By ERICA LAMBERG
Correspondent

Marking ten years in business, Aljex Software based in Middlesex Borough has developed and continues to market a proprietary software package that is specifically designed for freight brokers who provide transportation services to manufactures, retailers, imports and exporters. Aljex's software package offers a menu of Web-based interface solutions for customers.

Freight brokers are entities that do not own trucks but move thousands of truckloads of good daily by outsourcing these services to third-party transportation providers.

"There are approximately 10,000 freight brokers in the United States who are part of the $100 billion third-party logistics industry," said Joe Hirschman, vice president of sales and operations with Aljex. "I think being in business for ten years says a lot about this company: That our technology and our service proves that we've been able to successfully compete with much larger and substantial companies."

This complete software solution for freight brokers, said Hirschman, includes dispatch, billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable and reporting.

"We also provide faxing and e-mailing functions directly from the software for forms and reports," Hirschman said.

He said customers are able to successfully compete with larger freight companies and secure business with the use of Electronic Data Interchange -- an exchange of data that facilitates direct communication between computer systems, using national and international telecommunication networks.

Hirschman said the process helps transportation companies receive pending orders for pickup electronically from a customer and return an acknowledgment to the shipper. Periodically during the day, the transportation company will send transit updates for all shipments in transit and delivery information for those delivered.

"This eliminates data input and time to communicate information between companies," Hirschman said. "It offers major labor savings, forges strong relationship between the parties, and the software features give our customers a competitive advantage."

One client, Handle With Care Express, a freight broker in Bound Brook, has used Aljex's software program for nearly a decade.

"Before, they were running dispatch on paper and now it is all done on the computer," said Hirschman.

Hirschman earned a bachelors degree from Kean College in Union. His professional experience includes working in the freight brokerage industry. He was Aljex's first full-time employee. Today, his primary role is interfacing with customers and managing the daily operations of Aljex.

Aljex is very involved with the freight brokerage industry on a national level. Tom Heine, president of Aljex, serves on the board of the Transportation Intermediaries Association which is the only organization exclusively representing transportation intermediaries of all disciplines doing business in domestic and international commerce. The association is the voice of transportation intermediaries to shippers, carriers, government officials, and international organizations.