Manhattan Active Transportation Management
by Manhattan Associates · Transportation Management (TMS)
Cloud-native, microservices TMS for multi-modal planning, optimization, execution, and freight settlement.
- Works with
- SAP S/4HANA, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle NetSuite
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Company size
- Mid-market, Enterprise
- Pricing
- Subscription (SaaS), tailored by volume, users, and modules
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Overview
Manhattan Active Transportation Management (MATM) is the transportation management system within Manhattan Associates' Active Supply Chain platform. It covers the full transportation lifecycle for shippers and carriers, including strategic modeling, procurement, multi-modal planning and optimization, execution and dispatch, in-transit visibility, and freight audit, payment, and claims. The product targets enterprise and upper mid-market shippers, third-party logistics providers, and private fleet operators that move freight across truckload, less-than-truckload, parcel, ocean, rail, intermodal, and air.
The application is built entirely from microservices and is delivered as a cloud-native SaaS. Manhattan positions the architecture as "versionless": continuous updates are delivered (the vendor cites roughly every 90 days) without disruptive upgrade projects, and the platform is designed to be extended through APIs rather than customized through code forks. At the core is a multi-modal optimization engine that the vendor describes as self-configuring and self-tuning, automatically selecting route-generation techniques based on the problem being solved and supporting continuous optimization that re-solves shipment plans as conditions change.
MATM is commonly deployed alongside Manhattan's warehouse management and order management products, but it also integrates with third-party ERP and supply chain systems through an API-first integration framework. Typical buyers are organizations in grocery and food distribution, retail and ecommerce, manufacturing and wholesale, life sciences and pharmaceutical, apparel, and 3PL/carrier operations that need to reduce freight spend, improve service levels, and manage complex multi-leg networks. Public reviews note strong optimization and load-building capability alongside higher total cost and a learning curve for advanced features.
Screenshots & demo
Demo video from the vendor's YouTube channel.
Features & capabilities
Planning & Optimization
Multi-modal shipment planning and the optimization engine at the core of the product.
- Self-configuring, self-tuning multi-modal optimization engine
- Order consolidation into efficient shipments
- Optimization across ocean, rail, intermodal, truckload, LTL, air, and parcel
- Constraint-aware solving against rates, asset availability, and business rules
- Continuous optimization that re-solves plans as conditions change
- Dynamic and static routing
- Continuous moves, backhauls, and cross-dock planning
Procurement & Network Modeling
Strategic transportation analysis and carrier contract management.
- Transportation network modeling and logistical analysis
- Freight procurement and bid optimization
- "What if" scenario analysis for contracts and lanes
- Rate and contract management
- Strategic lane and mode evaluation
Execution & Dispatch
Day-to-day shipment execution, fleet, and dock coordination.
- Automated or directed shipment creation, editing, and cancellation
- Private fleet and dispatch management
- Driver mobile app for instructions and dispatch documents
- Appointment scheduling for inbound and outbound dock operations
- Yard operations management with task-based control
- Carrier and supplier compliance program support
Visibility & Tracking
In-transit monitoring across modes and partners.
- Multi-modal and multi-leg shipment monitoring
- Third-party GPS and telematics integration for in-transit tracking
- Alerts and notifications for delays, route deviations, and milestones
- Proof-of-delivery capture and sharing
- Trading partner collaboration and communication
Freight Audit, Payment & Settlement
Carrier financial reconciliation and claims.
- Automated freight bill auditing against carrier agreements
- Carrier payment processing
- Claims management
- Carrier selection and performance-based evaluation
- Compliance and trade documentation
Common use cases
- Optimizing multi-modal freight networks to reduce transportation spend
- Consolidating orders and building efficient loads to cut empty miles
- Managing private fleet dispatch and driver coordination
- Running freight procurement events and modeling lane scenarios
- Auditing carrier invoices and processing freight payments
- Coordinating inbound shipments with dock appointment scheduling
- Tracking in-transit shipments and proactively managing delays
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Self-configuring, self-tuning optimization engine that auto-selects route-generation techniques
- Versionless cloud-native microservices architecture with continuous (no-upgrade) updates
- Continuous optimization that re-solves plans as conditions change, not just at plan time
- Single platform spanning planning, execution, visibility, and settlement
- Tight integration path with Manhattan warehouse and order management within one Active platform
Considerations
- Enterprise-oriented; total cost of ownership is high relative to lighter TMS tools
- Advanced optimization features require training and onboarding effort
- Reviewers cite limited ability to tailor the platform to highly unique business processes
- Public pricing is not listed; quotes are tailored by volume, users, and modules
- Some users report slowness during platform updates
ERP integrations
Integrated via Manhattan's API-first integration framework for order, inventory, and shipment data exchange.
Pricing
Manhattan does not publish list pricing. Quotes typically reflect shipment/usage volume, user counts, selected modules, plus implementation and support. Reviewers describe it as a higher-cost enterprise solution. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- Cloud-native SaaS (versionless microservices)
- Compliance
- SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, SSAE 18 / ISAE 3402 Type II
- Mobile app
- Yes
About the vendor
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Ownership
- Public (NASDAQ: MANH)
- Notable customers
- Giant Eagle, Carhartt, Goya Foods, ICA Sweden
Alternatives to Manhattan Active Transportation Management in Transportation Management (TMS)
Manhattan Active Transportation Management — frequently asked questions
What transportation modes does Manhattan Active TM support?
It is multi-modal, covering truckload, less-than-truckload, parcel, ocean, rail, intermodal, and air, with support for inbound, outbound, interfacility, and backhaul movements.
Does Manhattan Active TM integrate with SAP and Oracle ERPs?
Yes. Manhattan provides an API-first integration framework used to connect with ERPs including SAP S/4HANA, Oracle, Oracle NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for order, inventory, and shipment data.
Is Manhattan Active TM cloud-based?
Yes. It is delivered as a cloud-native SaaS built entirely from microservices, with continuous updates that the vendor states do not require disruptive version upgrades.
Who is Manhattan Active TM best suited for?
It targets enterprise and upper mid-market shippers, 3PLs, and private fleet operators with complex, high-volume, multi-modal transportation networks. It is generally a heavier, higher-cost option than lightweight TMS tools.
What security certifications does Manhattan maintain?
Manhattan states its cloud services undergo semi-annual third-party audits covering SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3, as well as SSAE 18 / ISAE 3402 Type II, with its security program aligned to standards such as ISO 27001, CIS, and NIST.
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