SmartHop reports that DAT integration helps fleets boost earnings in challenging times

Nearly two years into an integration partnership with DAT Freight & Analytics, the numbers bear it out: truck fleets using SmartHop’s freight booking and fleet management platform are benefiting from increased revenue and average rate per mile, as well as time saved.

“Small fleets that use the spot market to find their next load have been exposed to tremendous opportunity but also volatility,” said Guillermo Garcia, CEO and co-founder of SmartHop. “With this partnership we make it easy for all SmartHop customers to benefit from DAT, and for all DAT customers to optimize their trucking businesses through SmartHop.”

Intelligent load-matching

In July 2021, SmartHop integrated DAT's API and data into its platform, allowing customers to streamline the load-matching process using advanced filtering for load type, profitability, regional preferences, hours of service limitations, and other parameters. With more than 357,000 loads posted to the DAT network each business day, the partnership opened up access to more loads and lanes for SmartHop users, helping them compete with larger carriers for spot truckload freight.

In one nine-month study of SmartHop customers, a cohort of 24 fleets reported a 60% increase of spot market revenue and a 5% to 15% increase in average rate per mile. “Our one-stop-platform made it easy for the fleets to access DAT’s high-paying loads, and select from multiple options along existing routes. Even on short notice it was easy for them to find loads because of our precise filtering capabilities,” Garcia added.

“The SmartHop integration supports our mission to help carriers build healthier businesses,” said Mike Weaver, DAT’s Vice President of Sales. “We’re excited by their ability to book more loads, streamline their operations, and gain a competitive edge in this ever-evolving industry.”

AI-powered load strategies

The freight booking and fleet management platform’s AI-powered dispatch solution processes thousands of DAT load records to predict which markets will be strongest in the coming days, and makes recommendations accordingly.

SmartHop selected DAT as its integration partner based on its status as the industry's largest load board and most accurate truckload pricing data service. Using this data, SmartHop conducts automated searches in the background and notifies carriers of personalized load recommendations, which saves customers a significant amount of time. "Instead of the three to eight hours it used to take me to cover one truck, it's now done in less than 30 minutes," says Jessica Zapata, owner of J&M Dispatching.

"Booking the wrong loads can add up over time, costing fleets revenue and significantly hurting their business. Our technology taps into DAT's marketplace, curating the best load strategies for a fleet, so dispatchers make faster strategic decisions and get it right more often," Garcia explained. "DAT is a crucial partner in this process. Not only does it have an enormous inventory of premium loads, it has layered in information on profitability, load details, and even broker credit scores—all data points that our customers need to decide what's right for them."

For more information on the partnership or to sign up, visit www.smarthop.com.