This week: Alvys and Renaissant both close Series A’s, truck parking solutions unite and Leonard’s Express looks to optimize operations.
This week: p44 offers eBOLs on all LTL shipments, ODeX moves into Singapore, Goodyear offers Tires-as-a-Service and AutoScheduler.AI raises funds.
Outpost releases new technology, combining both hardware and software, to improve commercial truck parking availability and security, as truck parking continues to be a significant problem in the U.S.
Northbound looks to expand its product development after raising $1.4 million in funds.
CargoX has launched its solution tailored to meet the electronic bill of lading standards of Korean container carrier HMM and the Digital Container Shipping Association.
This week, we showcase an innovative way to attack Japan’s logistics labor-shortage problems; Pepsi makes a new partnership in battery technology; and Walmart wins an award for its investment in technology.
Samsara’s chief product officer explains the importance of building strong partnerships with customers to lay the groundwork for future solutions.
At Samsara’s user conference in Chicago, the company unveiled its latest tracking tool.
After raising funds with Wischoff Ventures, Freightmate Ai launches its first automated tool for freight forwarders.
This week: Verified Carrier discusses its unique way of vetting carriers, Vecna Robotics closes its Series C, Truckstop vets industry pets and Nvidia has a new offering for industry tech providers.
Samsara preps for its community event Beyond to teach leaders how to leverage data to gain insight on their operations and foster success.
Technology startup Wiliot has launched a food-safety initiative using ambient IoT to provide more traceability in supply chains.
This week, training software for the DOD is serving the freight community; CargoSense closes its Series A; a trucking company adds autonomous offerings; and Truckstop.com hires a new CFO.
Semantic Visions’ Environmental, Social and Governance Index uses natural language processing to analyze media and evaluate companies’ sustainability, ethics and compliance.
Ship Angel announced its recent raise and new products at Plug and Play’s Silicon Valley Summit.
This week, Denim secures funds to continue scaling, OneRail acquires new tech and industry partnerships improve service offerings.
This week: A Greek company raises $16 million to make vessel disbursement practices easier, Candor Expedite invests in cold chain technology and driver recruiters leverage AI in operations.
After gaining enterprise accounts, GoodShip is looking to accelerate its growth to improve its shipper-centric procurement platform.
At Manhattan Associates’ Momentum conference, a Google Cloud executive gave an overview of generative AI’s explosive growth in supply chains.
FleetPulse has spun off from trailer OEM Great Dane and hired industry executives to lead the independent company.
AI software provider Paxafe looks to continue its strategic partnership strategy while expanding globally and building its sales team.
C.H. Robinson says it is using sophisticated AI tools to automate responses to emailed quote requests for thousands of customers.
Drones offer various inventory management solutions, including audits, cycle counting and stock taking.
This week we explore Motive’s first user conference, a Latin American FreighTech company looking to expand into the U.S. and Banyan Technology expanding beyond LTL solutions.
Here are four innovative companies FreightWaves was introduced to at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
Here is the weekly rundown of FreightTech news you may have missed
FreightTech investment firm Venture 53 says Heale “shares our vision for the future of the supply chain ecosystem.”
In today’s FreightTech Friday roundup, we explore Transportation One’s new tech, a Truckstop survey on carrier sentiment and a recent round of funding.
LG Business Solutions USA will unveil its family of autonomous mobile robots at industry trade show MODEX in Atlanta.
Implementing FreightTech solutions requires understanding business needs, selecting partners that support users, capturing internal data and ensuring scalability.
ITS Logistics is entering this digital arena with its container management and visibility platform ContainerAI.
At the big National Retail Federation meeting in New York, a daylong discussion on supply chains looked back on the craziness and ahead to a bold future.
DSI Assignments, which is overseeing the auction, is seeking a buyer for all of Slync’s platform assets.
FreightWaves is hosting its biggest event yet, F3: Future of Freight Festival, Nov. 7-9, packed with world-renowned speakers, educational sessions, music and more.
FedEx partners with an AI-powered robotics firm to load FedEx Ground trailers.
A new app from Finloc 2000 allows carriers, drivers and, soon, freight brokers to book overnight truck parking, addressing an issue that plagues the U.S. trucking industry.
In the post-pandemic pivot from just-in-case to just-in-time manufacturing, digital freight network Convoy has launched a service to help shippers and carriers manage risk.
Kodif’s founding team showcases experience, resulting in the development of a technical product that empowers even those lacking technical proficiency to effectively utilize it.
