Logistics technology provider Cargo Chief Inc. said it has partnered
with the Danish supply chain data aggregation firm GateHouse
Logistics in a deal that could help truckers reduce the number of
empty miles driven on U.S. highways.
Under the agreement, GateHouse will share the tracking data it
compiles from individual trucks’ electronic logging devices (ELDs)
through its “gh Track” supply chain data-sharing service, a neutral
cloud-based platform that aggregates position and sensor data from
all modes of transportation to support applications in Internet of
Things (IoT) and real-time visibility. Cargo Chief will match that
information with its database of freight loads and alert companies about
empty trucks in specific areas that are available to move a load. Information
from the ghTrack database will also enable Cargo Chief to offer real-time
tracking of its clients’ truckload shipments, the company said.
The system could reduce the number of miles that American trucks travel
empty and help save fuel, time, and labor while cutting pollution, Cargo Chief
CEO Russell Jones said in a statement. It has been estimated that 15 to 25
percent of all truck miles in the U.S. are driven empty. However, it should be
noted that certain types of hauls, such as those transporting gasoline to service
stations, are designed to return empty after delivering their freight.
Cargo Chief started out as a freight broker in 2012. It subsequently relinquished its brokerage license to become a pure technology provider, the firm
says.
Cargo Chief will use the GateHouse data to extend that model to a wider
network of trucks, tapping into their ELD feeds to make intelligent matches
between cargo loads and carriers, Jones said in an interview. “We’ll know that
a carrier named Tommy Ten-Trucks has a truck sitting in Oakland, whether
it’s at a truck stop or a known parking area,” Jones said. “And now we can
contact him and say ‘It looks like this would be a perfect backhaul load for
you, and I’m offering $1,200.’”
Some carriers may cite privacy concerns and opt out of sharing their data,
Jones said. But he said the network will be effective even if just a portion of
potential carriers sign up. “We think we’re going to get a bunch of carriers
signing up, and we only need some of them in order to access a whole new
segment of capacity in a [tight] market,” he said.
An online load-matching network can be effective at revealing hidden
capacity, but many private and company-owned fleets will likely decline
to participate, said Tony Wayda, supply chain practice senior director and
principal at Boulder, Colo.-based consulting firm SCApath LLC. There are
a number of reasons for that, he said. For example, some company-owned
fleets may have concerns about moving chemicals or hazardous materials in
their trailers, having their branded trailers seen at a competitor’s DC, commingling their freight with other companies’ freight, or the chance of getting
delayed at a third-party dock, Wayda said.
However, the allure of applying the leverage of an online network to uncover hidden capacity in a tight market has encouraged many brokers and loadboard operators to pursue this goal for years, he noted. And the ability to tap
into an existing system of ELDs to automatically capture pertinent data could
now entice more carriers, third-party logistics companies, owner-operators,
and fleet owners to join.
Cargo Chief teams up with
GateHouse to share trucking data
go figure …
$5.15
The per-mile rate charged for a mid-July
sleeper-team haul from Spokane, Wash., to
Key West, Fla., that required delivery in three
days. The total cost did not include a fuel
surcharge equal to 22 percent of the rate.
SOURCE: CLOWDIS TRANS-LOGISTICS GROUP
Lift truck maker The Raymond
Corp. has acquired the Northwest
regional lift truck dealer Raymond
Handling Concepts Corp. (RHCC) in
a move the firm said will strengthen its position in the Northwestern
U.S. Terms of the transaction were
not disclosed.
The acquisition coincides with
the retirement of RHCC President
Steve Raymond, who held the
position for 31 years. He is a grandson of company founder George
Raymond Sr.
Greene, N.Y.-based Raymond, a
unit of Toyota Material Handling
North America (TMHNA), plans to
continue RHCC’s relationships with
all of its associates, customers, and
suppliers, according to a statement from Steve VanNostrand,
executive vice president of administration at Raymond.
RHCC, with headquarters in
Fremont, Calif., is a dealer of
high-density storage equipment,
order picking systems, integrated
systems, and storage solutions. Its
service territory includes Alaska,
Idaho, western Montana, Northern
California, northern Nevada,
Oregon, and Washington.
Raymond Corp.
acquires dealer
Raymond Handling
Concepts Corp.
