Opus9 Blog

In the last year, we have seen increasing numbers of digital freight brokers, online marketplaces that connect shippers with truckers via cloud-based platforms. Traditionally, shippers and carriers operate within a fragmented network of about 15,000 freight brokers, responsible for connecting truckers with potential shipping loads. Most of these deals are coordinated by email, phone, and some, still by fax, taking hours or days to confirm. With digital freight brokers, shipper demands are more immediately matched with carrier capacity.

 SupplyChainBrain recently published an interesting article on the state of the supply chain for getting PPE efficiently distributed. In a conversation with Chris Garcia, CEO of Health Supply US, Robert Bowman of SupplyChainBrain uncovers what shippers are doing to ensure a national supply of PPE. As we enter the third wave of COVID-19 infections, it is more important than ever to get #criticalsupplies to front line workers quickly and efficiently, in a collaborative effort between shippers and truckers.

As a digital freight broker, Opus9 is staying up to date on the latest freight rates and forecasted trends, to provide the best service to our partner shippers and carriers. Starting today, we are adding a weekly update called Freight Broker News where we will provide the latest information on rates, trends, and industry news.

Opus9 Customer Survey reveals shipper
COVID preparedness with digital systems 

The Covid-19 crisis has knocked many companies off their feet. Shippers are altering business strategies mid-stream and coordinating truck movements with very volatile rates, adding to shipper challenges.

Opus9 recently conducted a survey of our most frequent users to get a better understanding of how they are faring during these difficult times. 

On October 9th, William Cassidy, Senior Editor at the Journal of Commerce, published an article on Shippers rethinking annual trucking procurement cycles.  He points out that due to the current disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic, shippers are rethinking how they procure freight transportation. He continues by saying that "shippers are modifying their approach to bidding, using more short-term 'mini-bids' than ever before and turning to technology to improve a process that often breaks down when market prices swing quickly."  Shippers "are looking for ways to avoid costly contract rate hikes propelled by a historic surge in spot truckload rates that began in May and have barely slowed since. They won't do that by sticking to traditional practices strictly focused on price, shippers, analysts, and trucking.  Bidding processes will have be be more specific, more flexible, and more collaborative."

For the 3rd year in a row, Opus9 is proud to be a part of the FreightWaves Top 100 FreightTech companies for 2021. The FreightTech 100 highlights the most innovative companies across the industry.  

Today, we launched our Transportation Management System (TMS), a tool that enables shippers to manage all of their freight in a centralized place. The new TMS builds on the success of our award-winning Marketplace, which currently allows shippers to get instant freight quotes, book with high quality Opus9 carriers and track their shipments in real-time.

The last few months has been a year of unprecedented change in the freight market. Rates are high and continue to rise. The driver shortage is climbing above 50,000 and threatening to hit 100,000 by 2021. And if natural disasters aren’t tightening capacity, then a booming economy is. Here at Opus9, we believe that a shipper’s best defense is to partner with a 3PL whose expertise and knowledge of the industry can mitigate some of these real challenges.

We, at Opus9, take supply chain visibility seriously. That’s why when businesses book their freight with us, they can expect to get free GPS tracking on all shipments.

Anyone who ships within the continental United States has likely heard of less than truckload (LTL) shipping. LTL shipping is a freight class that falls somewhere between full truckload (FTL) and small package. It is a shipping solution that addresses that awkward, in-between stage of shipping where there is a load that is too much or too little for other commonly used classes.