Truck broker software is aimed at supporting the transporters in TL and LTL transportation with better and faster shipping. While the core concept of matching load with the suitable carriers remains same for the broker systems, truck broker software is trying to reinvent themselves by catching up on the nuances of trucking through innovative technology. Backhauling is one such operation which is in practice to utilize the returning trip of a carrier. Sometimes backhauling has evolved as a viable outcome of remedy for an existing constraint. For an instance, the containerized rail route between China and Europe has been developed due to lack of better or easier options for transportation required for the sustenance of trade. But the rail route, which was originally conceptualized to facilitate trade between China and Europe, has opened up new avenues for backhaul freight transportation due to rising eastbound freight volume in the past year.

Truck broker software is able to leverage backhaul freight rate benefits for transportations on similar routes provided they are well connected. The said rail route between China and Europe consist of 7500 miles of rail route establishing a connected route between 16 Chinese and 15 European cities for a better Asia-Europe trade channel. The rail transportation for intermodal transportation is fairly supplemented by TL and LTL carriers for distribution from these connected cities. Intelligent truck broker software can easily leverage opportunity like these to utilize the backhaul carriers for competitive freight rate benefits.

7500 miles Rail route between China and Europe establishes a connectivity between 16 Chinese and 15…
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Why are truck broker software looking at backhauling as a viable option?

Over the years, truckers have realized that it makes sense to utilize a returning carrier which is by default empty after delivery to commercialize that trip which otherwise fares nothing to the transporter. While it may add up some time for the carrier in getting back to the origin it pays off well as net profit for the transporter who otherwise is incurring a loss on an empty trailer.

However, if we take a deeper look, Backhauling has much more to contribute than utilizing a returning carrier. It contributes to the system by doubling up the same trip for two-way transportation. In an era where the TL and LTL trucks are burdened with increasing operational cost, they are surprisingly pressured to keep the carrier rates low. This has led to trucking companies being conservative in expansion in terms of increasing fleet size. But they definitely want to scale. Despite the low truck sales for considerable months, the trucking industry is still considered as the backbone in ever increasing freight transportation. This is becoming possible only due to collaborative practices and innovative ways by truck brokers to utilize the existing carriers as their prime assets to accomplish more with less. This not only saves time but also helps in reducing carbon emission for the same amount of transportation. While the benefits of the backhauling are never-ending we need to keep in mind that it needs a calculative as well as a fast system to successfully utilize backhauling tactics in real time scenario.

Alternatives to Backhauling

Not much as a carrier which is returning to the origin is, either way needs to return for the next trip. In this case, getting a return load for competitive pricing is the best truck brokers can ask for. The spot bids are based on the availability and surety of the carrier leaving the dock, in the case of backhaul carriers, they are bound to return to their origin in the least possible time.

Why Truck broker software for backhauling?

Carriers contact the freight brokers to get the loads for the backhaul. While the freight brokers have an expansive network which helps in getting return load fixed faster it also ends up incurring additional expense. With a truck broker software, the trucker can directly communicate with the load boards and fix the loads for the spots available. It also involves a fee to access the load boards but having your own truck broker system gives you more control and niche loads to be transported by your backhaul carriers. Given the advent of cloud-based truck broker software with decent mobility solutions as offerings, investment in truck broker software is not as big as the value it generates for the truckers.

The loads fixed for the backhaul carriers are at 10-30% reduced price rate per mile compared to a head haul carrier. Backhauling also involves a certain level of surety about the load reaching the destination at expected time of arrival as the carriers are bound to return to their origin. For the truckers, backhauling has also been able to help them in saving almost half of the expenditure they otherwise incur on getting their empty carriers back to the origin. With all these favorable conditions, truck broker software acts as a catalyst which can accelerate the process of getting relevant loads onboard faster and at a much competitive rate for the truckers.

The loads fixed for the backhaul carriers are at 10-30% reduced price rate per mile compared to a…
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Specific benefits of Backhauling

Apart from the utilization benefits for the carrier, backhauling can help the trucking industry in tackling the future challenges which are looming over the freight transportation industry. With the regulatory mandates such as ELD coming into practice from 2017 onwards, there will be a dip in the availability of functional hours for the carriers. With hours of service being completely monitored, the truck broker software is expecting to experience a reduction of 3-10% in the availability of the carriers for shipping. The overall impact on the available capacity of the trucking fleets is projected somewhere in the range of 2-3%. In this scenario, backhauling works for the benefit of the system as well as truckers by creating avenues to transport more with the same set of carriers even with reduced HOS. The key here will be a proper integration of truck broker software with the transport management system to develop a planned way of practicing backhauling for the existing carriers in the fleet.

