Completing the Capacity Stack

123Loadboard and Direct Freight are teaming up to create a unified independent freight network. The platforms will continue to operate separately but will increasingly function as one connected system. This integration will allow brokers to post freight across both networks using a single workflow, and give carriers access to a combined pool of freight opportunities.

Carmelo Messina, Vice President of Sales at 123Loadboard, explains that the idea behind the combination stems from the fact that freight requires a network. Brokers already have carrier relationships, a TMS, and at least one load board. The challenge lies in the fact that these tools alone often do not provide enough capacity to meet demand. Messina refers to this as the "capacity gap," which is more important than raw coverage percentages suggest.

Messina uses the "90% idea" internally to illustrate this point. He believes that brokers should not rely on a single load board for full coverage, but instead should have confidence in being able to turn to other networks when the usual options are not working. 123Loadboard is not interested in replacing established load boards but rather in adding another layer of capacity to existing carrier relationships, TMS platforms, and load boards.

The main goal of the integration is to provide more listings in one place, but the bigger opportunity lies in surfacing capacity before brokers are forced to scramble for it. Messina emphasizes that a broker should not have to wait until they are desperate for a truck and then start searching everywhere. Instead, they want to make it easier to see potential capacity earlier, reach more of the right carriers, and give brokers more confidence when accepting freight from their customers.

For carriers, the integration offers access to more freight opportunities and better information to decide whether a load is suitable for their business. Messina stresses that carriers need to consider factors such as rate, deadhead, destination, backhaul options, trust, and the overall fit with their business. Technology should clear away unnecessary friction, not replace the relationships that are at the core of the freight business.