The cheapest credible SMB broker stack just got an AI inbox layer.
AscendTMS gives you a free TMS with 140+ integrations and a fresh DAT end-to-end digital freight transaction integration. Keelway adds the AI carrier-email triage that AscendTMS doesn't ship — per-reply FMCSA trust scoring, rate extraction, ranked top five, all in Gmail. Total stack cost under $200/month for most SMB brokerages.
Why the AscendTMS + Keelway stack works
AscendTMS solved the SMB TMS pricing problem with a real free tier. What they haven't done — and don't pretend to do — is the inbox-side AI work that handles 40 inbound carrier replies per posted load. That gap is exactly where Keelway plugs in.
The combined stack covers the full SMB broker workflow at numbers that make sense for sub-$10M-freight brokerages: TMS functionality and load-board integration from AscendTMS, AI-augmented carrier reply triage from Keelway. No enterprise-tier subscriptions; no per-seat licensing; no implementation drag.
What Keelway adds to AscendTMS
Every carrier reply, triaged in seconds
FMCSA trust score on every reply
Top five, decided in Gmail
Booked carrier flows into AscendTMS
How AscendTMS + Keelway compares to all-in-one premium TMS
A typical SMB broker doing 200 loads/month evaluating all-in-one premium broker TMSs:
- Tai mid-tier: ~$3,000–$5,000/month for the full TMS surface.
- Turvo entry: $5,000/month floor.
- McLeod: Enterprise SaaS, six figures annually.
The AscendTMS + Keelway stack at the same volume:
- AscendTMS: $0 (free tier) or low-paid tier.
- Keelway: $200/month at 200 loads.
- Total: <$200/month for the broker workflow plus AI inbox layer.
Trade-offs: AscendTMS's UI is functional rather than modern; you lose enterprise reporting depth and fancy dashboards. For SMB brokerages where the bottleneck is inbox triage and not back-office sophistication, the math is rarely close.
Deployment timeline (under 2 weeks)
- Day 1–2. Gmail OAuth + AscendTMS API credentials. Keelway starts reading replies on currently posted loads.
- Day 3–5. Ranking weights calibrated from your booking history.
- Day 6–8. AscendTMS write-back live. Booked carriers flow back into the TMS automatically.
- Day 9–12. Trust score thresholds tuned; fraud detector calibrated to your specific book.
- Day 13+. Steady state.
For the full Keelway capability set independent of TMS, see Carrier Email Automation. If you graduate from AscendTMS into a paid TMS, Keelway carries over — Tai, Rose Rocket, Aljex, and the rest all integrate.
Frequently asked questions
What is AscendTMS and why does the free tier matter?+
AscendTMS (by InMotion Global) is the largest freemium broker TMS in the US market, with a genuinely free entry tier — not a free trial, but ongoing free use for small brokerages. They ship 140+ pre-installed integrations including DAT, Truckstop, accounting, and load tracking. In 2026 they completed a DAT end-to-end digital freight transaction integration that strengthens the freemium moat further.
How does Keelway integrate with AscendTMS?+
Keelway connects to your Gmail via OAuth and to AscendTMS via API or structured email handoff. When you post a load through AscendTMS, Keelway starts reading replies as they land in Gmail, extracts the rate, runs FMCSA trust scoring, and ranks the top five. Once you accept a quote, Keelway writes the carrier and rate back into AscendTMS — no double data entry.
Why would an AscendTMS user need Keelway?+
AscendTMS handles the operational core well — load lifecycle, accounting basics, the 140+ integrations. What it doesn't do is AI for the inbox. The 30–50 carrier replies that hit Gmail per posted load still get triaged manually by the broker. Keelway is the AI inbox layer that AscendTMS doesn't ship — and the combined stack (free or low-paid AscendTMS + $1/load Keelway) is genuinely the cheapest credible SMB broker stack in the market.
Does Keelway require AscendTMS's paid tiers?+
No. Keelway works with any AscendTMS tier including the free one. We integrate at the Gmail layer and write back to AscendTMS via supported API calls. If you're on the free tier and find email-based handoff easier than API integration, that works too.
What does Keelway cost on top of AscendTMS?+
$1 per load, every feature included, first 50 loads free. For a brokerage covering 100 loads/month: $100 in Keelway. For 500 loads: $500. There are no per-broker-seat fees, no platform fees, and no usage tiers. AscendTMS may cost $0 (free tier) or low-paid; total combined stack often lands well under $200/month for SMB scale.
Can Keelway help spot double-brokering before booking?+
Yes. Keelway runs FMCSA lookups on every inbound carrier reply, checks the email domain against the carrier's registered contact, cross-references MC/DOT against operating authority, and flags quote requests from dispatchers representing MCs that don't own the insurance. All signals visible on the ranked list before you click accept.
What if I outgrow AscendTMS — does Keelway move with me?+
Yes. Keelway integrates with Tai, McLeod, Aljex, Revenova, Turvo, Rose Rocket, Magaya, Alvys, and Salesforce. As you grow into a paid TMS, Keelway carries over with the same $1/load pricing and the same Gmail-native UX. The TMS choice and the inbox-AI choice are independent.