DAT announces acquisition of Trucker Tools

Earlier this week, Beaverton, Ore.-based DAT Freight & Analytics, operator of the largest North American-based truckload freight marketplace sad it has acquired Trucker Tools, a Reston, Va.-based provider of trip planning, shipment visibility and freight matching solutions.

A purchase price was not disclosed. DAT acquired Trucker Tools from its parent company, ASG, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors.

Established in 2013, Trucker Tools defines itself as a carrier-forward, capacity sourcing and load-tracking services provider, including its free load board and multiple tracking options. The company provides real-time visibility for more than 750 leading freight brokers and accelerates load tendering, rate negotiation, load booking, and digital document management through its Smart Load Board. Its popular Trucker Tools app helps 350,000 owner-operators, carriers, and drivers find and book loads on the spot market and manage replies to their offers and bids.

DAT explained that bringing Trucker Tools into the fold will expand its ability to provide real-time GPS tracking and load optimization on the DAT One platform, which it said is the largest marketplace for spot truckload freight, with more than 668,000 loads posted daily and market rates based on $1 trillion in freight transactions.

“Real-time load tracking and digital freight matching are among the most dynamic technologies in our industry today and part of an important evolution in how truckload freight transactions are conducted,” said Jeff Clementz, Chief Executive Officer, DAT. “Tracking and visibility have become critical needs for all of our customers, and we couldn’t be more excited to deliver best-in-class solutions to them with Trucker Tools’ capabilities.”

Clementz added that the technology and talented people behind Trucker Tools are an ideal fit for DAT.

“We share a passion and commitment to helping customers be more effective and profitable, whether they’re a one-person operation or part of a large enterprise,” he said. “Together, Trucker Tools’ real-time tracking and visibility and DAT’s freight matching and analytics solutions will streamline the way freight brokers, carriers, and shippers do business.”
And Trucker Tools CEO Kary Jablonski called this transaction a tremendous opportunity for Trucker Tools to grow and benefit from the resources, expertise, and market reach of DAT.

“By joining DAT, we’re better positioned to shape the future of our industry while unlocking new opportunities for customers, employees, and partners,” she said.

In a LinkedIn post, Jablonski cited various benefits of this deal, including:

• adding visibility to the DAT suite of solutions: Visibility is a table stake of broker tech, and bringing Trucker Tools’ platform into North America's largest freight marketplace will allow the company to deliver value for brokers and carriers alike;
• combining our best-in-class carrier networks, saying all stakeholders benefit from the network advantage of more carriers working seamlessly with more brokers, and brokers having real-time access to the best carriers; and
• bringing teams and cultures together

“For our customers, it’s business as usual,” she wrote. “We are continuing to operate the Trucker Tools brand, as part of DAT. Nothing is changing with our product suite, and we plan to continue to invest heavily in product innovation and customer experience.”