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Fill ‘Er Up – How A Professional Trucker Network Aims to Eliminate 20 BILLION Empty Truck Miles Per Year

Fill ‘Er Up – How A Professional Trucker Network Aims to Eliminate 20 BILLION Empty Truck Miles Per YearHow A Professional Trucker Network Aims to Eliminate 20 BILLION Empty Truck Miles Per Year

You read that right – every year U.S. trucks drive an estimated 20 BILLION miles hauling zero, zilch, nada – just empty trailers. Only McDonald’s should brag about numbers like that. The transportation industry should be ashamed.

Commonly referred to as “Deadhead Miles,” the costs associated with so many ghost hauls span far and wide, touching virtually every sector of our society:

  • “For-hire” independent drivers – comprising the vast majority of the U.S. trucking workforce – lose thousands of dollars per year because of empty backhauls returning home after dropping off a load.
  • The estimated 1 million trucks driving empty every day are needlessly contributing to our crumbling highways and infrastructure.
  • The Environment: An estimated 67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted by empty trucks every year. Let’s all breathe that in. Actually, let’s not.
  • Business Costs: Trucking companies (carriers), shippers (manufacturers), and even third-party freight brokers also feel the weight of this waste in the form of higher business costs and massive overhead.
  • Consumers: You guessed it. When an entire industry is mired in outrageously inefficient and costly processes… the buck gets passed down to the consumer in the form of higher prices for just about everything.

The simplest explanation for how we got here is the remarkable lack of technical and practical foresight that has splintered and stalled the massive $800 billion U.S. freight transportation sector for decades.

Now technology is trying to catch up. Uber is jumping into the freight game. Scores of startups are peddling niche freight-matching solutions to fill empty trailers.

But only one company – LaneAxis – is taking a big-picture approach to solving this 20-billion mile problem. It’s called the “On-Demand Freight Network” – powered by the Professional Trucker App.

Just about every other company out there – new and old – continues to operate on the premise that broker-based load boards are the way to connect companies looking to move freight with drivers/carriers waiting and willing to haul it. Load boards serve a purpose: Shippers or brokers post an available load with a pickup and destination point, a driver calls or electronically submits their interest, the two agree on a price, and voila – the transaction is done.

This does not solve the 20-billion mile problem.

LaneAxis is taking a more holistic approach to this cargo crisis.

The patented LaneAxis platform aims to coalesce the nation’s 4 million truck drivers into a single “Professional Trucker Network,” linked together via a mobile app that serves as a digital home base for drivers. The Pro Trucker App allows drivers to enter their professional and vehicle details along with current and future location(s) into the LaneAxis data network. Shippers and other supply chain parties can then query the network via a web-based portal, set specific parameters and requirements for their shipment(s), then send out “revenue alerts” to all drivers who meet those thresholds. In practice, this gives shippers immediate “on-demand” access to qualified drivers, while giving drivers the opportunity to plan their hauls days and even weeks in advance. This will dramatically reduce the number of deadhead miles.

The LaneAxis Platform

“We’re not focused on a single movement, we’re focused on the movement of the entire network,” says Rick Burnett, LaneAxis CEO & Founder. “We’re not a competitor to a load board because we are a network – really creators of a network that doesn’t exist. We’re about building visibility and reducing costs for an entire industry. You can do everything through our system.”

Burnett says LaneAxis is a true “all-in-one” freight management platform that simply doesn’t exist today.

“Beyond the direct network connectivity we provide, the system also manages all critical aspects of freight movements, including shipper-carrier contracts, insurance documentation, real-time freight tracking with configurable geofences, and all crucial paperwork including proof-of-pickup and proof-of-delivery – all digitally uploaded and archived. We enable organizations to view, analyze, predict and communicate the status of any shipment in real-time.”

The Pro Trucker App offers drivers numerous value adds including free truck-specific navigation, real-time fuel pricing and discounts, and instant access to “AAOO Mobile” – the mobile platform for the American Association of Owner Operators, one of LaneAxis’ principal partners.

In sum, LaneAxis believes the solution to eliminating those 20 billion empty truck miles is not thousands of scattershot load boards, but a single, unified, transportation network that will benefit shippers, drivers, and consumers equally.

Visit laneaxis.com to learn more.

Drivers! Join the LaneAxis Pro Trucker Network Today! Download the App Now:


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Transportation & Trucking Vets Heap Praise on LaneAxis

As LaneAxis continues to grow in size and stature, we’re hearing more and more from trucking industry veterans expressing their unbridled enthusiasm for this long overdue brokerless direct network. 

These are the folks most negatively impacted by the current broken system – and conversely the ones who will benefit most from the impending LaneAxis overhaul of the supply chain. 

