Illinois carrier spins in-house tech into new business segment

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Bill Wettstein, president of Nussbaum Transportation, and Tyler Dietrich, president of Nussbaum Technology.
Bill Wettstein, president of Nussbaum Transportation, and Tyler Dietrich, president of Nussbaum Technology.

For years, Nussbaum Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 145) used an in-house proprietary bid automation platform to let them bid 20 times faster than traditional methods, while maintaining rates 5% above market for 10 consecutive quarters. 

Now, the company is offering the solution to the industry.

Nussbaum Technology, a sister company of the Illinois-based carrier, has unveiled BidRight, a bid automation and intelligence platform that turns what was once an internal edge into a commercial product to help carriers price bids effectively.

In February, the motor carrier earned CCJ’s Innovator of the Year in 2025 for use of its in-house built technology. This was a turning point for the company as it sparked carrier interest, said Bill Wettstein, president of Nussbaum Transportation.

“There’s a big desire because these bids from the large carriers, or even a medium-sized carrier, take a lot of work and a lot of time. It’s hard to pull the information together, and so the time savings is a big deal,” Wettstein said.

The Nussbaum Technology team is focused on building a versatile product that caters to various carrier sizes and services.The Nussbaum Technology team is focused on building a versatile product that caters to various carrier sizes and services.

Started from real-world frustration

Developed within Nussbaum Transportation’s pricing department between 2017 and 2019, it was built to solve the inefficiencies of the RFP process. The results spoke for themselves: team reviews that once took hours were reduced to minutes, and the company could analyze opportunities with speed and accuracy.

“There is a big need out there for a tool built by a carrier that addresses the top bidding issues in a practical way… My vision for us is to positively impact the trucking industry through software solutions,” said Tyler Dietrich, who led the original development and now serves as president of Nussbaum Technology, which spun out as a separate company in September 2025 to focus on bringing software solutions to the broader industry.

BidRight combines automation with pricing intelligence. Its core capabilities include:

  • Bid management: The tool eliminates chaos by importing RFPs into a standardized format and organizing all bid projects in one centralized hub, instead of looking through email threads or scattered spreadsheets.
  • Workflow collaboration: The tool keeps teams aligned with progress tracking, clear task assignments, team comments, and the ability to flag critical issues for upcoming meetings.
  • Pricing intelligence: The tool embeds the context carriers need, such as market data, network analysis, profitability metrics, historical data, and other key variables, directly into the workflow where decisions are made.
  • Award review: The tool enables carriers to evaluate awarded lanes and identify unprofitable freight before it drags down the network.

Transforming BidRight from an internal tool into a market-ready product required significant investment across multiple fronts, Dietrich explained. Starting with a dedicated core development team, Dietrich said they aimed to balance familiarity and innovation.

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They also engineered new features to accommodate diverse user needs and workflows, developed the original platform into a user-friendly format, and implemented robust data and confidentiality measures, including third-party audit log reviews to ensure enterprise-grade security.

The platform will be offered through a tiered subscription model, with both monthly and annual options available. Prices will vary by tier, allowing carriers to select a plan based on their operational needs and scale.

A look at the BidRight platformA look at the BidRight platform

The advantage

Dietrich explained that what sets BidRight apart is its partnership with KSM Transport Advisors (KSMTA), which brings FreightMath—KSMTA’s proprietary analytics engine—directly into the platform.

FreightMath quantifies network profit potential, giving carriers the power to run “what-if” scenarios and analyze how each opportunity affects network density, asset utilization, and total profitability, considering both past and projected performance. Instead of bidding blind, fleets can evaluate rate competitiveness and operational impact with metrics and insights.

KSMTA will also serve as the marketing partner for BidRight, using its industry expertise to bring the platform to market, according to the release.

BidRight is currently in alpha testing with selected carriers and is expected to launch commercially in 2026.

“The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, and it feels like we’ve had a very underserved market,” Dietrich said, adding that the platform has already garnered significant interest from 30 companies.

As the team goes further into development, Dietrich said he’s keen to implement “some sort of” AI assistant. “They’re not going to do your job for you, but AI is so good at processing masses of information and just providing quick catches,” he said.

AI will also be involved in importing bids and reviewing contracts, providing summaries and key points. The tool will additionally leverage AI to enhance user experience and efficiency.

Pamella De Leon is a senior editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. An avid reader and travel enthusiast, she likes hiking, running, and is always on the look out for a good cup of chai. Reach her at [email protected]

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