Happy Carriers
AI-Powered Automation Helps Both The Shipper & Carrier Win! If your business relies heavily on shipping to keep customers happy, there’s another group you have to keep happy, too. Carriers are the lifeblood of any shipping business, and maintaining strong carrier relationships helps to keep goods moving as planned– and most importantly arriving on time. Unfortunately, small to medium-sized carriers are often overlooked, which is a big mystery knowing they represent the lion’s share of compliant, asset-based capacity on the roads today, and yield nothing short of industry-best service levels. This is precisely why FreightTech startups, like Sleek Technologies, have entered the space and worked hard to build strong meaningful relationships with small to medium-sized carriers across the US. And to help gauge carrier sentiment in relation to the competitors, Sleek Technologies most recent Carrier NPS [which determines the likelihood of a carrier to recommend the company to others] was 5X higher (57) than the industry average (10). So what makes Sleek Technology so special? Sleek Technologies has advanced the decades-old way to procure freight by using AI and proprietary algorithms to dynamically source the perfect carrier, at the right time, place, and price for every load. So instead of relying on a small percentage [in some cases less than 1% through contracted carriers] of today’s available truckload capacity, large shippers can now automate carrier sourcing by tapping into a self-regulated freight marketplace. Shippers pre-configure load attributes, and AI dynamically matches out-of-network carriers who are checked daily for compliance. Without the middleman stealing economic value, both the shipper and the carrier win! With no hidden margins, the shipper reduces truckload...
Rail Disruption Impacts Truckload Capacity & Price
For months now, the supply chain has continued to battle one issue after another. Many shippers have had to modify the way they move goods due to backed-up ports, labor shortages, and lack of truckload capacity. And rail disruption is no exception, especially off the West Coast. In fact, Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) reported that the share of imports hauled by rail from Los Angeles/Long Beach fell to an all-time low Jan- April 2022, dropping 40%+ YoY. And while imports dropped, the average daily number of intermodal trains serving the ports dropped from 33 in 2019 down to 27 in 2022. “Unfortunately, rail disruption is not an isolated issue”, said Michael Paul, VP Sleek Sales. “As with any mode of transportation, when disruption occurs all modes are impacted as shippers try to figure out how to keep goods moving so they deliver on time. To prove this point, DAT reports very tight capacity in LA and Abilene, TX with load to truck ratios reaching 4:1, which will cause over-road rates to increase during the fall peak season.” Congestion at West Coast ports, along with the threat of labor shortages and strikes, has led to a steady increase of trade moving away from the West Coast to the East Coast. To understand market share, one can refer to trends in container volumes. From January through May, Port of New York import containers increased 11.5% while Port of New Jersey increased 6.5%. To make matters worse, ports have begun to see an unusually early arrival of holiday products, including Christmas trees and Winter appeal. Household appliances are also part of long...
Sleek Technologies Launches Native Carrier Mobile App to Advance Freight Procurement Automation Between Large Shippers And Small to Medium-Sized Carriers
Sleek Technologies launches native carrier app which dynamically matches shipper loads to compliant, out-of-network, asset-based carriers at the right time, place, and price, benefiting both parties CHICAGO, Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help shippers and carriers uncover resilience, sustainability, and cost reduction opportunities, Sleek Technologies has advanced freight procurement automation by launching a self-service mobile app for small to medium size carriers. Once downloaded, the app provides carriers with direct access to large, reputable shippers with high load volumes. “Sourcing the right carrier, at the right time, at the right price has been a struggle for many large shippers because most only have direct access to less than 1% of today’s capacity through contracted carriers,” said Mike Nervick, Sleek Technologies CEO. “By automating freight procurement, large shippers leverage AI-powered technology to remove intermediary barriers, and expand direct access to compliant, out-of-network, asset-based capacity which saves massive amounts of time and money.” Once the app is downloaded, machine learning goes to work to dynamically match shipper load requirements with carrier attributes. After a load is matched to a carrier, the load becomes available for the carrier to submit an offer. The load is only accepted when the carrier bids at or under the shipper’s designated truckload price. If accepted, load statuses are automatically updated into the shipper’s designated TMS via enabled APIs. The entire process happens behind-the-scenes, and is seamlessly integrated into the shipper’s TMS. “With the middleman eliminated, 100% of the carrier’s bid lands in the carrier’s pocket so they make more money,” said Andy Stump, Sleek Technologies CTO. “Plus, the shipper saves money by not paying hidden...