Trucking carriers have many opportunities to improve profitability using freight aggregation and coordination. Everything using digital processes, from route optimization or continuous auditing to reducing costs and frivolous spending, can help improve profitability. Now carriers can improve even more with aggregation platforms. Aggregation platforms are portals that allow shippers and carriers to find what they need through digital freight matching at the most cost-effective and efficient level. Freight aggregation platforms are the future of matching shippers to carriers that can meet specific transportation and freight needs with minimal costs and expenditures.
The pandemic in 2020 impacted the supply chain network in powerful ways and will likely have a long-lasting effect on the domestic and international economies. Trucking carriers are seeing this first hand as extreme demand for e-commerce, and a switch of consumer money from services to goods led to demand for truckload capacity. Carriers expect truckload demand for capacity will continue as the economy reopens and consumers are ready to spend money. However, despite this demand for truckload carriers and their capacity, private fleet managers, owner-operators, and large carriers still need to get the best freight for their business that keeps margins in a profitable state by reducing deadhead and getting more backhauls.
Trucking carriers are always looking for areas to improve and processes to streamline to ensure optimal capacity and freight aggregation for short-term and long-term needs. Many loads driven carry partial or empty loads, which only contributes to added expenses and more missed opportunities as empty miles cost the company money without earning anything to offset those costs. Applying freight aggregation platforms to connect more loads and consolidate those loads increases that ability for profit. When trucking carriers or truckload carriers use those platforms, everyone makes money, and those miles are no longer wasted. At the very least, they can be reduced.
With freight aggregation platforms, trucking carriers access quality loads via a simple login. Using this will allow them to accept or reject loads from where they are. They can also review tenders and respond faster to bids and options that arise unexpectedly to maximize loads and profits. The many features, such as faster communication, more accessible data sharing, access to real-time data, and more robust collaborative options, result in fewer manual tasks and more automation, reducing total cost to serve.
A freight aggregatoin platform is able to get high-quality loads as the aggregator and load search engine, integrates to high-quality TMS platforms, like MercuryGate, which contains some of the top shippers' and logistics service providers' dense freight. A simple quick search by trucking carriers gives increased access to more loads and a diverse supply of shippers.
Because of all the data consolidation and the ability to see the loads right there, that means trucking carriers can pick those loads that best benefit them. They make money and create a relationship with those shippers. This is a great way to reduce operational costs and improve profits along every step from line haul to backhaul. Finding freight loads and maintaining maximum capacity while reducing dead haul miles and maintaining high-rate values are all more achievable as carriers access these high-quality loads found within the enterprise TMS.
Implementing an application programming interface (API) dramatically increases profitability because data sharing in real-time reduces back-office work. While drivers go about their work and make their deliveries and complete their miles, all the necessary data and information is collected automatically in real-time. Automation allows for more accessible gathering and analysis of data and makes it easier to study and apply said data. This also eliminates the human error made that could cause potential delays. The information in hand creates an opportunity to increase backhaul, so trucking carriers travel with less deadhead. This keeps everyone profitable.
With the right choice for a platform and the right automation and tools on hand, carriers across the supply chain can improve their profits and derive more value. They can further reduce human error and benefit from the power of automation and integrated technologies. It’s time to waste fewer miles and keep everyone in the green to ensure continued growth and success. Request a newtrul demo to see it in action and how it can work for your business today.