In the fast-paced and highly complex world of supply chain, every dollar counts. Yet, many shippers continue to rely on outdated procurement strategies that quietly drain their budgets and compromise service quality. With rising tariffs and ongoing market volatility, shippers must be more strategic than ever about what they can control —and one of the biggest areas of opportunity is freight procurement.
Static routing guides, infrequent mini-bids, and limited carrier options result in overpaying for critical lanes while leaving cost-saving opportunities on the table. The problem? Traditional freight procurement is riddled with inefficiencies, and in today’s dynamic transportation market, these legacy approaches are no longer sustainable.
The hidden costs of outdated procurement
Many transportation managers inherit carrier networks and standard operating procedures without questioning whether they are optimized for today’s market. But without real-time data, automated workflows, and market-driven insights, shippers remain stuck with inflated costs and unpredictable carrier performance.
Key challenges that are costing you more than you realize
- Manual, time-consuming mini-bid processes
Mini-bids are a powerful tool for securing better rates within in a shorter time period, but when done manually, they become a slow, inefficient process. Endless email exchanges, scattered spreadsheets, and back-and-forth negotiations make it nearly impossible to scale and optimize carrier selection effectively.
The solution: Automated mini-bids
With project44 Initiate, mini-bids are automated and centralized, allowing shippers to negotiate faster, select the best carrier with confidence, and unlock cost savings instantly.
- Offline, spreadsheet-based negotiations
Traditional freight procurement often relies on static spreadsheets that fail to reflect real-time market conditions. Without automated benchmarking tools, shippers lack visibility into rate fluctuations and miss opportunities to negotiate contracts at the right time.
The solution: Smarter, data-driven negotiations
project44 Initiate eliminates manual negotiation workflows by providing built-in real-time rate benchmarking, allowing shippers to secure market-aligned rates instantly.
- Limited visibility into carrier performance
How well do your current carriers actually perform? Many shippers lack access to reliable carrier performance data, leading to partnerships that don’t prioritize cost-efficiency, reliability, or on-time delivery. Without these insights, you could be paying more for underperforming carriers.
The solution: Gain actionable carrier insights
project44 Initiate surfaces key performance data, including on-time performance, visibility scores, reliability metrics, and Carrier Assure scores, helping shippers identify the most cost-effective and dependable carriers for every lane.
- Insufficient market rate benchmarking
Market conditions shift constantly, but traditional procurement strategies fail to leverage real-time rate insights. As a result, shippers often lock in contracts at above-market rates without realizing they could be saving money.
The solution: Benchmark rates against real-time market data
Initiate helps shippers to compare contract rates against real-time market data, ensuring they secure the best possible price for every contract.
- Reactive, not proactive, carrier management
Without predictive analytics and automated tools, shippers are often forced to react to capacity shortages and rate fluctuations rather than proactively managing their carrier networks. This results in increased spot market exposure, higher costs, and unnecessary disruptions.
The solution: Take a proactive approach with project44 Initiate
project44 Initiate empowers shippers to identify cost-saving opportunities, optimize contracts, and reduce spot market dependence—before issues arise.
It’s time to rethink freight procurement strategies
Sticking to traditional procurement methods is costing you more than you think—both in terms of cost and efficiency. The good news? Better solutions exist.
With project44 Initiate, shippers can:
- Lower over-the-road freight costs with market-driven rate intelligence
- Streamline rate negotiations with automated mini-bids
- Reduce spot market exposure by identifying reliable carriers
- Gain real-time carrier performance insights for smarter decisions
By leveraging real-time data, automation, and smarter procurement workflows, shippers can take control of their freight strategy—ensuring they secure the right carrier, at the right rate, on the right lane.
Learn more about project44 Initiate.
