DAT Freight & Analytics, formerly known as Dial-a-Truck, is a US-based freight exchange service ("load board") and provider of transportation information serving North America. Freight exchange services are used to match material ("loads") that needs to be shipped with over-the-road carriers, which can be hired to move those loads. DAT was established in 1978 and is part of Roper Technologies.[1][2] It is co-headquartered in Denver, Colorado and Beaverton, Oregon. Satish Maripuri, President and CEO, is responsible for DAT’s strategy and execution.

DAT Freight & Analytics
FormerlyDial-a-Truck
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTruckload shipping
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
HeadquartersBeaverton, Oregon, United States
ProductsTransportation management software, load board apps, load tracking, freight cost benchmarking
ServicesFreight matching, Carrier verification, carrier on-boarding, asset management and compliance, invoice factoring and accounts receivable financing, operating authority, freight analytics, truckload rates
Number of employees
275 (2017)
ParentRoper Technologies
Websitedat.com

History

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In 1958, Monroe 'Moe' Jubitz opened Fleet Leasing, Inc., a truck leasing and maintenance company in Portland, Oregon. Jubitz later expanded the company to provide fuel, food, and accommodations to truckers on the road, creating Jubitz Truck Stop.

The trucking industry was deregulated in the 1970s, encouraging independent truck drivers and small companies to find extra loads rather than returning empty. Jubitz noticed drivers hanging around his truck stop after the usual meal and shower, hoping to find a load. He decided to start signing up brokers and shippers who needed freight hauled from Portland.

Before this service, truck drivers seeking loads left handwritten notes on a bulletin board at the Jubitz Truck Stop for those brokers and shippers. Jubitz began posting available loads on a monitor at the truck stop, charging drivers a fee for the phone number of the company wanting to move freight.[1][3]

in 1978, Jubitz's son, Albin Jubitz, founded Dial-A-Truck as a subsidiary of the Jubitz Corporation. By the 1980s, DAT monitors were located in hundreds of truck stops around the country, with thousands of truck drivers and shippers subscribing to the load board services. Dial-A-Truck was relabeled DAT Services in 1989.[4] In 2001, the DAT Network was used to mobilize trucks in support of the relief efforts in the wake of the September 11 attacks.[5]

Services and products

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The DAT Network hosts more than 400 million freight loads and trucks per year.[6] The network consists of several load board subscription services for small to midsize carriers, freight brokers, and shippers.[1][7]

DAT provides a real-time truckload freight rate service. This is based on $150 billion of transactions annually, from actual "broker-buy" rates (what freight brokers pay carriers) to shipper-to-carrier contract rates. The company's lane and pricing analyses can be used to make truck routing decisions.[8]

DAT 's other products include carrier monitoring, transportation management software, and tracking systems. Additional services include trucking authority services, a free truck driver app (DAT One), freight factoring carrier onboarding, and other fleet management services.[9]

Ownership

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Jubitz Corporation established DAT Services and maintained ownership through January 2001.[10] TransCore purchased DAT Services in February 2001.[11] (DAT's services were augmented by additional TransCore acquisitions of Viastar Services and DM Computing.) TransCore was acquired by Roper Technologies in 2004.[12][13] In February 2014, DAT split off from TransCore and officially changed its name to DAT Solutions.[14]

As of 2020, DAT has been re-branded as DAT Freight & Analytics to highlight the company's freight market intelligence offerings.[15] In 2020, DAT acquired the Freight Market Intelligence Consortium (FMIC),[16] a subscription-based benchmarking and analysis service, from Chainalytics.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Strauss, Robert (13 December 2000). "Rig de Rigueur: 18 Wheels and a Laptop". New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Understanding What DAT Solutions is". Trucker Classifieds. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  3. ^ Tucker, Jeffrey G. "Technology Provides Opportunity, Not Disruption to Freight Brokers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  4. ^ "DAT Company History".
  5. ^ McDowell, Maureen. "FEMA request for 500 refrigerated trucks answered by TransCore". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. ^ "New DAT Analytics Service Includes 14 Canadian Markets". Commercial Carrier Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  7. ^ "TransCore launches data-exchange service for small trucking companies, September 7 2001". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  8. ^ ""When freight matching meets big data", October 23, 2013". Commercial Carrier Journal. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  9. ^ "5 Ways Trucker's Edge Makes You More Money". Trucking Podcast. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Jubitz: It was a long haul, but wow, what a truck stop". Portland Business Journal. 25 June 2000. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Week In Review". Portland Business Journal. 11 February 2001. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Roper agrees to acquire TransCore". Bulk Transporter. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Company Briefs". New York Times. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  14. ^ "TransCore DAT changes name to DAT Solutions". Fleet Owner. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  15. ^ "DAT acquires freight market data platform from Chainalytics". FreightWaves. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  16. ^ "DAT Acquires Freight Intelligence Business From Chainalytics". Transport Topics. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
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