XPO Logistics rolls out upgrades to XPO Connect digital freight marketplace

Global freight transportation and logistics services provider XPO Logistics announced today it has made upgrades to its XPO Connect, its cloud-based digital freight marketplace, and Drive XPO mobile app, which interfaces with XPO Connect.

XPO Connect was introduced this past April. It provides shippers with what it calls a single point of entry for visibility across various transportation modes in real time, which, in turn, helps shippers identify both time- and cost-saving opportunities. And it also noted that XPO Connect enables shippers to gain access to usable business intelligence that can be leveraged to more efficiently purchase transportation in various ways.

As for the new changes to XPO Connect and the Drive XPO mobile app, XPO said the offerings have been expanded to add counteroffers to the online experience, with the new functionality able to generate digital counteroffers to carrier bids that are not accepted and based on real-time market conditions. And when a carrier agrees to a counteroffer, XPO said the freight is immediately visible in a truck driver’s assigned loads.

“We’re giving carriers more opportunities to serve our customers,” said Troy Cooper, president of XPO Logistics, in a statement. “Now, if a bid is above market pricing, the carrier gets a second chance at the load through the counteroffer feature in our Drive XPO app. This dynamic process takes place on our XPO Connect digital platform based on real-time supply and demand. Both shippers and carriers can benefit from XPO Connect’s market intelligence.”

An XPO spokesman told LM earlier this year that the company is investing more than $450 million in technology annually across its global organization to bring value to its customers, and to their customers, adding that XPO Connect joins a list of major advances the company has introduced to automate key supply chain services. 

“Shippers can use XPO Connect to purchase transportation more efficiently. They can see fluctuations in capacity, compare spot rates from carriers, assign loads and track their freight,” he said. “Carriers are using the same XPO Connect technology to locate loads by geography, bid on freight and reduce empty miles. There’s also an electronic proof of delivery feature.”

As for how XPO Connect works, the spokesman said it is a four-part process, which includes: logging in to view assigned loads and the current shipment status; viewing historic lane level freight spends; getting quotes for an order (if the contract rate is in the system, then no need for a quote and straight to order); and converting quotes to secure capacity.

And as multiple modes are added, the XPO spokesman said customers will have more choices to automatically secure the best fit capacity and mode. XPO Connect will initially begin with brokerage and expand across all modes from there, including intermodal and last mile, among others.