Descartes tackles fraud in latest acquisition

Supply chain SaaS provider will pay up to $30M for carrier-identity technology provider MyCarrierPortal

Descartes paid $24 million upfront for MCP and has committed to pay another $6 million in earnouts. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Supply chain software provider Descartes announced Wednesday it has acquired Assure Assist, which does business as MyCarrierPortal (MCP). The company provides technology allowing brokers to accurately identify and authenticate carriers. Descartes paid $24 million upfront and has committed to pay another $6 million in earnout based on the combined entity achieving certain revenue targets over the next two years.

“Carrier fraud and cargo theft is an ongoing problem in the transportation industry. This acquisition is another investment to help enable improved Know-Your-Carrier (KYC) capabilities that are critical to improve supply chain performance and fraud reduction,” said Dan Cicerchi, general manager of transportation management at Descartes, in a news release.

Atlanta-based MCP helps shippers and brokers with carrier onboarding and risk monitoring. Users can establish carrier requirements and screen carriers for suitability based on various risk and compliance metrics. The service is designed to ensure “legitimacy, insurance compliance, and an acceptable safety record.” Selected carriers on the platform are continually monitored for compliance to the set risk tolerance.

Ontario, Canada-based Descartes (NASDAQ: DSGX) funded the transaction with cash on hand.

“The combination of MCP and our Descartes MacroPoint FraudGuard tool presents a differentiated solution for our customers to efficiently onboard carriers while enhancing visibility and compliance, and reducing fraud risk,” Cicerchi said.

This is Descartes’ fourth acquisition of the year. It acquired shipment management solutions provider BoxTop Technologies for $13 million in June, trade compliance provider OCR Services in March and customs and regulatory compliance company Aerospace Software Developments in April. The latter two deals totaled $150 million.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
AI

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.