Artisan Logistics cut invoice handling by 75 percent and protected its biggest accounts
A heavy haul brokerage traded manual invoicing for faster, cleaner back-office work that held up as the business grew
“Accuracy is my number one priority—and Broker Factoring is accurate. But it’s the flexibility that makes the biggest difference.”
– Cathy Batson, CFO, Artisan Logistics
Accuracy and dependable numbers sit at the center of how Artisan Logistics runs its books.
Artisan Logistics is a freight brokerage based in Irmo, South Carolina that specializes in heavy haul freight. Cathy Batson, the CFO, brought more than 35 years of banking experience into freight, where her eye for detail and process-driven mindset made her central to the company’s financial operations.
As the team looked at factoring to support their growth, they realized the back-office systems they were using weren’t built to hold the level of detail they needed. The process at other factoring companies added steps, lacked visibility, and made it hard to keep the clean, accurate books Cathy was used to.
Worse, a previous factoring company started the collection process with Artisan’s top customer more than ten days before those invoices were due. That misstep nearly cost Artisan a key account and pushed the team to a breaking point.
Artisan started looking for a different factoring company, one that could give them reliable reporting, cut the manual work, and keep the books clean enough to protect their accounts. They moved to Broker Factoring from Truckstop Financial to get it.
Accurate reporting replaced hours of manual reconciliation
Before the switch, Artisan wrestled with manual processes and unreliable data from a previous factoring company. Reconciliation meant complex spreadsheets and hours of digging just to confirm basic payment details.
The team had built its own accounting and billing systems in Microsoft Excel and Access to fill the gaps and tie entries back to QuickBooks, work that leaned heavily on Cathy’s experience and did not scale.
Now an Integrated Ledger Report and Jobs Board in Broker Factoring give Cathy and the management team instant access to accurate, up-to-date financial data. The jobs board shows both the carrier and factoring company names in one view, which makes it easy to resolve freight invoice bookkeeping inquiries without backtracking.
Artisan reports the switch cut its repetitive invoicing steps by up to 75%, work that used to eat into every billing day.
I used to have 40 pivot tables just to track load activity. Now, I can go into the jobs board, click on a load, and everything I need—carrier, factor, payment details—is right there. It’s accurate, reliable, and saves me from chasing numbers all day.”
Automated carrier setup saved hours each month
Heavy haul is a fragmented market. According to the American Trucking Associations, as of March 2024, 95.5% of U.S. motor carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks, and co-owner Ian McCroskey said most carriers running heavy and over-dimensional freight are one or two-man outfits.
Because of that fragmentation, the specialized equipment involved, and the need for timely service, Artisan onboards around 80 new carriers a month, many of them one-and-done. Each setup used to require an Artisan team member to key in payment and banking details by hand, a repetitive and time-consuming task.
Now the integration between Broker Factoring and MyCarrierPortal removes that manual entry. Carrier data flows directly into Broker Factoring, clearing a major bottleneck and making it easier to keep up with the volume of new carriers.
Cathy added, “That integration has been huge for us. We don’t have to input all the carrier information anymore—it’s in Tai as part of our on-boarding process and now it’s already in Broker Factoring, too. This integration has saved me hours each week and cuts out a ton of repetitive work.”
Better payment timing cut the follow-up calls
Payments to carrier factoring companies used to trigger a steady stream of calls asking for status updates.
Broker Factoring offers a 28-day payment setting for carrier factoring companies that sends payments a couple of days before the due date. That timing helps Artisan stay off follow-up lists and cuts the volume of calls and emails from carrier factoring companies.
Factoring companies used to call constantly asking for payment updates. Now with the 28-day setting and accurate invoice matching, those calls have nearly stopped.”
What the switch delivered
Switching factoring companies ran without a break in cash flow. Invoices kept getting factored, funding stayed on track, and the onboarding and buyout process was straightforward, even as Artisan exited its previous contract early.
What has made the biggest difference since then is the ongoing support. Cathy works with a dedicated account manager who knows her business, and even when her rep is out, the whole support team is available to troubleshoot.
For Artisan, the impact went beyond better workflows. It helped secure the future of the back-office, to the point that stepping into Cathy’s role would no longer require decades of accounting and industry knowledge.
Turning a cleaner back office into room to grow
What once looked like a cheaper option had ended up costing more in time, errors, and frustration. With Broker Factoring, the total cost came out lower, not just in dollars but in hours saved and headaches avoided.
For Cathy, the tool stood out because it adapts to her workflow instead of forcing the reverse. Her advice to other brokerages is to do the math: weigh the pain points, talk to people already using the tool, and look past surface pricing.
See what Broker Factoring from Truckstop Financial could do for your back office. Funding and terms are subject to approval.
Get helpful content delivered to your inbox.
Spend less time on invoices and more time moving freight.
See how Broker Factoring from Truckstop Financial handles your AP/AR, pays carriers fast, and gives you the financial visibility to grow with confidence.
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
