In the age of ride share apps and companies out there wanting to get into the trucking business one of the major barriers how to streamline the business of rates. Shippers want to pay as little as possible and carriers want as much as possible. Currently it works basically like this:
- Shipper Posts Freight
- Carrier calls shipper
- The two parties discuss a rate
- The shipment is info is confirmed
- Carrier picks up and delivers freight
If you have ever posted a load you know that you get calls from carriers with pricing that can be thousands of dollars difference. When freight has to move it has to move. If no trucks are in the area then the cost goes high to either deadhead someone in there or pay a driver what they are asking.
The most efficient way right now is on the phone. it is pretty quick if you have a great paying load but can be a lot of calls to to field or to make to find the right fit.
Will a reverse auction solve some these issues. Or will it be the other way around. Will shippers start bidding for capacity of carriers in the area. is all this visibility even efficient for the process or does it take away the free will of the truckers to charge what they want vs being told what a company will pay.
If everyone can get notified in a second when freight is available will this make the marketplace for spot quotes better or worse. We will see Trulos.com is developing an instant notification for drivers and will soon enable communication in a text message for posting companies to find carriers that are aligned to receive freight requests going there way.