Third-Party Net Portals

The Internet is sparking the development of new businesses and new ways of doing business throughout the shipping and trucking cycle, and brokers and freight-forwarders are no exception.

Members of the Transportation Intermediaries Association got a glimpse of the Internet revolution at their annual convention and trade show in March at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Here is a look at some of the major Internet technologies designed for third parties on display at the TIA trade show:

The Internet Truck Stop Founded in 1995 as the first Internet-based freight-posting service, the New Plymouth, Ind.-based company has expanded its offerings to include credit checks, routing, fuel, insurance verification, shipment-racking and corporate services, such as hosting Webs sites for Schneider National, Mark VII, Allen Lund Co., Dart Transit and others.

President Scott Moscrip said the Internet makes it possible for smaller companies to see and bid on freight at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. By creating more of a self-service environment, the Internet also frees employees to make personal contacts and handle exceptions.

Web site: www.truckstop.com

BestTransport.com The product of a Columbus, Ohio-based technology incubator called e-thinktank, BestTransport.com allows shippers and carriers not only to match loads but conduct virtually all of their business over the Internet.

The company keeps a record of all transactions, freeing carriers and intermediaries from much of the paperwork associated with finding and booking freight.

John Buchanan, former director of purchasing and traffic at Westinghouse and manager of transportation services for BestTransport.com, said the system is designed to eliminate use of the telephone and fax machine in finding and processing load information. BestTransport.com charges a membership fee of $25 a month. Shippers pay a $5 posting fee and carriers pay $1 to bid and $5 to complete a contract.

Donald G. Johnston, former president of Boyd Bros. Transportation Co., serves as chairman of the board of directors. Also on the board is G.D. Madden, founder of Innovative Computing Corp.

Web site: www.besttransport.com

For the full story, see the Apr. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.