Freight exchange with Transport 4.0 experience
Acute driver shortage, high fuel prices and shortage of loading space. Capacities in the transport industry are currently strongly influenced by external factors. In order to be able to use the available truck capacities as efficiently and cost-optimised as possible, more and more forwarding companies are resorting to digital solutions. The Trans.eu freight exchange supports logistics companies with a wide range of digital features on their way to Transport 4.0.
What is Transport 4.0?
Transport 4.0 is the future! That is why it stands for innovation, progress and digital networking of the parties involved in transport. Originally derived from Industry 4.0, the term Logistics 4.0 was initially established. This takes into account all processes along the supply chain with procurement, production, distribution and disposal logistics. Transport 4.0, on the other hand, focuses on the core competence of pure transport. The goal is to make the transport process as fast, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable as possible, from the freight tender to the tariff negotiation and transport assignment to the execution of the transport. With the help of comprehensive data collections and reports, helpful insights are to be created in order to be able to make better strategic decisions regarding the transport management process.
Access to available transport capacities and suitable hauliers on the freight exchange
The effects of the current driver shortage at transport companies are becoming increasingly noticeable. For many forwarders, the transport capacities of existing hauliers are no longer sufficient. They are therefore forced to continuously expand their haulier network and enter into new business relationships. One possibility for this is digital freight exchanges. The transport platforms offer direct access to a large number of hauliers in Europe. Without much effort, the vehicle fleet, preferred routes, but also ratings and references of possible contractors can be viewed by the freight forwarders at any time.
To ensure successful cooperation with new hauliers, all hauliers on Trans.eu are checked and verified according to strict criteria. Business-damaging delays, damage to goods or other unreliability can thus be sustainably reduced. Optionally, Trans.eu certificates can also be acquired on the freight exchange. Transport companies that can demonstrate these quality features have been classified as particularly trustworthy and reliable by Trans.eu in an additional evaluation procedure. They thus have an important competitive advantage on the spot market, which in turn ensures them quick access to available loads and additional loads.
Secure transport assignment in closed groups and private freight exchanges
Transport planning lives on trust and reliability. Awarding contracts to unknown partners on a public freight exchange is therefore often viewed critically. To minimise this risk, companies can create closed groups and also private exchanges on the Trans.eu transport platform. Only companies with an existing business relationship are included in closed groups. The private freight exchanges can also be used to provide selected hauliers with access to their own loads across branches without having to advertise the freight on a public transport exchange.
Close cooperation with selected hauliers can strengthen one’s own position on the spot market in the long term and thus guarantee access to available transport capacities. Freight offers on the freight exchange are answered more quickly and transaction security is increased. Should no interested party be found within the private group, forwarders have the option at any time to subsequently post a tendered freight on the public freight exchange in order to expand the haulier search.
Connection to the freight exchange and the spot market directly from the TMS
The Trans.eu freight exchange has long since ceased to be a self-contained system geared exclusively to linking loads and transport capacities on the spot market. Rather, Trans.eu stands for Transport 4.0. Using an API interface, the cloud-based transport platform can be integrated into the TMS and bring the transport management of forwarding companies to the next level. Accelerated data transmission and reduced susceptibility to errors optimise the entire process of transport brokerage.
Extensive support is provided by artificial intelligence. The primary goal is to make work as easy as possible for forwarders and to reduce the time required for tendering and awarding transport offers to a minimum. Advanced algorithms analyse current and route-specific transport prices to suggest the best price for a given route. Additional hauliers and loads along this route can also be found using automated matching. Furthermore, automated rules can be stored in the entire freight publication process on the transport platform, eliminating the need for manual entry on the freight exchange.
Comprehensive reporting for better strategic decisions
In addition to automation, the evaluation of collected data on the freight exchange is also of great importance. For this, Trans.eu collects relevant performance data along the entire transport process. Reports on company performance as well as tariff benchmarking enable a far-reaching increase in efficiency. For example, the current price level for certain loads and routes can be analysed on the basis of tariff comparisons.
Through such insights, forwarders benefit from a valid data basis for cost calculations and process optimisations in times of difficult-to-predict market developments. They provide information about their own margins and show potential for improvement, which can be used to establish new business relationships. Furthermore, the reporting creates important clues to maintain one’s own service level and to intensify and improve the cooperation with important business partners.
Transport allocation, price negotiation – all in one communication flow
Time is money, especially in logistics. Slow, outdated communication channels can massively impair the processing of transport orders. Especially in the case of cross-border transports, language barriers can also lead to misunderstandings. Under certain circumstances, this can prevent the awarding of contracts on the transport exchange. In the messenger on the Trans.eu freight exchange, more than 400,000 transactions are concluded every month. Rate negotiations are possible in real time.
To avoid communication problems, the tool automatically translates the messages into the respective national language. Once a transaction is completed, the discussions are documented. Possible claims and demands can thus be checked afterwards on the basis of the agreement reached. This is an important legal safeguard for all parties.
Ready for the future! With the Trans.eu Freight Exchange to Transport 4.0
Every day, 250,000 cargo and vehicle offers are posted on the transport platform. The Trans.eu freight exchange offers direct access to a network of 25,000 verified hauliers. This makes the freight exchange one of the largest haulier databases in Europe.
With Trans.eu you can benefit from the following features:
- Access to the largest transport community in Europe
- Secure transport assignment thanks to closed groups and private exchanges
- Detailed insight into the profiles of potential hauliers
- API interface to your own TMS
- Adjustable parameters for automated freight allocation
- Automated matching with suitable hauliers and loads on specific routes
- Algorithm-based price forecasts for transports
- Comprehensive reporting incl. effectiveness measurement.
Are you ready for Transport 4.0? Here you will find an overview of the functions of the Trans.eu freight exchange. Feel free to book an appointment with a consultant and test the freight exchange in a fifteen-minute demo.