Freight Spot Rates Explained: A Practical Guide for Shippers
Freight spot rates aren’t unpredictable; they’re responsive. Those that plan for the inevitable shifts can adapt faster.
Collaboration
Seamless collaboration across every stakeholder
Unite your network around organized orders, tenders, documents, and updates so execution stays synchronized.
Turn alignment into speed
Connect customers, carriers, and internal teams through purpose- built portals that streamline execution, reduce friction, and keep everyone aligned in real time.
Faster execution through self-service
Enable customers and carriers to quote, schedule, manage documents, and track shipments on their own — reducing manual touchpoints and cycle times.
Consistent processes, Fewer error
Apply customer specific routing guides, tender rules, and workflows across portals to minimize errors and improve performance.
Shared data, better outcomes
Keep all parties informed with real-time status updates, notifications, and billing visibility to reduce inquiries and improve satisfaction.
Dedicated portals for clients & carriers
Tailored portal experiences give customers and carriers exactly what they need to collaborate efficiently — without overcomplicating the process.
Customer portal
Give customers a fast, intuitive way to quote, rate shop, and ship — with support for routing guides, quote changes, dock scheduling, document management, shipment visibility, incident reporting, and billing transparency.
Carrier portal
Provide carriers a single destination to manage tenders, submit spot quotes, schedule dock appointments, share available capacity, update shipment status, create freight bills, and manage documents — all from desktop or mobile.
Expand connectivity with the Descartes Global Logistics Network™
Unify partners, platforms, and data within one reliable system.
Customer-proven performance
weeks
to go-live
x
daily orders per employee
On average, we’ve gone from a 10–12-week onboarding range to just a few weeks. With Descartes 3G TMS, we’ve dramatically sped up implementations due to smoother and quicker systems implementations, and the support for differentiated services has allowed us to deliver value to our clients faster.
The Descartes team is extremely responsive to our needs, and the reliable connectivity we have with carriers and client partners has enabled greater productivity and customer service. As a result, our enhanced operations have become a demonstrable competitive advantage for us – and one that benefits our clients as well.
The partnership with Descartes has been great. 3G TMS has given us the flexibility to build out [our] system to serve our existing customers and any we may add on in the future.
Expand your transportation capabilities
Operate on a single platform where planning, execution, and settlement work together to reduce friction and keep teams in control.
News & Insights
Freight Spot Rates Explained: A Practical Guide for Shippers
Why North American Shippers Run Transportation Differently
Check out eight industry trends that stand out for North American Shippers and their practical considerations for your operations.
Configure Your TMS: From Simple Tweaks to Advanced Automation
Start small, experiment with adjustments, and gradually scale your efforts to unlock the full potential of your system.