Tabi Connect and Kleinschmidt are joining forces to automate the freight-quoting process, using Kleinschmidt’s Intelligence Network to bring predictive capacity data directly into Tabi’s pricing workflow.
Announced Sept. 14, the integration sends freight quote requests moving through the Kleinschmidt network directly into Tabi. A brokerage’s predefined pricing rules are then applied automatically before the completed quote is returned to the shipper.
According to the companies, the setup is designed to reduce the time brokers spend responding to quote requests while creating a more consistent way for teams to apply pricing strategies across their operations.
At the center of the process is Tabi’s Pricing Logic Engine, which allows brokerages to establish pricing rules based on factors such as customer, lane, equipment type and prevailing market conditions. Once those parameters are configured, the system applies them to incoming requests without requiring a broker to manually determine every individual rate.
“Freight brokerage is more crowded than it’s ever been, and margins keep getting thinner, so speed and consistency are what actually separate the brokers who win from the ones who don’t,” said Ricky Gonzalez, CEO of Tabi Connect.
The partnership also connects Tabi to Kleinschmidt’s Capacity IQ, a predictive freight-capacity platform designed to help identify where trucks are likely to become available.
Capacity IQ analyzes more than 150,000 loads moving across North America each day to forecast where capacity may emerge. Kleinschmidt says the platform combines tender insights with predictive analytics to identify carriers that are likely to have available capacity near a specific pickup location before they unload.
For brokers, that information adds another variable to the pricing decision. Instead of waiting until a quote has already been submitted to determine whether a load will be difficult to cover, a broker can consider expected carrier availability in a particular market before setting the rate.
“Tabi helps brokers consistently apply their own pricing strategy to every opportunity,” said Dan Heinen, president and CEO of Kleinschmidt. “Combined with the Kleinschmidt Intelligence Network, it can dramatically shorten the time between receiving a quote request and responding.”
The deal also expands the number of freight technology connections available through Tabi. The company currently connects with more than 88 shipper TMS platforms, bid boards and freight marketplaces, including 17 native API integrations and 71 robotic process automation, or RPA, connections.
Tabi says its API integrations can return quotes in about three seconds. Its RPA connections, which automate interactions with shipper portals, typically return rates within 35 to 50 seconds.
The platform is used by more than 100 logistics companies, according to Tabi, including more than 20 companies among the Top 100 U.S. brokerages. The company also says its technology processes more than 1 million quotes each month.
More broadly, Tabi’s platform is built to capture freight-quote opportunities from shipper platforms, APIs, email and other sources. It can then apply a brokerage’s pricing rules and return a rate. The company also integrates with freight-rating and market-data providers such as DAT, Greenscreens, C4, Sonar and Truckstop.
For Kleinschmidt, the partnership extends its established role as an integration provider for transportation and other supply chain businesses. The company provides managed EDI, API and B2B integration services designed to connect businesses with their trading partners.
Kleinschmidt acquired eBase Solutions in May as part of an effort to expand those integration capabilities. The company said the acquisition would combine Kleinschmidt’s external B2B connectivity expertise with eBase’s internal enterprise integration capabilities.
The Tabi agreement now applies those connectivity capabilities to freight brokerage pricing, connecting incoming quote requests with automated pricing rules and predictive capacity intelligence.
“The capacity data flowing into pricing means brokers can quote with more confidence, not just faster,” Gonzalez said.
Miami-based Tabi Connect provides freight rate management and quoting automation technology for transportation companies. Kleinschmidt provides managed EDI, API and B2B integration services to businesses across the supply chain.
Why this matters
Freight brokers are increasingly turning to automated tools to manage quoting and pricing, while capacity data can provide an indication of how difficult a load may be to cover.
By combining those two functions, the Tabi-Kleinschmidt partnership allows expected carrier availability to be considered alongside a broker’s existing pricing rules. That gives brokers another data point when setting rates, particularly in markets where available capacity can shift rapidly.
