Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) is expanding its road safety technology into the freight sector with a new platform designed to give brokers a more current view of carrier driving behavior.
On Sept. 2, CMT announced the launch of Freight Safety Intelligence, a platform that analyzes the previous 90 days of driving data and produces a carrier-level safety score. The company says the tool is intended to provide freight brokers with another source of information when evaluating carriers before booking shipments, while giving participating carriers an opportunity to demonstrate their recent safety performance.
Rather than requiring carriers to install additional hardware, the platform draws on data from their existing telematics systems, according to CMT. Participation is optional, and carriers retain control over the specific information they choose to share.
CMT said its analysis of 90 days of driving activity is used to generate a safety score that has been validated against actual accident risk. The company did not provide details about the methodology used for that validation in its announcement.
“With CMT’s Freight Safety Intelligence, we can see real safety insights for every carrier before we book, identify the safest carriers, and open more doors for them,” said Brad Bergstrom, CEO of B4 Logistics.
The platform arrives at a time when the information used by brokers to select carriers is facing increased scrutiny. In May, the Supreme Court ruled in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC that a lawsuit alleging negligent selection of a motor carrier by a broker could proceed under state law. The case involved C.H. Robinson and a crash in Illinois.
The ruling does not require brokers to adopt a particular carrier-screening system. However, it leaves brokers exposed to negligent-selection claims related to carrier safety and puts additional emphasis on the information considered when deciding which carriers to book.
That issue carries significance given the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks in the United States. In 2024, 5,218 large trucks were involved in crashes that resulted in a fatality, according to the National Safety Council. The figure was down 3% from 2023 but remained 30% higher than in 2014.
CMT argues that traditional safety records do not necessarily give brokers a sufficiently current picture of how a carrier is performing on the road.
“Freight brokers need a more current, data-driven view of carrier safety,” said William V. Powers, CEO of CMT. “Freight Safety Intelligence gives freight brokers the most current view of driving safety of the carriers they book.”
The company also pointed to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data showing that approximately 94% of interstate freight carriers eligible for a federal safety rating did not have one in 2021.
The absence of a federal safety rating, however, does not mean that a carrier has been determined to be unsafe. FMCSA safety ratings are issued following certain compliance reviews and can be classified as satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory.
For freight brokers, carrier screening already involves a range of information, including FMCSA records, insurance status, operating history and other available carrier data. CMT’s platform adds recent driving behavior to that pool of information, giving brokers another data point to consider when making booking decisions.
Freight Safety Intelligence also builds on CMT’s existing work with commercial fleets. Earlier this year, the company launched its DriveWell Fleet platform, which provides telematics-based safety information to commercial fleets and insurers.
Why this matters
Carrier selection increasingly depends on the quality and timeliness of the information available to freight brokers. Safety records, insurance information and operating history remain important, but some sources may not capture a carrier’s most recent driving behavior.
By incorporating recent telematics data into the carrier-selection process, CMT’s Freight Safety Intelligence gives brokers another source of information for evaluating safety performance before booking freight.
