The first round of nine live technologies demonstrations at MarketWaves included blockchain-based logistics platforms, software that integrated directly into devices onboard a truck, and artificial intelligence solutions that automate repetitive manual tasks.
CEO Sam Bacha and Micah Osbourne, CTO, introduced FreightTrust, a blockchain-powered platform to certify and share legal and shipping documents in order to accelerate the movement of goods through the supply chain and reduce cost. FreightTrust also incorporates an AI product that calculates a delivery window probability based on time of departure, weather, and other metrics, and guarantees on-time delivery if the the delivery window has a 95% confidence score. Finally, FreightTrust is using blockchain to improve detention and accessorial factoring—Block Array plans to purchase detention claims from carriers in its network.
Co-founder and CEO Russell Jones said that Cargo Chief helps brokers operate more efficiently by automating the process of sourcing capacity for any individual load. Cargo Chief promises to help brokers do more business with their existing carriers and increase their clients’ EBITDA. Currently, the product is standalone, but is being built into TMSes and can use APIs, EDIs, flat file tables, or scrape from Google Sheets or mobile apps to automatically populate maps with available trucks.
Director of Product and Operations Martin Kaczynski said that the SUKU platform will simplify supply chains the way that Salesforce simplified customer relationship management. SUKU core is an open-source blockchain platform that abstracts the complexities of the technology to make it easier for users; there’s another layer, SUKU APIs and Services, which is an application layer that sits on top of the protocol. Kacyznski demonstrated SUKU Marketplace, which addresses procurement in the supply chain by automating and expediting the creation of RFPs.
Jason and Patrick from DLT Labs presented DL Asset Track, a uniquely secure platform to record transactions and digital interactions in a transparent, robust, auditable, and efficient manner. DLT Labs has a number of products around enterprise data management; DL Asset Track is their supply chain solution. The goal is to create end-to-end visibility, authenticate provenance of shipments and documents, and reduce error and administrative costs.
Mike and Rocco demonstrated EBE’s Connect Mobile Capture solution, which combines document imaging and automated workflow software in a powerful way. The phone app coaches drivers on how to take usable pictures of documents and compresses them and transmits them in batches sent to specific locations in the back office based on type. On the other end of the process, a settlement assistant looks for incoming batches, routes documents, and interrogates them to make sure all required documents have been uploaded.
FreightWaves demonstrated an advanced version of its SONAR freight market data platform, complete with new scrolling tickers, enhanced mapping functions including weather data, and new metrics like the Headhaul Index (which measures outbound vs. inbound traffic in a given market). EVP Michael Vincent presented live data from the Chicago freight market and told the MarketWaves audience which trends could signal an impending capacity crunch.
Srini Srinivasan, President and CEO, told the audience that eShipGlobal was a non-asset based 4PL headquartered in Dallas that specialized in hazmat and critical documents. Using a hypothetical shipment of human blood with a likelihood of a pathogen, Srinivasan walked through the physical and software sides of the solution, which included parcel packaging markings as well as a cloud-based visibility portal and data from IoT devices.
Jake Ingman, Head of Product, and Chris Wood, Head of Business Development, demonstrated Blocklet, a hardware blockchain wallet that allows industrial machines and IoT devices to write directly to the blockchain. Filament’s Blocklet has an automotive blockchain application designed for connected vehicles that captures telemetry, safety, and performance data from a vehicle’s diagnostic portal. The technology opens up opportunities for usage-based insurance, dynamic leasing, and peer-to-peer asset rentals.
Charles Buffone, Director of Product Management, showed how Drivewyze’s way station bypass app has evolved into a really large connected truck environment. The company has shifted focus from a standalone mobile app to a software solution housed inside of the ELD to help compliant fleets pre-screen their trucks and keep them rolling. Drivewyze is currently being relied upon by large publicly-traded trucking companies.