Transfix heralds new enhancements with Fleet Planner 2.0

New York-based Transfix, a logistics technology services provider that streamlines shipment data to better help shippers make informed decisions to optimize time and revenues, announced today that it has rolled out upgrades to Fleet Planner, a free online tool that provides small- and mid-sized carriers access to a centralized platform for various tasks, including managing fleets, streamlining operations, and scaling their business, among other tasks, which was introduced by the company in early October.

The upgraded version, entitled Fleet Planner 2.0, is focused on solving specific pain points that small- and mid-sized carriers—whom account for almost 90% of the United States carrier base—and are largely dependent on strenuous, manual load booking processes and lack visibility into where their loads are in real-time, which increases the risk of missing loads and also impacts their ability to book additional loads easily, and grow and scale to competitors. 

“The second phase of Fleet Planner reflects our ongoing commitment to driving superior solutions for our partners across the supply chain. With this powerful update, small and mid-sized carriers can not only manage and centralize, but also grow their businesses,” said Lily Shen, CEO and President of Transfix, in a statement. “Fleet Planner 2.0 represents the next build out in our robust ecosystem of technology solutions for our partners, unlocking massive opportunity for efficiency and scale.”  

The key new features of Fleet Planner 2.0 include:

• Direct Booking: Dispatchers can now bypass the hassle of managing multiple load boards by directly booking Transfix loads—and even backhauls—in just a few clicks;
• Driver-Led Status Updates: Fleet Planner now provides the ability to automatically prompt drivers for load status updates via mobile text, alleviating tedious back and forth communications between dispatchers and drivers; and
• Automated Customer Communication (launching on February 9): For the first time in fleet management software history, dispatchers can send automatic, real-time updates to the end customer, allowing carriers to proactively manage expectations and ultimately enhance relationships with shipping partners

In a recent interview, Transfix Co-Founder and Chairman Drew McElroy told LM that Fleet Planner caters to a critical need in the small-to-midsize carrier market, as, these carriers account for a vast majority—and increasingly important segment—of the American trucking industry.

“They face the same complexities as much larger carriers, but we’ve found that tech solutions for navigating those complexities, streamlining operations and enabling scale have historically been inaccessible,” he explained. “We developed Fleet Planner to fill that gap in the market. This is a first of its kind, free, online tool that gives small and mid-sized carriers a centralized platform for managing their fleets, streamlining their operations, and ultimately scaling their business.

And in addition to being free of charge, McElroy explained that Fleet Planner can also be leveraged by both carriers who do and do not already work with Transfix today.

“Our mission has always been about delivering simple, smart, and sustainable freight solutions powered by tech and people—and better supporting carriers is at the heart of that mission,” he said. “Fleet Planner is very much a user-inspired product, and we’ll continue to add capabilities and integrations tailored to fit the needs of these carriers.”

As for the customer benefits of Fleet Planner, McElroy prefaced his reply by observing that Transfix considers its customers to be both its shippers and carriers.

“That said, while Fleet Planner is built for carriers to use, it will absolutely benefit shippers as well,” he said. “Freight success ultimately relies on access to the best possible network of carriers. Right now, shippers are chasing capacity—and we’re entering into what promises to be a huge fourth quarter with the holiday season around the corner.

And with outbound tender volumes at all-time highs, he added that it is essentially a carriers’ market, making it easier than ever for them to reject loads in favor of more attractive rates and lanes.

“So, a network of reliable carriers is more critical—yet harder to find—than ever for shippers,” he said. “Fleet Planner caters to the needs of carriers, easing the time consuming, tedious, and often fragmented organizational process of managing fleets, assigning loads, and communicating load details with drivers. And for shippers, this is hugely impactful.”