“In an era where financial empowerment can impact the success of companies and the livelihood of small business owners, we’re making sure the trucking community can take advantage,” says OTR CEO Fritz Owens.
“The establishment of a Silicon Valley-based technology lab is a natural evolution for Ryder,” says Ryder’s CMO.
Merchants can use FlowspaceAI for Freight, particularly its Network Optimization tool, to support a range of services, enhancing fulfillment operations and providing valuable insights for marketing and sales strategies.
Fluid Truck Renew helps commercial fleets lease out parked equipment and offers a simple way for new fleets to enter the market.
According to Terminal Industries, 92% of yards lack technology solutions to eliminate wasted capacity, drive down unforeseen costs and improve inventory operations, leading to $146 billion in excess transportation costs.
“We want [global shipping] to be self-explanatory, easy to navigate and easy for you to find the answer you are looking for,” says Maja Bernstein, vice president of industry relations at Fluent Cargo.
Convoy’s co-founder and CEO suggests that FreightTech offerings have paved the way to disrupt fragmentation with a new model of shipping: the hybrid carrier model.
FreightTech providers are examining disruptive global shipping modifications that would be detrimental without AI’s support.
Integrated business planning solutions “enable an organization to respond to changing demand while managing product flow to ensure high customer service,” says ArchLynk CEO Sekhar Puli.
“Once shippers get up and running on GoodShip, they invite their carriers onto the platform. This creates a multiplayer experience where each party has access to modern analytics, creating a single source of truth,” says CEO Ryan Soskin.
Carriers will now be able to handle their fuel expenses on Uber Freight’s app with no annual fees, according to the freight marketplace.
“We could make carriers’ lives easier by giving them a single tool that they can use to make sure that they are not missing any hiring steps,” said LogRock co-founder and CEO Hunter Yaw.
“The Premier Partner Program expands our carrier family to include an even higher level of qualification of carriers that can meet the needs of participating shippers,” said president George Abernathy.
Using the company’s platform, Repowr Connect, shippers, fleets and 3PLs can share their available assets with other network members, helping parties find on-demand capacity.
“We are looking to empower these independent contractors and truly treat them as owners of their businesses,” Luke Denny, co-founder and CEO, told FreightWaves.
“TrueTMS carries a price point that is affordable for a one- to 20-truck operator to purchase,” says T3 Tech’s George Thellman.
Interstate Health’s CEO explains how addressing the needs of both truckers and travelers can make a highway care network work.
“[Navix] understands their customers’ problems, the value proposition and how to apply the technology to solve them,” said Rob Estes, chairman and CEO of Estes Express Lines.
“We have been here over a decade and have deployed thousands of systems using this technology. We are bringing this level of experience with robotics that is just unmatched in this market,” said Mujin Director of Sales Josh Cloer.
“To get ahead of the curve on stringent climate disclosure requirements proposed by the SEC and [the ISSB], shippers need to transition from manual data gathering and estimations of their scope 3 carbon footprint to tools that efficiently and accurately provide emissions reports in real time,” said Convoy Corporate Sustainability Analyst Kiana van Waes.
“Our goal is to get empty containers out of the hands of those who do not need them and into the hands of those who do, and so far it’s working,” said Qualle founder and CEO Tyler Sellers.
Convoy is looking to improve the contracted freight market for small carriers and shippers with forever-evolving freight needs.
In the inaugural Moving World Report, UP.Partners dives deep into what drives today’s mobility industry — and examines what’s holding it back.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario. We can sit down with any merchant of any size, with any kind of commodity and really understand their needs and how both the technology and our carrier network can get that customer delivery experience they are looking for,” said Brad Noble, Passport’s new head of business development.
Blockchain technology provider CargoX believes skeptics shouldn’t be bystanders in the creation of global shipping data standards.
“Whether a company is big or small, they all need to provide visibility to their customers. … If a company can’t provide delivery dates, process inventory efficiency and delivery on-time then the customers will go somewhere else,” said project44 founder and CEO Jett McCandless.
“Now, stone yards across the country can get on our site, find a load of stone, get the shipping cost and book a truck in a matter of minutes,” said StoneLoads CEO Patrick Wells.
“Scheduling appointments at facilities is one of the most common activities in trucking, but it is also one of the most fragmented and offline,” said Dan Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Convoy.
“The procurement of industrial products and spare parts is at a critical crossroads as the global supply chain is faced with unprecedented headwinds,” said Chris Lawrence, managing partner at Labyrinth Capital Partners.
“We strategically positioned our carriers six months ago for the freight they are hauling today,” said the company’s senior director of capacity, Ivan Momchilov.