With HOS being completely monitored, a reduction of 3-10% in the availability of the carriers for…
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Value added by Truck broker software in Backhauling

As per the industry researches conducted in 2015, 15-20% of the on-road trailers in the US are traversing empty miles which means they are a liability for that much duration for the trucking companies rather than the asset. Since the transportation industry, of which trucking is the biggest part, is already struggling with the scaling challenges having empty trailers on road is counter productive. On the same lines, it was also observed that out of the trailers which are not empty 36% are under utilized. This scenario can be significantly reversed with the proper inclusion of truck broker software in pairing up the empty carriers with different load boards to ship the freight via backhauling.

In 2015, 15-20% of the on-road trailers in the US are traversing empty miles
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Truck broker software are are being modified to the changing needs of the transportation world and backhauling is one such need. It is helping the 3PLs and shippers to make better use of the backhaul lanes by providing the return spots at relatively cheaper rate to their customers. This is helping in utilization of the backhaul lanes as well as empty carriers in the most optimum way. For the efficient backhauling to take place, the truck broker software needs to accomplish few important tasks. The truck broker software can collaborate with third parties with loads to be shipped by providing the available slots for their carriers. With a prior analysis of the expected time of arrival for deliveries the spots are fixed for backhauling. One of the most important factor in leveraging backhauling for the empty carriers is planning and time. Both of them are necessary to plan a backhaul journey for the carrier without wasting much time on the dock. To perform these tasks flawlessly, the truck broker software are now embracing the cutting edge technology to provide solutions which are exhaustive as well as more affordable in nature. This has helped the truckers to win over the time and the visibility challenge of the system.

In 2015, it was observed that out of the trailers which are not empty 36% are underutilized.
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Predictive analysis

Predictive analysis is an advanced tool which helps you to focus on the possibilities of the business which can churn out a higher return. In a dynamic environment such as freight transportation, the predictive analysis could be a crucial factor in making truck broker software more useful for economic yet profitable operations. The transporters who are able to gauge the upcoming possibilities of higher revenue in growing eastbound freight demands after the completion of China-Europe rail route have definitely been at an advanced stage at reaping those possibilities than their counterparts. Similar insights with the help of detailed analysis of the current and future trends can help shape a better future for truckers. Truck broker software with the help of predictive analytics solutions can help the truckers to estimate a time frame under which their carrier can backhaul with maximum profit. It can also suggest the most assured loads available to be shipped at a given point seeking to the industry trends. It can also help the backhaul carriers in optimizing the routing for the return trips to save the empty miles. Thus in the process of creating an optimum balance between the return time and commercial benefits from the loads backhauled, the predictive analysis could be a great advantage for the truck broker software.

Mobility

One of the most important aspects of adopting backhaul trade practices is time. The whole concept of backhaul works on the utilization of the empty carrier and making arrangements for moving it faster. That means the truck broker software should be able to fetch the backhaul load for the container almost instantaneously for optimum results. For this, truck broker software is now adapting mobility solutions which allow them to book and ship freight from the available spot at lightning speed. With the help of complete data about the available containers for a given date, the truckers can plan the backhaul load in as much as 7 days advance.

Considering the benefits of planning and shipping effortlessly, mobility solutions are indispensable for working in a completely connected environment. Here the shipper can leverage the added benefit of visibility and instantaneous information. In an age where the majority of the operations are handled by mobile devices and every single person is getting equipped with basic mobile devices, adoption of mobility solutions has become effortless. And logistics companies are gearing up to reap benefits of this trend by modeling truck broker software to become more compatible with the mobility solutions. Dreamorbit is helping out the shippers in adapting similar mobility solutions where with the seamless integration with the truck broker software they can get real-time visibility into the shipping operations to book viable spots in advance.

With the help of complete data about the available containers for a given date, the truckers can…
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In order to create a successful mechanism to carry out the backhauling practices, the truck broker software has to be as detailed as possible. Since the load transported via backhauling is confirmed at a short duration, it needs to be verified at a short notice and acknowledged by the system. Speed and accessibility of the information have always worked in favor of the truck brokers and backhauling is no different in this regard. A truck broker software which can communicate with different load boards as fast as possible has always been a helpful aid in getting the backhaul carriers back to the origin as fast as possible. Dreamorbit has been working with a global clientele to devise similar solutions which are based on innovative business practices. Definitely, it needs expert development skills and exceptional industry specific experience to come up with one of the most effective solutions for truck broker software which is able to deliver great results. In the quest of delivering custom services, Dreamorbit has also been able to satisfy its customers with bespoke solutions and integrations which are aimed at solving the specific problems of the logistics clients. We are looking forward to delivering similar results to a larger set of clients and are discussing the possibilities with various industry leaders. If you are looking for advanced truck broker software system with specific needs, please check out our contact details for a free discussion.

About DreamOrbit:

DreamOrbit is a Logistics and Supply Chain Technology Development company. We have been creating meaningful and reliable software products for the industry which is “Always on the go”for the past half decade. We are highly motivated team aimed at innovation. Our philosophy is to “keep challenging the potential within”.  With the support of our happy customers and dedicated team, we strive to provide best possible solutions to industry problems. Visit our website to know more aboutDreamOrbit.

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