The Client
Nationwide Equipment Transportation (NET) is a leading freight brokerage specializing in equipment and transportation logistics for clients across North America. Realizing the gravity of fraud after experiencing a surprising double brokering incident, NET turned to Descartes MyCarrierPortal (MCP) to proactively manage risks and fortify the company’s defenses against cargo theft. NET also deployed Descartes MacroPoint™ for real-time visibility into freight movements, integrating the combined Descartes solutions into its transportation management system (TMS).
The Challenge: Time-Consuming Manual Processes and Fraud Exposure
Before adopting Descartes MCP, NET was unknowingly exposed to fraud, particularly double brokering. “Before using the solution, we had a load that was double brokered—it was a big eye-opening moment,” recalls Steve Vest, Owner, NET. “We realized we didn’t have control of the carriers to ensure the right trucks were showing up and needed a way to vet carriers to make sure they are who we think they are.”
NET’s manual onboarding process was not only vulnerable to exploitation but was also inefficient and time-consuming.
“We were emailing a PDF packet that anybody could take and use against us. Plus, we had to wait for the carrier to print, sign and send it back. We couldn’t quickly identify if a carrier was compliant, legal and up-to-date. It became very difficult to do this every day to fight fraud.”
The Solution: Automated Carrier Verification and Real-Time Tracking
NET turned to Descartes MCP to automate and improve carrier vetting, onboarding and risk management, leveraging the tool’s comprehensive risk profiles, including safety scores and insurance validations. “There are so many carriers that are not insured properly,” Vest warns, “and that’s a huge red flag, so it helps that those carriers are blocked in MCP.”
In addition, VIN verification provides immediate carrier validation. “When taking a call from a potential carrier, we first enter their MC number into the solution and it’s really easy to spot attempts to double broker, scam or steal loads,” Vest explains, adding that sending an electronic packet via MCP makes it less likely someone could use the packet to commit fraud.
“Descartes MCP has been a great asset. We’ve never had a load double brokered since we started using the solution, and we’ve never had a load stolen. Other tools are more intrusive as well, so our carriers love it versus the competitors,” he adds.
NET also depends on Descartes MacroPoint for real-time shipment visibility, integrated with Descartes MCP and NET’s TMS. “Integrating Descartes MacroPoint tracking into our TMS was seamless,” says Vest. “Now we can vet, review and invite a carrier to our portal in a few minutes, instead of the 10–15 minutes it took before, and we’ve automated load tracking.”
“As a smaller broker, we’re competing against the big dogs on a daily basis, so anything that helps keep our customers’ freight safe and make our jobs easier is critical. That’s why we use the Descartes solutions.”
The Results
- Rapid Carrier Vetting & Onboarding: The integrated Descartes solutions helped NET reduce onboarding from 10-15 minutes to under 2 minutes per carrier—a productivity boost of more than 5X. As a small broker competing with large companies, the time savings is critical.
- Eliminated Double Brokering: Since NET deployed Descartes MCP for carrier vetting, there have been zero incidents of double brokering or stolen loads, enabling the company to ensure load safety and maintain customer trust.
- Improved Carrier Compliance: With real-time updates on carrier status (e.g., safety ratings, insurance) from Descartes MCP, NET manages risk more proactively, ensuring ongoing carrier compliance and building a dependable carrier network.
- Comprehensive Carrier Visibility: Integration between NET’s TMS and both Descartes solutions enables comprehensive carrier vetting, onboarding, management and load tracking to ensure ongoing safety and quality of shipping services.
