BidBoardX expands carrier access to committed freight, bringing ease and efficiency to a fragmented marketplace

C.H. Robinson, announced the launch of BidBoardX™, a digital freight tool that gives carriers direct access to the company’s portfolio of longer-term committed freight opportunities, while giving shippers the strategic carrier base and operational options they need in a fast-evolving economy.

In response to customer and carrier desires, BidBoardX brings together two major industry needs:

• Carriers have been looking for better access to committed freight, dependable opportunities, and predictable revenue streams.
• Shippers have been looking for more reliable coverage on critical lanes, a broader pool of carriers that fit their needs, and more consistency in service.

Despite these overlapping needs, there has long been a disconnect that sent both sides looking for solutions on the spot market, with all the extra effort and unpredictability involved. BidBoardX closes that disconnect by creating an efficient online marketplace at the industry-leading scale of C.H. Robinson, which connects 450,000 carriers with 75,000 customers and manages 37 million shipments annually.

"C.H. Robinson works with carriers of all sizes that have different needs,” said Adam McDonough, Vice President for Capacity at C.H. Robinson. “Small carriers want consistent, predictable revenue opportunities, while mid- to large-size carriers want to optimize their networks. With BidBoardX, they get direct access to the opportunities that best fit their business needs, including local or short haul, dedicated freight, and our Drop Trailer Plus and 4PL programs. That’s how we connect unmet supply and demand and create significantly more value in the marketplace.”

Committed freight refers to planned, higher-volume shipments with defined timelines and expectations. For instance, it could mean a series of 400 loads between two cities, within a certain timeframe, on specific days of the week. This is the kind of steady, repeatable freight that carriers can plan around and for which shippers need coverage they can count on.

The same way C.H. Robinson’s network comprises carriers of all sizes, it also includes tens of thousands of shippers – ranging from small businesses to global enterprises – all with their own specific logistics needs. For carriers, finding these companies’ committed freight opportunities has historically been a manual process that involved long phone or email exchanges, with limited visibility into what was available. Through BidBoardX, available on C.H. Robinson’s digital platform, certified carriers in C.H. Robinson’s network can search for freight that previously wasn’t accessible to them, submit bids and track their activity – all through one user-friendly online interface. As a result:

• Carriers can find more freight, thanks to C.H. Robinson’s industry-leading scale.
• They can use advanced search tools to find the opportunities best fit for them and bid on deals of various sizes.
• They can go beyond one-off transactions and build strong relationships with leading shippers.

BidBoardX builds on C.H. Robinson’s Carrier Commitment: delivering more loads, smarter solutions and personalized support. By lowering the barriers to entry for committed freight, it levels the playing field for carriers of all sizes in the C.H. Robinson network, reduces friction, and saves significant time and effort. This allows carriers to spend more time moving loads instead of searching for them.

At the same time, it preserves the crucial human element by involving C.H. Robinson’s trusted experts in the process. As they review and finalize bids, they help ensure that carriers and shippers are a good fit for each other. For shippers, this is an extra layer of assurance that the carriers moving their freight meet strict safety standards.

“The carrier market has long been built around fragmented, transactional decisions,” said Michael Castagnetto, C.H. Robinson’s President of North American Surface Transportation. “What we’re doing with BidBoardX is creating a more structured, network-driven approach that helps carriers build their business with greater stability, while giving shippers more dependable outcomes. At our scale, that is the kind of improvement that can drive meaningful impact across the supply chain.”