The Convoy company today steps into load-board territory with a new "Convoy for Brokers" program -- offering freight brokers other than Convoy's own brokerage direct access to the network of owner-operators and small carriers who use its current platform. That's not a small number of trucking companies -- the company says it represents more than 300,000 trucks in aggregate.
If you're a Convoy app user today, said company VP of Partnerships Brooks McMahon, you don't have to do anything new to access new load opportunities that may arise from third-party brokers' engagement with the system. "Carriers that are already certified in our network simply need to sign into the Convoy app. They'll see loads from Convoy and from participating third-party brokers together in the app, which they can then review and select loads to bid on."
If you're already onboarded with a particular broker using the app, load booking can proceed simply. If not, "they will need to get onboarded with such broker for the first load booked, and then they’re off and running from there forward," McMahon added. Carriers get rate confirmations through the app as with a Convoy-brokered load but with the third-party broker’s name on it as the broker of record.
Carriers continue to reap the benefits Convoy currently touts as coming with use of its program -- payment in two days with QuickPay, "hassle-free detention," instant in-app feedback on bids, and more.
The Convoy company outlined some of the capabilities of its new broker-accessible platform with this recently released graphic.
In developing its system, Convoy worked with USA Truck and AFS Logistics, both of whom have heaped some praise on the system. AFS Transportation Management President Andy Dyer lauded the pricing model as offering opportunities to scale with growth as load matches are successful through the system, without big up-front investments.
USA Truck Senior Vice President George Henry hoped freight-industry waste might be "avoided with new approaches to capacity sourcing and shipment automation" like Convoy's platform, and noted Convoy for Brokers had "helped us support additional growth in our load volume and increase the productivity of our team by making it easier to access trucks."