Today we thought we’d share just a handful of comments we’ve received recently from industry insiders about the LaneAxis solution:

“I’m an independent inventor with issued utility patents from the USPTO. My dad was a newspaperman turned trucker celebrity who authored numerous books about trucking. My husband and I have hauled primarily for shippers in the past [including] Nestle and PepsiCo. Currently we are leaving a hazmat job searching for work, and I have to be honest and say LaneAxis sounds like a dream come true. Connecting shippers directly to carriers is what is desperately needed in the trucking industry. The LaneAxis business model is a great way to eliminate the unnecessary middleman between shippers and carriers. The large trucking companies like JB Hunt, Knight/Swift and Schneider are destroying the industry with their greed.”

-April Cantley 

 

“Up to 48,636 shares purchased, probably going for more. I own a small trucking company and I’ve never wanted to see someone succeed more than LaneAxis.”

-Matthew Parker  

 

“I’m about to make my 3rd investment into this future behemoth. In every way, shape and form these guys are the real deal! Several years from now, (after LaneAxis is a global conglomerate through which every shipper and carrier must conform to/cooperate with, to transport anything anywhere) will you not be filled with regret? People, the future of logistics is here, it’s called LaneAxis. This is not the boat you want to miss!”

-Shane Oliver

 

“I used to work as a General Commodities dispatcher (Third party Logistics Provider). I immediately love the concept and genuinely see this as the natural progression of the industry. I once had a truck driver deadhead from Miami to Pensacola, just to get a load out of Florida…. I’ll let you do the math.”

-Jimmy Mansfield

 

“This is my initial experience with the platform. As a veteran in the transportation industry, I am super excited to watch LaneAxis succeed with this endeavor. The concept offers a realistic opportunity to remedy operations pain points.”

-Andrea Kirkland

To all our supporters – both within and outside the supply chain industry – we thank you deeply for your passion and perspective as we carry on this movement together.

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How LaneAxis Helps Shippers Avoid Costly Long-Term Carrier Contracts

"Commitment Issues" are a major problem

When Shippers need to move freight on a truck, determining the most cost-effective way to do so is often a guessing game – if not a pure gamble. This is particularly true for mega companies – think Walmart – that move millions of loads per year.

Shippers generally have two ways to pay trucking companies to haul their freight: either commit to long-term contractual rates, or rely on the economic whims of short-term spot market rates, which can be impacted by any number of factors – including global pandemics.

The Contract Conundrum: Outsourced Freight

Walmart owns roughly 6,000 trucks and 60,000 trailers, making it one of the largest private fleets in the country. But even the biggest company in the world outsources much of its excess freight to brokers and large Carriers on a long-term contractual basis, and they’re not the only ones. What many of those companies don’t realize is it’s actually the “little guys” moving much of that freight.

A 2016 LaneAxis study created major waves by revealing that the biggest trucking and logistics firms in the country secretly outsource an average of 42% of their freight to small “mom-and-pop” independent trucking companies – a practice known as “Purchased Transportation.” 

Translated: many Shippers are simply more comfortable securing long-term capacity at fixed prices to ensure peace of mind and cost predictability. But what the LaneAxis study exposed is that many of the transportation companies they’re contracting with are themselves relying on the fickle spot market to move those loads, often for far less than the original contracted rate.

So who loses at the end? Both the Shippers AND the small independent Truckers who are actually hauling the freight. Who wins? The mega-carriers and logistics companies collecting hefty sums to play ‘middleman.’

Shippers lose by generally overpaying to secure that long-term capacity, while unknowingly losing real-time visibility over their freight. The small, independent Carriers who actually move the loads lose by having those behemoth intermediaries shave anywhere from 20-50% off the total amount they should rightfully be earning.

LaneAxis is Creating a New Normal to benefit Shippers and Carriers

But as with many aspects of life post-pandemic, a “new normal” is taking shape in the supply chain – and LaneAxis is leading the way. The LaneAxis Shipper-to-Carrier Direct Network is eliminating the need for Shippers of all sizes to utilize costly intermediaries or commit to risky long-term contracts.

By connecting Shippers directly to Carriers via a vast and dynamic on-demand transportation network, the two sides can negotiate rates fairly and directly via the LaneAxis platform. Both sides will make and save money by cutting out mega-intermediaries and the mega fees they consume. Shippers are now empowered to build a vast independent carrier network that will virtually eliminate capacity concerns regardless of market conditions. That’s because they now have the ability to connect with hundreds of thousands of small trucking companies they never knew existed, and who are all now vetted and visible inside the LaneAxis Network.

