Recent Webinar Highlights the Role of Community Load Match in the Connected Supply Chain
There’s no question that 2020 was one of the most challenging years in history for the transportation and logistics industry, requiring stakeholders throughout the supply chain to evaluate – and in many cases, shift – the way they do business. Between the global COVID-19 pandemic, a presidential election and everything in between, freight markets have been incredibly unpredictable and volatile.
At the outset of the pandemic in the U.S., many shippers had trouble finding carrier capacity at the right price, and some freight markets, such as consumer goods, have experienced off-the-charts demand, while other industries have struggled to fill capacity and survive.
With all this market volatility in an unpredictable industry, the need for a more connected and collaborative supply chain is more important than ever. This was a key theme in Trimble’s recent webinar, “Connecting the Supply Chain”, which focused on how technology is helping facilitate streamlined collaboration for all supply chain stakeholders.
Telematics Unlocks Opportunities
There was a time in the transportation industry, years ago, when tech solutions were considered “nice to have.” Technology wasn’t critical to run a successful operation, but could be used to enhance some areas of the business, if a fleet so chose.
However, those days are long gone. Consumer demand has driven the supply chain and its participants to experience a digital revolution. The need for real-time freight visibility and the ELD mandate requiring trucks and drivers to use e-logs for safety and compliance illustrates how technology is now a “must-have” in order to run an efficient and profitable logistics business.
In today's transportation markets, most trucks are now communicating telematics data electronically. Fleets of all sizes have precariously invested in hardware that can be leveraged to implement new solutions to create operational efficiencies, improve operating ratios, increase driver safety, enhance customer service and more.
Additionally, now more than ever, solutions can integrate between providers in an unbiased, agnostic way, ensuring that all stakeholders can communicate effectively and efficiently, no matter what technology providers they use. This unbiased connection between solutions unlocks data and creates opportunities for collaboration between companies of all sizes and complexities.
Even with the increased interest in technology, there are still some pain points within the transportation industry that technology can help address.
Importance of a Shared Platform
As the value and availability of data continues to grow within the transportation industry, there is also a growing need to connect the dots between the data and improve collaboration between logistics service providers and shippers, carriers and intermediaries.
Today, shippers, carriers and intermediaries operate with fragmented transportation management system (TMS) software. Trimble’s vision is to transform the transportation industry by breaking down silos of information between stakeholders and improve collaboration by delivering one, single unbiased logistics platform for everyone in the supply chain.
Imagine a world where shippers have visibility not only to the real-time location of trucks, but into fleets’ operational plans to understand both asset availability and the trucks’ next moves. This kind of intelligence would empower unprecedented efficiency and savings for all parties by achieving continuous truck movements.
But a world of maximum transportation efficiency only becomes possible when shippers, carriers and intermediaries share a common platform, powered by a common TMS.
Creating a Connected Supply Chain with Community Load Match
Trimble and Kuebix’s Community Load Match platform is the first milestone in achieving the company’s shared mission of a truly connected transportation supply chain. Community Load Match connects Kuebix’s community of more than 25,000 shippers with a carrier community from Trimble’s network of 1.3 million commercial trucks, digital freight matching services and brokers to meet truckload needs on one platform.
Kuebix integrates with Trimble’s Innovative, TMW.Suite and TruckMate carrier TMS, allowing shipment data to seamlessly flow between systems for maximum efficiency. Community Load Match provides the ability to designate preferred lanes, ensuring that carriers are only connected with shipping customers with requirements in lanes they are looking to fill.
Community Load Match enables shippers to use advanced matching capabilities to more easily find available carriers for their truckload shipments, as well as easily request and receive rates from the carrier community, including their contracted carriers. Kuebix’s shipping community is composed almost entirely of direct shippers and manufacturers, providing carriers with a high-quality source of freight.
By connecting all logistics stakeholders on a single platform, shippers gain access to available capacity and competitive pricing, while brokers and carriers increase their business and gain superior asset utilization. Together, Trimble and Kuebix are transforming the transportation industry with a common platform for shippers, carriers and intermediaries to enable new levels of visibility and efficiency for the entire market.
Challenger, one of Canada’s largest privately-owned transportation and logistics companies, recently became a Community Carrier and has already seen immense success as a result, including establishing a long-term partnership with a shipper that brings in $200,000 in revenue per month.
Start Realizing a More Connected Supply Chain
Now is the time to set your business up for success by finding new customer or vendor opportunities, streamline onboarding and settlement, and turn spot work into contract work in repeat lanes by working more closely with customers that fit your specific needs.
Start turning your empty miles and available capacity into an asset for your fleet. Sign up for free to join Community Load Match and start maximizing your fleet’s productivity and unlocking new customer opportunities for your business.