Ep. 03: The Future of Freight Payment and Race Towards Automation with Todd Polen and Curtis Garrett

Cargo Shorts

The trucking industry, specifically less than truckload carriers, has reached an inflection point where digitization and automation are critical parts of the industry’s future. But who will drive that transformation? Like most things we experience in life and business, change takes time and leadership. As manual processes are being replaced by automation, this leads to many downstream benefits for both the shipper and carrier.

Joining Host Jonathan Betz, are two guests passionate about freight payments and automation. Todd Polen is the VP of Pricing Services for Old Dominion Freight Line and Curtis Garrett the Sr. VP of LTL at Freight Plus, and founder of Understand LTL. They discuss how the transportation industry continues to benefit from automation, digitization, and simplifying shipping.

Key Takeaways:

Todd shares what convolutes the freight payment process from a shipper’s perspective. [1:03]

Curtis believes the standard digital infrastructure is the missing component in the automated freight payment process and offers a possible solution. [2:36]

Todd talks about how the LTL freight classification system will change for carriers, third parties, and shippers. [5:25]

Curtis breaks down the National Motor Freight Classification process by theory and application. [6:55]

Todd explains the LTL grocery store analogy and how being paid by weight is not beneficial to carriers. [10:06]

Curtis describes the industry benefits of building a digital infrastructure foundation by way of technology and APIs. [14:05]

Todd unpacks Old Dominion’s One Rate One Time program that may save billions of dollars and will serve as the future of freight payments. [15:44]

Curtis sums up the huge opportunities available to the transportation industry. [20:02]