The Shipper and Carrier management portals are linked to the FreightVISION mobile app – ensuring complete transparency and trust over all freight movements by providing Shippers real-time tracking, e-docs, proof of pickup and delivery, and much more. Small Carriers, in turn, will receive the full and fair payment they’re entitled to – usually 24 hours after a successful delivery. Currently independent Truckers often have to wait weeks or even months to get paid after a shipment is complete.

Bottom line: going direct via the LaneAxis Direct Network virtually eliminates the need for Shippers to enter into long-term contracts with giant transportation companies. It also frees both Shippers and Carriers from relying on costly and clumsy broker-based load boards to connect.

It’s a true win-win for both Shippers and Carriers.

Visit laneaxis.com to learn more.

Visit our StartEngine page to invest in LaneAxis!

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LaneAxis is NOT a Load Board – We’re Much More

We're building a Shipper-Direct Load NETWORK

We are often asked: “Where do I find your load board?”

Our answer: We are not a load board. We are a Direct Load Network.

LaneAxis is the first BROKERLESS Direct Network in the industry. We are thinking much bigger than load boards. And we need hard working Carriers like you to help us build this long-overdue network – and finally kick brokers to the curb.

As you probably know, load boards are dominated by freight posted by brokers. That means the price being paid to Carriers like yourself is 15-50% less than what the original shipper paid the broker.

Your voices expressing anger and frustration at the brokerage industry have been heard. LaneAxis is answering the call.

We are creating a network built exactly for companies like you: independent Truckers looking for direct freight without brokers getting in the way and taking money out of your pocket. We are building a tool that empowers you to establish DIRECT relationships with Shippers of all sizes and in all areas, so you can create your own “private” load board with Shipper-direct freight for years to come.

Consider a situation where a Shipper is willing to pay $1,000 for a load. If that Shipper utilizes a broker, and that broker takes 20%, you only get paid $800. In our model, you keep the entire $1,000 – minus 1.75% transaction fees – so your final payment would be about $975. That’s $975 in your pocket instead of $800. 

In other words, just a single shipper-direct load (in an example like this), would more than cover your $60 membership fee. Additionally, we guarantee direct payment on all shipments, usually 24 hours after delivery. As you know, Shippers and brokers sometimes take weeks or even months to finalize payments. LaneAxis requires Shippers to submit their freight payment before the load can be tendered. That means faster, guaranteed pay after a successful delivery, and no more factoring.

This Will Not Happen Instantly

Building a Shipper-to-Carrier Direct Network has never been done before. That’s why we are asking Carriers to be patient and persistent as you build out your network. We understand that Carriers coming into the LaneAxis system would like to see loads offered to them right away. But we can’t stress enough the importance of looking at the “big picture” and thinking long-term. By building your own Shipper-direct network, you will be setting yourself up for success and more income for years to come. Over time, you will have your own “personalized,” broker-free load board, and you will be able to control your own destiny.

We are adding extra staff to our outbound call center and following up on every Shipper-connection request you are sending out. We currently have approximately 100,000 Shippers in our Network Database and their direct contacts in charge of transportation. To be clear – we did not wave a magic wand and get 100,000 Shippers to sign up with LaneAxis – but we do have them in our network database. It takes legwork and teamwork – from all of us – to get them to join the LaneAxis Direct Network.

Finally: A Direct Network for Independent American Truckers

Our company founders are trucking vets. We know your pain. That’s why we’ve built this network for you and kept our membership fees so low. Again, keep in mind that just ONE Shipper-Direct load should cover the cost of a $60, 6-month LaneAxis membership. That 6-month plan also includes free membership into the American Association of Owner Operators and their multitude of benefits, which includes fuel discounts of $.45 cents and up on every gallon of diesel. That savings alone would also cover LaneAxis membership fees.

There’s plenty more you can take advantage of NOW as well. The LaneAxis FreightVISION driver app provides real-time GPS tracking, all load details sent straight to the driver’s mobile, geofence entry and exit notifications, instantly uploaded e-docs including proof-of-pickup and delivery, and a complete load history once the load is completed. This dramatically simplifies record keeping and regulatory reporting. FreightVISION also features FREE truck-specific navigation for all loads run through the system.

You can also provide your existing shipping customers with a tracking link that gives them the same real-time visibility into the shipment’s progress, along with all the load documentation. This builds trust and transparency, and also introduces them to the LaneAxis platform.

So keep sending out those Shipper invitations (and we’ll keep following up), make sure to add your drivers and get them using the app, and make sure to run your existing loads through the system and share that tracking link.

We’re gonna do what they say can’t be done. Together, we are building the first brokerless Direct Freight Network. Let’s do this.

