1. Welcome to TransMaS

Welcome to TransMaS, your cloud-based Transportation Management Solution. This series of articles is designed for new users stepping into an existing TransMaS environment. We will cover the essential lifecycle of an order, from initial entry to final invoice, using the core tools in your TMS.

In this article: We cover the foundations including key terms, basic navigation, and the essential resources you need to understand before entering your first order.

1. TransMaS Foundations

Before you enter your first order, it is important to understand how TransMaS organizes data and the resources you will be managing.

1.1 Key Terms:

• Order (often called a "Job"): This is the core record in the system containing customer and product info.
• Consignment: The specific "A to B" movement (Collection, Delivery, and Product) within an Order. One Order can contain multiple Consignments.
• Schedule (often called a "Load"): This is a specific vehicle/driver pairing on a certain day that one or more consignments or other instructions can be assigned to.

1.2 Basic Navigation

This is the TransMaS header bar - you can reach every part of the system from here.

1. Sidebar Menu (Hamburger Icon): Opens the organized menu for all main operational screens.
2. TransMaS Logo: Click this to return to the Dashboard at any time.
3. Account Identity: Displays your Company Code, Company Name, and current Depot.
4. Quick Search: Find orders, invoices, or quotes by number or reference. Shortcut: Press CMD + K or CTRL + K. (For advanced filtering, use Order Search in the sidebar).
5. Create Menu (+ Button): If you need to start something new (Order, Invoice, Location), it’s in here. Many of the options also have keyboard shortcuts such as F8 for create an order.
6. Scheduler: Quick access to the Scheduler, one of the most used TransMaS screens.

7. Messages: Send and receive messages to and from drivers within TransMaS.

   Announcements: Click here to see the latest system updates and new feature releases.

   Star: Set your home page by clicking this button.

8. User Profile: Access personal settings, or your Company Profile (for Administrators).

1.3 Essential Resources:

To plan work effectively, you need to know which resources are available and the rules governing them. These resources can be set up or viewed in a list from Settings in the Sidebar.

• Users: Learn how to add new staff, manage specific permissions, and reset passwords.
  • Note: These settings require Company Admin permissions and are not visible on the standard Demo account.
• Customer Profiles: Every order is tied to a customer. The customer profile dictates their rates, fuel surcharges, and automatic notifications including ePODs.
• Locations: These are the physical collection and delivery points saved in your system. All orders link to a central database to allow reuse of locations and data analysis.
• Own Drivers: For your own drivers, the system handles the heavy lifting through two main scheduling methods.
  • Auto-Scheduling:  If shift patterns and holidays are configured, TransMaS automatically generates empty schedules (driver/vehicle pairings) several days in advance so you only see available drivers. 
  • Manual Planning: For one-off shifts or extra cover, you can create a schedule on the fly.
• Subcontractors: Manage third-party partners similarly to your own fleet. You can assign work to Subcontractors on the scheduler to track costs and generate purchase orders.
• Vehicles & Trailers: Track your physical assets, manage expiry dates, default driver assignments, and VOR status.

Ready to create your first order? Continue to Part 2: Creating the Order