SimpliShip offers instant freight interface for forwarders

The freight forwarding marketplace technology provider launched a new product, giving forwarders and non-vessel-operating common carriers the ability to offer real-time pricing on their own websites via an application programming interface.    The freight forwarding marketplace technology provider SimpliShip on Thursday told American Shipper it has begun offering an instant freight pricing interface for forwarders and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOs).
   The new product gives forwarders and NVOs the ability to offer real-time pricing on their own websites via an application programming interface (API). SimpliShip, founded by a former logistics executive with adidas, has centered its technology strategy around API connectivity and digital freight procurement.
   Called eRate, the tool aims to replace standard static email rate formats used by many forwarders, SimpliShip CEO Cory Margand said.
   “There’s significant demand on the BCO side that international freight rates be provided in a much cleaner, standardized and on-demand fashion,” he said. “The only thing holding back most forwarders from joining the digital party is that their focus is on providing the best logistics experience for their customers, not developing software.”
   eRate basically allows a forwarder to price its own services through SimpliShip’s marketplace via an API provided by SimpliShip. Essentially, that means the forwarder using eRate is bringing SimpliShip’s pool of marketplace demand onto their own website and enabling it to capture that demand with its own rates.
   “The forwarder would just make changes to their (user interface) on their own website,” Margand told American Shipper. “They would then integrate our API. So when a user fills out the fields for a quote, we make an API call to our platform and send back only their rates and surface that to their customer that is requesting a quote.”
   Pricing is tiered based on the size and needs of the forwarders, the company said.