Visit LaneAxis.com to learn more.

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Reimagining the CPG Industry through a Blockchain-Based Direct Transportation Network

Covid crisis prompts sober reassessment of Consumer Packaged Goods Supply Chain

 

The Consumer Packaged Goods Industry (CPG) is the largest manufacturing employer in the United States, accounting for 20.4 million jobs that generate $1.1 trillion in labor income, and contribute $2 trillion to the nation’s GDP.

And just like most other industries in the country – and the world for that matter – the CPG sector is rightfully reexamining its processes in the wake of Covid-19. From price-gouging, to the indelible images of store shelves stripped bare of essentials like toilet paper and disinfecting products, the pandemic has prompted a much-needed appraisal of supply chain SOPs for the Consumer Goods Sector.

A Shipper-to-Carrier Direct Network powered by blockchain will help the CPG industry overcome many of the challenges – and shortcomings – exposed by the Covid supply chain crunch. The LaneAxis Direct Freight Network and shipment management platform is rising to meet this need and this moment.

The Benefits of Direct Connectivity and Blockchain

Our mission is simple: eliminate costly and often inefficient freight brokers, unify America’s 4 million independent drivers into a single network, and empower shippers to establish and automate direct contractual relationships with those small carriers. Blockchain will serve as the backbone of the system, ensuring accurate, real-time data, and end-to-end supply chain transparency. AXIS utility tokens will serve as both API keys allowing access into the blockchain, while also serving as a means of conducting transactions within the system. The tokens will also be utilized as a reward incentive for drivers, particularly for broadcasting their live locations to the network so shippers can simply look at a map and identify available capacity when and where they need it. Self-executing smart contracts will automate all shipments, from rate confirmation through proof-of-delivery and final settlement.

All shipment and network data will be stored on the LaneAxis Private Blockchain to ensure data integrity and complete traceability from A to Z. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will transform all network data from the blockchain into important functions such as identifying available load capacity, generating driver and carrier performance scores, and providing actionable insights into lane and loading dock metrics and tendencies. The blockchain will be accessed by a simple-to-use web and mobile interface.

The below diagram illustrates the tokenized blockchain ecosystem and many of its benefits and features.

LaneAxis Blockchain Ecosystem

By connecting shippers directly to carriers via a dynamic on-demand transportation network, the two sides can negotiate rates fairly and directly. Both shippers and carriers will make and save money by cutting out transportation intermediaries and the huge fees they consume. Shippers are now empowered to build a vast independent carrier network that will virtually eliminate capacity concerns regardless of market conditions. That’s because they now have the ability to connect with hundreds of thousands of small trucking companies they never knew existed, and who are all now vetted and visible inside the LaneAxis portal. Shippers no longer have to “throw the dice” by committing to long-term carrier contracts to secure capacity, and often overpaying to do so.

FreightVISION™

The LaneAxis FreightVISION Driver App – directly connected to the Network Shipper portal – ensures complete transparency over all freight movements by providing shippers real-time tracking, e-docs, proof of pickup/delivery, and much more. Drivers receive all load information directly via the app. Shippers will have a tracking link to monitor the shipment from any device.

LaneAxis requires Carriers to upload valid insurance certificates, Workers Comp verification, CDLs, and other necessary documentation, as well as requiring them to accept the Shipper’s contract. The LaneAxis system monitors renewal dates, instantly archives shipment documents (leading to simplified accounting), and automates numerous processes such as load-tracking that a Shipper would have to pay a dispatcher or other office employee to handle. That adds up to massive overhead.

The LaneAxis Network Platform

It costs nothing for shippers to join.

The CPG Industry is a pillar of the American Economy. A Shipper-to-Carrier Direct Network, powered and protected by a private blockchain, could ensure supply chain security and smoothness through both good times and – most importantly – times of crisis.

Visit laneaxis.com to learn more about our patented software and join the network.

Visit Axistoken.io to learn more about the AXIS Token and our blockchain solution.

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Persistence, Patience & Power: the Three Pillars of Building a Direct Network

Committed carriers can help end four decades of freight broker dominance

 

“Old school” truckers (of a certain age) will remember 1980 as a major turning point for the industry. That was the year President Carter signed the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, a move designed to reduce unnecessary regulation of the trucking industry. The goal, in part, was to give trucking companies greater independence and freedom over rates, and lower consumer prices.

The results, however, were mixed at best.

Driver pay plummeted, while the freight brokerage business exploded from just a few hundred companies pre-1980, to more than 17,000 licensed freight brokerages as of 2020.

Freight brokers continue to tear at the fabric of the independent trucking industry, siphoning massive amounts of revenue from small carriers while fighting pricing and process transparency tooth and nail.

