Story originally appeared in Logistics Viewpoints on July 1, 2020. Excerpts from the story below. To see the full story visit LogisticsViewpoints.com.

Digital freight brokers open new door for shippers and carriers alike. During a conversation with Keith Whalen, Vice President of Product Management at Blue Yonder, he pointed out that the company has been very aggressive expanding the marketplace connectivity and has incorporated rate shopping and optimization in a manner where dynamic rate quotes are embedded in the TMS. The point is to make the whole experience of using a digital freight brokerage more seamless.

Mr. Whalen identified three distinct areas where a digital freight matching platform can open new doors and new opportunities. According to Mr. Whalen, “carriers like the model because they get additional access to freight spend. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for real time capacity commitments are top of mind for certain industries such as CPG, food & beverage, grocery, and pharmaceuticals. With capacity constraints in certain lanes, customers can now examine how to move goods between private fleet, common carriers, or digital freight marketplaces.”