SONAR’s new MCP connector lets compatible AI assistants like Claude and Copilot answer freight market questions in plain language, drawing on SONAR data and tools for rates, capacity, lanes, carrier safety and more.
SONAR has launched SONAR MCP, a connector that puts its freight market intelligence directly inside compatible AI assistants like Claude, Copilot and more. The rollout to SONAR customers began the week of Nov. 9, 2026.
Instead of moving between dashboards and memorizing index tickers, transportation teams can now ask a question in plain English and get an answer grounded in SONAR data.
What is SONAR MCP?
SONAR MCP is SONAR’s connector built on the Model Context Protocol, the open standard that lets AI models and agents connect to outside tools and data. Anthropic introduced the protocol in November 2024, and it works much like an API built for AI.
Once the SONAR connector is turned on, a user’s AI assistant decides which SONAR tools to call based on the question asked and the user’s SONAR permissions. It then combines the results into a single plain-language answer.
What freight data can AI assistants access through SONAR MCP?
SONAR MCP provides 24 tools spanning six areas of freight intelligence:
- Spot and contract rates, including SAMA rate projections
- Market conditions, such as tender rejections, volumes and capacity
- Lane intelligence, including how difficult a lane is to cover
- SONAR index data
- Ocean freight metrics, including container bookings
- FMCSA carrier safety and inspection statistics
According to SONAR, anything available through its API is also available through MCP, across truckload, intermodal, LTL and ocean.
How does SONAR MCP work? A live example from F3
SONAR demonstrated the connector live at F3 this year, using Claude as the AI assistant. The presenter asked a common shipper question: if a company moves 500 truckloads a year from Los Angeles to Chicago, could it save money by switching to intermodal?
The AI assistant pulled SONAR’s truckload and intermodal rate data for the lane, compared the two modes and answered in plain language: switching to intermodal would save money.
The demo then walked through a holiday inventory scenario moving from China through the Port of Los Angeles. In one conversation, the assistant checked ocean bookings from China to Los Angeles, Chicago intermodal volume, LTL pricing and outbound truckload capacity in Los Angeles.
Asked to summarize the risk before a budget meeting, the assistant flagged Chicago to Louisville as the most exposed lane. It suggested locking in contract rates there before the holiday season.
See the rates and market conditions SONAR MCP returned in the full F3 demo.
Who is SONAR MCP for?
SONAR MCP is built for shippers, freight brokers, 3PLs, carriers and analysts who make decisions with freight market data. The F3 demo showed just a peak into the many ways each group can use it. SONAR will also be rolling out guidance on additional use cases.
- Shippers preparing bids: a messy, eight-tab bid file went into the AI assistant and came back as a clean lane list with SONAR rate benchmarks, lane scores and call-outs, such as a 4 a.m. pickup that may add cost.
- Brokers reporting to leadership: an export of 60 loads from a TMS became a one-page PDF comparing the brokerage’s performance with SONAR benchmarks.
- Teams building their own tools: a SONAR shipper expert built a forward-looking network risk forecaster with an AI assistant. It refreshes with live SONAR data every day through MCP, with no software team or API project required.
SONAR groups the use cases into five areas: market intelligence, pricing and procurement, capacity and risk, research and reporting, and network and lane analysis.
Why SONAR MCP matters for freight teams
SONAR MCP lowers the barrier to using freight data. Users no longer need to know which dashboard holds an answer or which ticker to type.
During the F3 demo, the presenter noted that LTL pricing data in SONAR normally requires a specific ticker. Through MCP, a plain question returned the same answer.
The launch also responds directly to customer feedback about the sheer volume of data in SONAR.
“SONAR MCP puts the full depth of SONAR data right in front of our users, inside the AI platform they already choose to work in,” said Julie Van de Kamp, chief commercial officer at SONAR. “We’ve heard from customers that SONAR can feel hard to use or that the data is overwhelming. MCP removes that barrier. Ask a question in plain language, and your AI assistant pulls the SONAR data and summarizes the key findings for you.”
What’s next for SONAR and AI?
SONAR said at F3 that it is developing AI agents native to the SONAR platform, which would add more market context to answers. The company expects to share more in early 2027.
How to get started with SONAR MCP
SONAR MCP is rolling out to SONAR customers now, and the tools available depend on each user’s SONAR permissions. To learn more, visit gosonar.com, read the SONAR MCP overview or contact set up a demo. For background on SONAR’s data, see the freight market intelligence guide.
FAQ
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What is SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP is a connector that lets compatible AI assistants like Claude and Copilot access SONAR’s freight market intelligence. Users ask questions in plain language and get answers grounded in SONAR data.
What does MCP stand for? MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open standard Anthropic introduced in November 2024. It lets AI models and agents connect to outside tools and data sources.
Which AI assistants work with SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP works with compatible AI assistants like Claude, Copilot and more.
What data is available through SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP offers 24 tools covering spot and contract rates, SAMA projections, market conditions, lane intelligence, SONAR index data, ocean freight metrics and FMCSA carrier safety statistics.
Do I need to know SONAR tickers to use SONAR MCP? No. The AI assistant chooses the right SONAR tools based on the question, so users don’t need to know index tickers or dashboard locations.
Who can use SONAR MCP? SONAR MCP is rolling out to SONAR customers starting the week of Nov. 9, 2026. The tools available depend on each user’s SONAR permissions.
How do I get started with SONAR MCP? request a demo or more information at https://pardot.gosonar.com/sonar-demo-request-mcp