This is precisely why LaneAxis launched the first Brokerless Shipper Direct Freight Network. It’s a massive, but much needed undertaking

Dismantling four decades of broker dominance is a marathon, not a sprint. That said, LaneAxis is laser-focused on transforming the industry quickly and giving power and profits back to hardworking truckers. But we can’t do it alone. We need the help of every carrier and owner-operator out there to be persistent in their efforts to connect with shippers inside the LaneAxis network while recruiting other carriers to join. The more carriers are in the network, the more shippers will follow. And remember, the LaneAxis sales team follows up on all carrier-to-shipper connection requests.

Your Success is our Success

Imagine in a year or two having your own “personalized” shipper-direct load board. That will happen as carriers continue to expand their network of shipper-direct relationships. You’ll be able to post your current and future locations, eliminate empty backhauls, and plan out your runs weeks in advance.

We want to be very clear and open with carriers/drivers in explaining that LaneAxis is not a load board. The heart of our system revolves around carriers and shippers connecting directly through our system and doing business directly with each other. This is a fundamental mindset change – one that moves carriers away from “reactive” obtaining of freight (via load boards and brokers), to a “proactive” model where you are empowered to go straight to the source of the freight and do business directly.

Remember, it costs just $60 for a 6-month LaneAxis membership into the Brokerless Network. Consider that on a $1,000 load, a typical broker might take 20%, which means you only pocket $800. With LaneAxis, you get the full amount (minus a small transaction fee). So just a single shipper-direct load will cover your membership cost several times over.

Long-Term Success + Immediate Benefits

While LaneAxis is preaching patience and persistence in building this direct network, we also understand the importance of offering immediate benefits that truckers can take advantage of today.

The LaneAxis FreightVISION app and desktop dashboard is an outstanding fleet management and cost-savings tool for carriers of all sizes – and it can be used right now.

FreightVISION provides:

  • Ability for Carriers to add drivers and create loads
  • Real-time tracking
  • E-docs
  • A tracking link to provide to your existing shipping clients
  • Fast, direct, and guaranteed payment from the Shipper following proof-of-delivery
  • Free truck-specific navigation
  • A suite of tools designed to lower your company’s overhead

In addition to these immediate benefits, a 6-month LaneAxis subscription includes free membership into the American Association of Owner Operators (AAOO).

Among their many benefits:

  • Free fuel card options that can save truckers up to $.50 cents per gallon
  • Telehealth – free for two months and just $8.99/month thereafter. A tremendous option for drivers who can’t afford health insurance.
  • Truck Insurance – AAOO partners with A-rated companies to provide affordable insurance options

Those are just a handful of incredible AAOO benefits carriers/drivers can take advantage of now.

“Our partnership with LaneAxis is based on our shared mission to improve the lives of owner-operators and small fleets,” says David Huff, Chief Executive Officer of AAOO. “A Brokerless Direct Network is long overdue. Our members want it. Our members need it. We’re proud to partner with LaneAxis because they’ve built it – and together with the trucking and shipping communities we are going to see it grow, and grow fast.”

Carrier Founders’ Circle

LaneAxis is also introducing  a program called the “Carrier Founders’ Circle.”

Here’s what that means. 

As one of the original Carriers to join the LaneAxis Direct Network, you will be offered the following benefits and privileges:

  • Priority access to new Shippers enrolled in the Network
  • Identified in the network query search as a “Founders Carrier Circle” member
    Shares in LaneAxis (you will own a piece of the company!)
  • An open invitation to participate in monthly Q&A chat sessions with our CEO
  • A badge displayed next to your company name identifying you as a Founding Carrier
  • Bonus rewards for recruiting new Carriers into the Network
  • Additional benefits to be announced

We will unveil further details of the program in early January.

In short – we want hardworking, independent truckers to carry the LaneAxis flag. We are fighting for you and your future. If you stay active and involved in the network, and keep sending out shipper-connect requests, you will set yourself up for a better professional – and personal – life for years to come.

Visit LaneAxis.com to learn more.

We also invite you to take a listen to LaneAxis CEO Rick Burnett’s appearance on the popular “My Company Story” Podcast. Rick breaks down the pain points LaneAxis is solving with its industry-first Brokerless Direct Freight Network. In this engaging 19-minute chat, Rick details how LaneAxis is solving contractual challenges for Shippers, the $200 billion in managed fees the Network will carve out, and also dishes out business advice including often-overlooked market penetration strategies. Click here to listen.

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Another Curious Question: “Can On-Demand Freight Really Work for Trucking?”

Sure it can. With the right network in place.

