Carrier availability for freight forwarders is increasing alongside freight offers on international routes

During the first quarter of 2024, there was a notable uptick in freight offers on the Trans.eu freight exchange. This bodes well for carriers and freight forwarders, as it provides them with more opportunities to find partners to fulfil their transport assignments across Europe.

During this period, the Trans.eu Platform experienced remarkable growth, with a 52% increase in offers compared to the previous year, covering almost all of the busiest international routes.

For example, 70% more offers for transport within Germany were published on the Trans.eu Platform in January, 56% more in February, and 54% more offers for transport within Germany in March.

The good numbers come hand in hand with an increase in cross-trade. In fact, a recent report by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) highlights that cross-trade and cabotage transport are gaining traction in international transport, with carriers from Eastern and Central Europe spearheading the charge. Notably, Polish carriers lead the EU market in cross-trade, transporting 90.8 million tons in 2022, followed by Lithuanians (35.8 million tons) and Romanians (22.6 million tons).

It is worth remembering that we come from a 2023 with rising inflation, fluctuations in exchange rates or unpredictable variations in transport rates, as well as new regulations that pushed companies in the sector to look for solutions to be more efficient and mitigate a decrease in demand. This made the European road transport market to conclude 2023 with a contraction of 0.4%, as forecasted by a report from Transport Intelligence (Ti).

Nonetheless, a 1.7% growth is forecasted for this year, buoyed by expectations of a more favourable economic climate. This same percentage is projected as the average annual growth rate for European companies until 2027. Spain is anticipated to be the fastest-growing market among the major European economies next year, with an expected growth rate of 2.5%, according to Transport Intelligence’s analysis.

The spot market for freight…and beyond

This scenario has led freight forwarders to look for solutions in the spot market…and beyond. Due to demand imbalance, they often have to deal with carrier and driver unavailability, which brings us back to the need to forge long-term relationships with carriers. In that sense, the number of freight forwarders combining spot and fixed route activities was four times higher than those focusing solely on the spot market, according to data compiled by Trans.eu.

“Optimizing transport capacity and reducing empty runs can significantly boost earnings”

This scenario encourages forwarders to strengthen relationships with transport providers and ensure better response rates for accepting transport orders. 

The freight forwarders that want to better manage their own carriers and keep their loads off the main platform due to the risk of double brokering, and maintain higher levels of security or confidentiality have a good opportunity to leverage our Private Freight Exchange solution. This solution caters for freight forwarders who are more concerned with entrusting their loads to a strong base of verified carriers from their own personal network of vetted subcontractors. The platform’s restricted environment ensures forwarders can maintain extra confidentiality for shippers – not divulging sensitive order details. This private approach helps freight forwarders to select primarily safe logistics partners for their contract freight needs as well as for selected spot requests.

On the other hand, when carriers are invited to the Private Freight Exchange, this demonstrates special trust. The message is clear: you want to work with this carrier more often because you trust your loads are in safe hands. A good long-term relationship is as important for the carrier as it is for you!

Speeding up the digitalisation of carriers

Finally, this increase in international offers and the increased activity of carriers on the platform can also serve to boost advances in digitalisation, with tools that facilitate and speed up transport assignments such as Loads2Go!, an application already used by most carriers in our community that allows them to access offers when they are en route.

With this app, you can improve the workflows between you and your subcontractors. Enabling them to easily access loads from any location via their smartphone or mobile device, gives carrier the power to choose which forwarder they want to work with, quickly respond and finalise deals with their preferred partners more swiftly. This not only streamlines operations but also enhances cooperation and communication with carriers.

Furthermore, the app allows archiving of all communications. This serves as a valuable tool in preventing potential issues and disputes arising from transport assignments, such as pricing discrepancies or delivery issues. By leveraging the Loads2Go! app, you’re not just embracing digital transformation; you’re also fostering a collaborative environment that promotes transparency and trust among all stakeholders involved in the transportation process.

Carrier availability for freight forwarders is on the rise, alongside an uptick in freight offers on international routes. This surge means more carriers are entering the scene, opening up a plethora of possibilities for freight assignments across the continent.

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• Marcin Ostrowski
• West Sales Team Leader UK, Benelux, France, Nordic & Turkey
• Tel: +31 858 883 351
• Book a meeting
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• “My mission is to bring cutting-edge digitalisation to the transport industry while supporting freight forwarders to better leverage their existing carrier pool and expand freight networks across Europe and Eurasia”