Integrations & Our Partners

A big discussion sparked by Aleks Levko's LinkedIn post about DAT competing with brokers went viral this week. It set off alarms for many people! Aleks captured the real fear, and tension, that's present in the freight industry about the new digital freight exchanges (or "freight marketplaces") that are currently gaining traction. It's clear that people are fearful that large freight-data and marketplace platforms may no longer be neutral infrastructure providers, but rather active participants in the transactional flow of freight itself. They're not. People fear they'll be replaced. They won't be (for the most part). Let me tell you why.

For AscendTMS users, cross-border freight between the United States, Mexico, and Canada is no longer a niche specialty. It is now one of the largest, most durable, and most attractive growth lanes in all of transportation - and AscendTMS users are making the most of this amazing opportunity.

DAT and AscendTMS made history in 2026. The world's first complete, end-to-end, digital freight transaction network is now available to EVERYONE to try - for free - in AscendTMS...and it'll blow your mind. These 100% digital freight transaction exchanges are THE future of freight - and the old "post and pray" model will soon be a thing of the past.

Don't make a MASSIVE mistake if you're choosing TMS software. This July 2024 TIA article in "3PL Perspectives" will help you avoid the traps of being sold TMS software that doesn't do what the salesperson said it would do - and, sadly, burden you with immense costs. This article, from EXPERTS, will help you make the RIGHT TMS DECISION - so you can grow and profit.

Here's a walk-up call if you’re hunting for the right Transportation Management System (TMS). So many people want to screw you - so choose wisely! From free trials, to pricing that needs a master degree in mathematics, and then to contracts that keep you a prisoner - we'll tell you the REAL DEAL around which TMS software ot avoid and which ones get our thumbs up.

It’s a proven fact that the right sales team, with the right tools, can sell. SELLING is how the biggest brokerages of the past two decades became worth billions, and their founders became rich; they simply convinced new shippers to give them freight...again and again and again. But what were their “sales secrets” on that journey to billions? How did they turn one salesperson into one hundred or more, each with compounding high levels of success? 

Still chasing paper signatures in 2025? That’s costing you deals, revenue, and time. AscendTMS Easy Sign delivers fast, secure, and completely free digital signatures—built right into your TMS. No printing, scanning, or delays. Just tap, sign, and go. Close more deals in seconds, speed up billing, and drive higher profits without spending a dime. It’s legally binding, ultra-simple, and instantly accessible to all AscendTMS users. If you want to move freight faster and bill faster, ditch paper for good. AscendTMS Easy Sign is your competitive advantage.

In 2015, the freight brokerage industry in the United States was a well-established, respectable $55 billion market. Fast forward just 10 years, and it’s pushing $145 billion. That’s not a side hustle anymore — that’s a full-blown logistics empire. And it’s not slowing down. In fact, freight brokers are quietly eating up more and more of the U.S. truckload market — now controlling an estimated 25% of all TL freight movements.

In the past few months, several Transportation Management System (TMS) providers have gone bankrupt. Several more are teetering on the edge—desperately searching for more funding, cutting staff, and slashing prices in a last-ditch effort to survive. And now, we’re getting urgent phone calls from brokers, carriers, and shippers caught in the fallout, scrambling to keep their operations running. We’ll tell you how to avoid this disaster. Read on!

IN THE EVER-EVOLVING landscape of freight tech innovation, the allure of once groundbreaking technology like "Book It Now", "Blockchain" or "Digital Brokerage" often captivates both creators and businesses alike. However, amidst the excitement and anticipation, a stark reality persists: many new freight technologies ultimately fail to achieve widespread adoption or lasting success.

DIGITIZING AND AUTOMATING the entire freight process isn’t much of a problem for the lucky 5% of the industry with all the right resources and skills. But, for the other 95%, it’s going to be impossible unless they get some serious help. And, unless everyone participates in the new "digital freight future," then it’s all going to be a pointless exercise for the 5% that that can.

The likelihood of driverless trucks making a meaningful trucking impact in our lifetime is close to zero. Yes, that’s my opinion, and I’m sticking with it. I propose investor losses will be widespread and there will be few winners to speak of in the fallout of the driverless truck craze.

Freight brokers in today’s market are worried, in fact, they are very worried. There is a race going on to eradicate the “middle person” in freight brokerage. Literally billions of dollars are being poured into solutions to erase intermediaries, or at the very least, minimize their participation. If this information doesn’t grab your attention, you are either too rich to care, close to retirement, or your potential bankruptcy just doesn’t bother you.