In our most recent blog, we stood up to the somewhat perplexing question “Are Small Truckload Carriers Worth Saving” – a query posed in an editorial by a broker-based technology company.

Our answer was and will always be: Are you serious? Of course small truckload Carriers are worth saving. Of course! The primary goal of the LaneAxis Direct Network is not only to  “save” small Carriers, but to help them thrive.

In fairness, the editorial did present legitimate challenges facing small Carriers, some potentially existential. But there was hardly enough justification for asking such an over-the-top question as “Are Small Carriers Worth Saving.”

Questioning On-Demand Freight

This week, we’re pushing back against another eyebrow-raising question: “Can On-Demand Freight Really Work for Trucking?”

This provocative query comes courtesy of a different editorial posted in Transport Topics by a different broker-based technology company.

The author argues that “In theory, an on-demand freight marketplace sounds great.” The reality, he suggests, is that neither the Shipper or Driver communities have expressed much interest.

From the editorial:

“What we are seeing is that the automated solutions are basically mobile apps, and drivers don’t necessarily want to be using an app to book loads. Even with the on-demand market model, the shipper is not going to know who the carrier is because like the broker, the marketplace does not want the shipper to go around them and solicit the carrier directly.”

Both of these points are simply not true. At least certainly not true enough to apply such blanket assumptions.

Here are the facts:

  • Tens of millions of loads are posted on spot market, “on-demand” load boards every year.
  • The spot market represents a massive percentage of the truckload freight moved today: roughly 20%. That accounts for approximately $160 billion of the overall $800 billion dollars in revenue produced annually by the U.S. freight transportation sector.
  • Research firm Frost & Sullivan estimates trucking-focused apps could become a $35.4 Billion Market by 2025. 
  • A Direct Network that caters to “On-Demand” Freight is EXACTLY what the industry needs.

A Brokerless, Direct Network with Top Tech Solves “On-Demand” Challenges

The LaneAxis Brokerless Direct Network – powered by the FreightVISION Driver App – is reinventing the way an On-Demand Freight Marketplace should work. The biggest key is removing Shippers’ reliance on freight brokers. A lack of true visibility into the available pool of 1.7 million U.S. Carriers has long been the major roadblock preventing Shippers from ditching brokers and engaging in a direct network. Those days are over.

LaneAxis now gives Shippers real-time visibility and access to this sea of Carriers when and where they need them. Drivers simply broadcast their current and future locations to provide that visibility.The irony is that many of these Carriers are ALREADY hauling these Shippers’ freight – but with brokers meddling in the middle and taking a hefty cut in the process.

Within weeks of launching the Direct Network, hundreds of Carriers had already signed up – ready and rarin’ to start making direct connections with Shippers and leave brokers in the dust. And you better believe all those Drivers and Carriers are more than happy to book loads through the LaneAxis Network and FreightVISION mobile app – primarily because they’re coming DIRECTLY from Shippers. That means direct negotiations, full transparency, and guaranteed, direct pay, with no broker margins, usually delivered 24 hours after proof of delivery.

On the Shipper side, the suggestion that Shippers don’t want to know who the Carriers are and don’t want to connect directly with them is also laughable. For decades, Shippers have lacked true visibility over their freight because of clumsy and costly middlemen like freight brokers. As we reported in a widely shared investigation, even Shippers working directly with large Carriers aren’t aware that many of their shipments are being outsourced to other companies at alarming rates, further murking freight visibility.

LaneAxis provides Shippers all the tools needed to overcome the challenges of managing multiple Carrier relationships at once, including automated contract management, monitoring insurance documents, Commercial Driver’s Licences (CDLs),  and providing real-time tracking and documentation throughout the shipment lifecycle. LaneAxis empowers small Carriers and Shippers of all sizes to do business together efficiently and profitably.

Shippers and Carriers are ready, willing – and thanks to the LaneAxis Direct Network – FULLY able to work directly together thanks to the long overdue marriage of patented technology with a Brokerless Direct Network.

To learn more, visit LaneAxis.com.

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“Are Small Truckload Carriers Worth Saving?”

Are Small Truckload Carriers Worth Saving?
Yes. Absolutely, positively, yes.

The question itself is provocative, but ultimately absurd.

A recent editorial posted on FreightWaves by a broker-based technology company posited the question: “Are small truckload carriers worth saving?”

The thinking, according to the author, is that small carriers have never fully recovered from the “Great Recession” of the late aughts, and are now in even greater peril because of the Covid crisis, which has turned the spot market into a roller coaster of rising and falling rates and capacity.

Additionally, rising insurance costs – including a proposal to raise minimum liability coverage requirements from $750,000 to $2 million – also poses an existential threat to many carriers, according to the author.