“U.S. merchants and marketplaces will need to look for new customers, and this may be a great opportunity to market to and acquire customers from beyond their borders in Q4 and into 2023,” said BoxC’s new director of business development, Mark Waverek.
“LuckyTruck would not be where it is today without Julie,” said founder and President Devin Bostick of new CEO Julie Zimmer.
Better Tomorrow Ventures’ Jake Gibson says LogRock is “well positioned to help fleets save real money by staying off the FMCSA’s radar and steering clear of avoidable court cases.”
Woodlawn Partners leads the debt and equity co-investment with Monroe Capital.
The founders of SaferWatch have joined forces again to launch Carrier Details, which aggregates federal carrier data for clients’ operational and sales use.
“There is a lot of innovation coming out of these new therapies, and our customers were afraid they had created the best medicine in the world but could not deliver it,” said Tive’s Alex Guillen.
“Not only do we collect more data than other freight providers, we go one step further by distilling that data into interactive dashboards that surface anomalies shippers can act on to save time and money,” says Convoy’s Dorothy Li.
Trucking compliance solutions company co-founder Hunter Yaw explains the “today costs” of compliance programs.
“Most customers are trying to decrease their costs per load when it comes to visibility tools of cold chain and perishable shipments. Tive Tag delivers exactly what they need at drastically lower costs,” said Tive’s vice president of global marketing.
“We see TaaS as something more than leasing, something more than rental. We see it as a way we can create custom solutions for different digital partners as they try to maximize their business,” said Wabash President and CEO Brent Yeagy.
Walmart has announced a partnership with Platform Science to equip the retailer’s private truck fleet of 12,000 drivers with telematics tablet devices.
To date, drivers have completed 45,000 loads and have earned over $75 million using CloudTrucks’ solutions, according to co-founder and CEO Tobenna Arodiogbu.
NewRoad Capital Partners leads Series B investment in cloud fulfillment platform Logiwa.
With the country navigating a weakening economy, companies industry wide are struggling to hire and retain drivers.
“One of the more challenging aspects of any tech startup is to strategically coordinate the scale of the organization. Working closely with Microsoft will help ensure we are utilizing best practices to develop rapidly without incurring technical debt,” says FetchGoat’s CTO.
“Ensuring companies stay compliant certainly isn’t the sexiest venture, but in the trucking industry, it’s one of the most important aspects to get right.”
FreightWaves and PYMNTS are co-hosting Supply Chain Meets FinTech in Atlanta on August 17.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller analyzes changes taking place in global supply chains.
Join FreightWaves for the Net-Zero Carbon Summit on April 22.
The accelerator firm’s Supply Chain Innovation Platform connects Fortune 500 companies with FreightTech startups for continuous logistics innovation and efficiency.
“We are experiencing rapid growth across different customer segments and verticals, and more and more companies from non-trucking industries are asking to use our products. We believe that as we are entering our next phase of growth, the time is right to implement this change,” said Motive CEO Shoaib Makani.
Key speakers announced for The Future of Supply Chain.
Financial technology platform Outgo emerges from stealth with a vertical banking solution that automates bookkeeping functions for carriers.
Aircon is “building technology to achieve operational efficiencies that will change what air cargo means to the global supply chain.”
“We realized we don’t need to make the carrier give us that information to let them see our loads. Instead, let’s give the carriers a platform where they can search loads, even bid on them, without having to provide us all of that info,” Zuum’s product manager told FreightWaves.
“With TriumphPay handling payments for all stakeholders at each stage of the post-load payment journey in a secure and transparent fashion, carriers, brokers, factors and shippers will have more time to focus on other important business decisions,” said Melissa Forman, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at TriumphPay.
“This is not just a truckload-only tech solution,” Ken Beyer, CEO of TI Holding Co., told FreightWaves.
“I read that if we could save drivers 18 minutes a day, we would not have a driver shortage problem. We think it’s possible to give them those 18 minutes just from time wasted at the warehouse alone,” says C3 Solutions’ CRO.
One hour. That’s how long it could take a rocket to carry troops and material from a base in the Midwest to the Middle East if technology the military is exploring proves out.
“We are coming out of the gate with the LoadBoard Network software but the best part is the infrastructure is all new. There will be unbelievable opportunities for customers as we add features,” says the founder and president of LoadBoard Network.
Near-space vehicle producer Destinus just secured $29 million to build out its autonomous, hydrogen-powered hypersonic cargo plane.
Parsyl closes on $25 million series B while currently monitoring vaccine shipments for 200 million people across 80 countries.
