lack of ownership, or internal resistance. But standing still carries a real price.

According to PwC’s 2025 CEO survey, 1 in 3 CEOs admit they lack trust in their organization’s ability to embed AI and automation into business processes. This hesitation mirrors what we see in freight: tools exist, but confidence in deployment slows transformation.

When teams hesitate to adopt new tools, they create bottlenecks that slow down cash flow, frustrate staff, and ultimately cost business. Missed payments. Missed loads. Missed opportunities.

Boston Consulting Group adds that only 26% of companies have moved past pilot programs into scaled AI operations that deliver real value. The other 74% are still stuck in experimentation, spending time and money without seeing results.

Failing to modernize workflows doesn’t keep your operation “safe.” It keeps you inefficient, reactive, and falling behind competitors who integrate smarter and sooner. 

Fortunately, integrations don’t have to be overwhelming.

While many brokers struggle with ownership, maintenance, and legacy system compatibility, some have already figured out how to make integrations work for real. The difference often comes down to having the right partner: one that understands the freight tech landscape and supports every step of the process.

Breaking the Bottlenecks with Epay Manager

Even for brokers ready to embrace automation, integration hurdles can quickly pile up: siloed systems, unclear ownership, and resistance to change are just the start. But brokers who succeed in adopting new tools often credit one key factor: choosing the right partner.

Epay Manager, powered by OTR Solutions, has more than 20 years of experience helping brokerages onboard smoothly, without burning out their teams.

Here’s how they keep integrations from stalling:

✅ Pre-Built TMS and Onboarding Integrations Compatible with Descartes Aljex, Revenova, Turvo, McLeod, Tai Software, and more.

✅ No Carrier Re-Onboarding Required 95% of a broker’s carrier network is already active on Epay. And all major factors are pre-registered too.

✅ Dedicated Onboarding Team Clients get a named support lead who handles role alignment, timelines, testing, and go-live.

✅ Post-Launch Support The help doesn’t end at go-live. Our support team sticks around to troubleshoot, monitor, and adapt as workflows evolve.

“Jason, Tim, and their support teams are second to none… any issues we’ve run into during the integration or while using the platform are resolved quickly.”— Freight Brokerage Billing Manager on working with Epay

Real Results From Brokers Using Epay

• 18% decrease in average DSO between December 2024 and June 2025 across all Epay broker clients.
• One brokerage cut Days to Invoice (DTI) from 10 to 0.7 in just three months.
• Another saw DTI drop from 2.65 to 0.6, massively accelerating back-office efficiency.

These improvements translate to faster carrier payments, improved cash flow, and fewer backlogs.

Interactive Tool: Is Your TMS Already Integrated?

Integration Doesn’t Have to Be a Headache

Brokers today need more than a platform; they need an integration partner. Epay Manager helps freight teams eliminate onboarding friction so they can automate smarter and faster.

When integration partners know freight, speak your language, and come ready with the right connection, the question moves from if automation will work to how fast you’ll see results. 

Want to see how it works?

Book a demo to walk through the platform and ask the questions that matter to your operation.