Trucking news & briefs for November 13, 2020:
Schneider Logistics’ new FreightPower app
Erin Van Zeeland oversees the Schneider National brokerage arm, Schneider Logistics, which she said works with around 40,000 different carriers from large and mid-size down to the independent owner-operator. The company’s no stranger to technology when it comes to matching loads to in-network carriers — a “load my truck” portal works particularly “well for mid- to large-size carriers” where a “dispatcher is finding the freight,” she said.
Now, however, the company hopes to put more utility into the hands of one-truck and other small carriers with the FreightPower app, developed using data science to better price and recommend loads to users. “We had underserved the smaller carrier not being able to connect with them correctly,” Van Zeeland said. With FreightPower, “they tell us where they want to operate, or we watch where they search … and we’re giving them personalized load recommendations.”
There’s no negotiation necessary, as Schneider’s offered pricing is posted with, essentiallly, buy-now capability for approved carriers. “We know for certain that carriers are taking two-three hours on every load” doing the work of selection, including price negotiation, Van Zeeland said. “We want to make it easy for carriers – we wanted to take that hassle factor out.”
Negotiation that does take place occurs in a traditional fashion — if it takes place at all, Van Zeeland said — with broker-contact buttons in-app allowing for phone calls to an agent to lodge an offer if desired. Schneider Logistics’ contract carriers may also see instant-booking options within Trucker Tools and Truckstop.com platforms, she added.
Among attractions for small carriers, she emphasized, would be Schneider power-only possibilities, which “saves all kinds of time for our carriers,” she said, and is a high-volume area of the company’s business — drop and hook usually with 24/7 access on either leg end. FreightPower “blends our live-live [load/unload] and power-only into one experience” when it comes to planning and booking.
When a carrier signs on, depending “on their qualifications,” those kinds of opportunities will be obvious the way they’re displayed, she added.
