Vehicle rental and leasing giant Ryder System Inc. said today that its freight brokerage division has chosen the Trucker Tools LLC digital freight management platform to support its carrier engagement and digital process automation efforts, with a focus on building greater access to small fleets.
The announcement came the same day that TMS provider Blue Yonder said it had integrated its own platform with digital freight tech firm Loadsmart in a move to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Miami-based Ryder says its brokerage operation gives customers access to express quotes from qualified less than truckload (LTL), truckload, and expedited for-hire carriers, as well as a nationwide network of Ryder fleets.
The company has now been leveraging its integration with Reston, Virginia-based Trucker Tools for three months, and says the move provides four new functions: predictive freight matching with real-time capacity visibility; Book it Now capability that automates how carriers accept and confirm an offered load; automated shipment tracking with a real-time data feed to Ryder’s transportation management system (TMS); and smartphone-based digital document scan and send abilities.
From Ryder’s perspective, the move will deliver improved freight transparency and visibility for its shippers and carrier partners, as well as driving efficiencies, reducing costs, and enhancing service levels through automation, Ryder’s Dave Belter, vice president and general manager of global transportation management solutions, said in a release.
The partnership will also open the door to more capacity choices and competitive pricing for Ryder customers, since Trucker Tools says its mobile driver app has been downloaded by some 950,000 truckers and is actively used by nearly 140,000 small-fleet operators, who typically manage 10 trucks or less and represent 90% of truckload carriers in the market.
“We are excited to welcome Ryder’s freight brokerage operation to our platform,” Prasad Gollapalli, Trucker Tools’ founder and CEO, said in a release. “Especially in these times, brokers need to explore every avenue to reduce costs, every opportunity to streamline and optimize how they do business and help their carriers be more productive.”
“Without trucks, the freight sits,” Gollapalli said.” Those brokers who do the best job of collaborating with and supporting their carriers will be the ones who are best prepared for success when the market turns.”
