Hot demand for warehouse and fulfillment capacity continues to drive change in the sector, as the truckload freight marketplace DAT Freight & Analytics said today it had partnered with a Chicago startup to provide short-term warehousing, cross-docking, and last-mile delivery services.
Portland, Oregon-based DAT will link its platform with Olimp, who says its software connects carriers with warehouses to arrange short-term service for storage as short as a day and loads as small as one pallet.
The move comes just days after startup Flowspace raised $31 million in new venture capital funding for its software that connects retailers and brands with a large network of fulfillment centers. Also this week, the market research firm Interact Analysis forecasted that the warehouse and fulfillment sector would see double-digit growth over the next five years, growing from 150,000 sites to 180,000 sites by 2025.
DAT and Olimp say they will now combine forces to provide carriers and asset-based freight brokers with streamlined access and discounted pricing across OLIMP’s network of more than 1,200 warehouses across the U.S. and Canada.
“For DAT customers, Olimp brings an Airbnb-level of convenience to finding reliable, secure short-term warehousing,” Greg Hastings, DAT’s vice president for strategy execution, said in a release. “Instead of time-consuming searches and costly delays, carriers can quickly match up with a warehouse nearby and keep their driver rolling.”
That is an important capability when between 5% and 12% of truckers’ loads are rejected or delayed by the receiver, forcing brokers and truckers to look for a quick place where they can take the freight, according to Vlad Gasnikov, Olimp’s CEO and founder.
“Our trusted warehouse partners post their available space to our network with no minimum storage requirements or advanced notice. Olimp is tailored to the immediate and dynamic warehousing needs of trucking, starting with one-pallet/one-day availability. The process saves time, money and lets truckers get on to the next job,” Gasnikov said.