“If this change is approved, the premiums for this coverage could increase by 300% or more.”

Regarding the spot market, the editorial states:

“One reason for their concern, is that during the [Covid] shutdown, small truckload carriers found fewer loads available in the spot market. As a result, the rates paid for these loads often dropped below the carriers’ cost to operate their trucks. This created an even bigger rate gap with larger carriers, who are paid higher rates because they’re able to provide guaranteed coverage of their shippers’ loads.”

These points have merit, and solutions are certainly needed. But to question whether small truckload carriers are worth saving is – essentially – meritless.

Small Trucking Companies: Essential to U.S. Economy

The simple fact is this: 97% of truckload carriers are small and independent, owning just a handful of trucks. The mere suggestion that small, truckload carriers may not be “worth saving” is ludicrous. These small carriers are the economic backbone of the American economy. The country would collapse without their presence and persistence. Consider that they are already hauling much of the freight moved today – often through a process known as “Purchased Transportation” – whereby large carriers outsource their excess freight to the small “mom and pop” shops while taking a healthy margin off the top. It’s the same story for truckers running broker-based loads. Freight brokers consume margins ranging from 15-50%, cutting deeply into the profit potential for small carriers.

So what – or who – will “save” these small and independent carriers?

The answer is a Brokerless Direct Network that puts power back in the hands of small carriers and removes $200 billion worth of managed fees and inefficient processes.

LaneAxis has built such a system – the first-of-its kind “Brokerless Freight Network.”

“Freight brokers and large carriers have completely steamrolled small trucking companies,” says Rick Burnett, LaneAxis CEO & Founder. “Burdensome regulations and soaring insurance costs aren’t helping – but the heart of the problem lies in the lack of a shipper-direct network. The technology and processes LaneAxis is putting in place will level the playing field for these small carriers, giving them a chance not just to survive – but to thrive.”

The LaneAxis Network: Profit-Building and Cost-Cutting

The LaneAxis Direct Network features numerous profit-building and cost-cutting features that could buoy the entire small carrier industry. Most significantly:

  • No more brokers. So on a $1,000 load – a broker might take 20%, leaving only $800 for the carrier. LaneAxis does not take a margin off the freight payment (minus a small transaction fee). That’s a savings of almost $200 per load – potentially adding up to thousands of dollars of additional revenue per year.
  • Guaranteed direct payment, usually released 24 hours after delivery. This means no more “factoring” – or paying a third party firm yet another commission to provide immediate payment instead of waiting the typical weeks or sometimes months it takes to settle an invoice.
  • A free fuel card offered in partnership with the American Association of Owner Operators (AAOO) that offers average savings of $.42 cents/gallon – potentially amounting to thousands of dollars saved per year.
  • The ability to connect to and negotiate rates directly with shippers via the network portal, then manage the entire shipment in real-time via the FreightVISION driver app, which is tied directly to the portal. This could dramatically reduce overhead costs for carriers, while providing shippers the transparency and trust they demand.

These four factors alone could increase profit margins for small carriers by thousands – and potentially tens of thousands of dollars per year.

All 1.6M Carriers in the LaneAxis Network database can potentially connect directly with hundreds of thousands of shippers.

All 1.6M Carriers in the LaneAxis Network database can potentially connect directly with hundreds of thousands of shippers.

To be clear, a shipper-direct network alone won’t solve all the woes plaguing small carriers. Broker reform is desperately needed, as is the mitigation of “nuclear verdicts” that have put some trucking companies out of business. Outrageous insurance premiums must be reined in. But the question of whether “Small Truckload Carriers are Worth Saving” should be buried for good. The real question is “How Quickly Will a Direct Network Improve the Fortunes of Small Carriers?” Stay tuned. That reality is just over the horizon. Visit laneaxis.com to learn more.
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“Shipageddon” Predicted for Holidays Because of Lack of Truck Capacity – But Why?

1 million trucks drive empty every day, totaling 20 billion miles annually

In a year filled with chaos and confusion, it should surprise absolutely nobody that the upcoming holiday season is shaping up to be a shipping nightmare.

In fact, things are expected to be so bad, the term “Shipageddon” is now being tossed about. UPS and FedEx just informed their largest shipping customers that most of their truck capacity has already been booked. Some analysts are predicting up to 7 million packages per day between Thanksgiving and Christmas could face delays.

“This will be an unprecedented peak season, and there will be days within the holiday season where the entire industry is constrained,” Brie Carere, Executive Vice President at FedEx, told NBC News. “We are working with all of our customers to really smooth their demand.”

This all begs the question: huh?

Certainly there are myriad reasons for capacity crunches, especially during the holidays, and especially during pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.

