Achievements
15x
faster carrier onboarding process
98%
reduction of high risk
carriers
100%
confidence increase managing high value freight
The Client
Royal Transport is a nationwide freight brokerage and asset-based carrier headquartered in Fargo, ND, with an additional location in Fairfield, OH. Operating a 100-truck fleet and offering 3PL services across the U.S., the company has built its reputation on handling high-value retail and food shipments with meticulous care. Through its extensive carrier network and specialized asset operations, the company provides cost-effective, secure, and timely freight solutions.
Facing a surge in industry-wide fraud and time-consuming manual onboarding processes, Royal Transport sought a centralized vetting and onboarding solution to protect freight and free brokers to focus on revenue-driving activities. By implementing Descartes MyCarrierPortal (MCP), the company drastically reduced risk exposure, automated compliance checks, and delivered instant go/no-go approvals for carriers. The solution also helped Royal Transport eliminate redundant back-and-forth emails, reduce overhead costs, and protect high-dollar shipments from unauthorized carriers.
“We haul high-dollar freight and, with so much fraud in the industry, we need to know exactly who’s carrying our loads. Descartes MyCarrierPortal lets us do that in 10 seconds; before MCP, it could take us 20–30 minutes.”
The Challenge: Preventing Fraud & Speeding Onboarding
Royal Transport hauls “extremely high-dollar freight” and found itself increasingly vulnerable to fraud and identity theft of carrier MC numbers. Meanwhile, brokers were bogged down in administrative tasks—emailing, faxing, and verifying carrier information manually—when they needed to be securing profitable loads. Below are the main obstacles they faced before turning to Descartes MyCarrierPortal:
- High-Value Freight Vulnerabilities: With cargo theft on the rise, Royal Transport required a more robust way to quickly ensure every carrier’s legitimacy and to guard against fraud and identity theft of carrier MC numbers.
- Manual, Time-Consuming Processes: Brokers were bogged down in administrative tasks—spending up to 20-30 minutes per carrier on setup by emailing, faxing, and verifying information manually—eroding the time available for revenue-focused activities.
- Frequent Red Flags: With bad actors growing more sophisticated, frequent red flags like spoofed addresses, unverified phone numbers, or mismatched FMCSA data threatened to slip past the team, risking major financial losses.
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The Solution: Automated Vetting & Real-Time Alerts with Descartes MyCarrierPortal
To safeguard its premium loads and improve day-to-day efficiency, Royal Transport implemented Descartes MyCarrierPortal as its core onboarding and compliance platform. By establishing preset parameters and leveraging real-time updates, the company quickly identified unfit carriers and significantly cut down on repetitive tasks. Key solution elements included:
- Manager Approval for High-Risk Cases: With MCP’s configurable rules that instantly flag carriers lacking proper insurance, authority, or contact details, the company gets immediate go/no-go feedback, which saves brokers from unwittingly onboarding risky partners. “If Descartes MyCarrierPortal says ‘no,’ 98% of the time we don’t even invite them to onboard,” said Kaleb Groce, Director of Operations at Royal Transport. In addition, if a carrier triggers any red flags, managers must review and approve before the load is tendered.
- Real-Time Status Change Notifications: The solution also provides real-time notifications of carrier status changes, triggering email alerts if a carrier’s rating, authority, or insurance data changes. This gives the company a chance to react before tendering high-dollar freight.
- Additional Security Checks: For extra-sensitive shipments, brokers can also require drivers to submit VIN-validated truck photos from the pickup location, verifying that the vehicle matches the carrier’s records, providing an additional layer of security.
- By leveraging Descartes MyCarrierPortal, Royal Transport ensures that every carrier on its roster is verified and trustworthy, letting the team confidently cover more loads and safeguard shipments. “The system saves our brokers hours of wasted time while protecting us from the worst-case scenarios,” emphasized Groce. “It’s been a game-changer for high-value freight security.”
The Results
Enhanced Fraud Prevention
- Royal Transport immediately filters out suspicious carriers, preventing potentially massive financial exposure.
- “We’d rather stop a questionable carrier early than risk a half-million-dollar claim,” noted Groce.
Accelerated Brokerage Efficiency
- Automated carrier onboarding takes just seconds now, instead of 20–30 minutes, allowing brokers to cover more freight profitably.
- Staff no longer waste time emailing packets back and forth.
Greater Confidence for High-Dollar Freight
- Automated workflows and approvals let management stay involved with sensitive loads, bolstering security.
- VIN checks and location validation guard against double brokering, ensuring the correct trucks pick up shipments.
Immediate Real-Time Visibility
- Frequent updates from FMCSA and built-in alerts keep Royal Transport ahead of rapidly shifting carrier statuses.
- The ability to rapidly vet key details offers peace of mind in an environment where MC numbers can “flip” overnight.