But the fact remains that every day in the U.S., roughly 1 million trucks roll down the highways COMPLETELY EMPTY. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), this adds up to an estimated 20 BILLION empty truck miles every year. Other estimates put that number closer to 50 billion empty miles.

The U.S. has over 1 million trucking companies and nearly 4 million drivers. So what gives?

A Lack of Visibility

Finding available capacity, even during the holidays – even during these holidays – should not be this difficult.

The biggest obstacle, one that has crippled the industry for decades, is simply a lack of visibility into the “true market” of small and independent carrier companies. This market is massive. Consider that 97% of U.S. trucking companies own just a handful of trucks, and in many cases just a single truck.

Most Shippers decided long ago that finding small “mom and pop” Carriers to work with and manage was more trouble than it was worth. A big reason is these smaller operations lack the technology to give Shippers the transparency and confidence they need to entrust them with their cargo. Freight brokers, third party logistics companies (3PLs), and mega-carriers have stepped in to fill the void. The result? Lower pay for truckers, billions of wasted highway miles, and massive supply chain inefficiencies that spawn unnecessary “Shipageddons.”

A Direct Network is the Answer

The LaneAxis Direct Network portal, which is integrated with the LaneAxis FreightVISION mobile app for Drivers, levels the playing field for small independent Carriers. Now armed with top-tier technology, these companies can connect directly with Shippers of all sizes. Truckers looking for broker-free loads can broadcast their availability and location in real-time, allowing Shippers to quickly find capacity when and where they need it. Shipment contracts, insurance documents, and Carrier payments are monitored and managed by the LaneAxis system. FreightVISION tracks the entire load in real-time, as well as providing e-docs, geoefence entry and exit notifications, immediate proof-of-delivery, and a complete load history. In other words, LaneAxis has removed just about every barrier preventing Shippers and small Carriers from doing business together.

While LaneAxis is focused primarily on the truckload sector, the platform can also be utilized and/or customized to handle less-than-truckload (LTL) freight as well as last-mile deliveries.

As the Direct Network continues to grow, real or imagined supply chain crises such as “Shipaggedon” should become a thing of the past.

Visit LaneAxis.com to learn more.

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Truckers Shred Freight Brokers in Public Comments to Feds

Truckers Shred Freight Brokers in Public Comments to Feds
“If everything in the U.S. has transparency, then why [is] only trucking left behind?”

The ongoing Broker Battle fueled by furious Drivers and Carriers is reaching a fever pitch in the nation’s capital. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is in the midst of receiving and reviewing comments related to separate petitions demanding broker transparency and reform. 

Truckers are not holding back in their comments – and piercing criticisms – of the brokerage industry. CDL Life compiled some of the most damning comments plucked from the roughly 1,000 submitted so far:

Sandra Grover:

“Broker transparency is becoming a SEVERE issue with disruptions in the food supply caused by this pandemic. The price gouging is ongoing. Postings yesterday was for 84 cents [per mile]. this is resulting in so much carryover of spoilage to lines down waiting on ingredients. Really hot… someone can explore contractual lack of transparency that is totally destroying our financial backbone. There is no culpability and accountability.”

Sunny Grewal:

“If everything in US has transparency then why only trucking left behind. We get cheated everyday by brokers. Every service [has fees], you pay the fees or commission and [you] get your stuff done. Brokers charge rates to customer to move their load. But they don’t give us that money.”

Ernest Brown:

“The example I have actually happened to me. The shipper was paying $.85 per bushel on a load of salvage corn . I called a broker who had listed the same load, but was offering $.50 per bushel. The broker was going to take 40%… off the top. If I had not seen the shippers rate I would have not known how much the broker was taking . In my world if the broker is taking more than 10% of the gross it is too much in most circumstances.”

Carl Mueller:

“They charge through the roof for freight and want us to haul it off for cheap and “break even”. As an owner operator, how when you have to pay for trucks, insurance, permits, fuel, repairs, and even hotels & and all sorts of other crap/equipment. You can’t make it hauling with these rates they give us, and they take a big ass cut out of the rate too. They should be a fixed low rate at most or no brokers at all. They aren’t the ones risking their lives on the road everyday to provide for their families miles from home. they sit behind a computer screen and a phone. As a driver I think truckers deserve more compensation for what they and cut out the middle man. That’s all I got to say.”

Hear, hear Carl.

These comments speak for themselves – and so does the LaneAxis solution. The Direct Network we are building will cut brokers out of the freight equation, resulting in total transparency, better pay, and better processes for Shippers and Carriers alike. The time for change is NOW – and LaneAxis is leading the way. Visit LaneAxis.com to learn more.