C.H. Robinson’s new BidBoardX is a self-service digital freight tool that gives motor carriers direct access to longer-term committed freight opportunities.

BidBoardX brings together two major industry needs, according to the digital brokerage giant:

• 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.  

Closing the Committed Freight Gap

Despite these overlapping needs, there has long been a disconnect, sending both sides to the spot market for solutions, with all its unpredictability.

BidBoardX closes that disconnect by creating an efficient online marketplace at the scale of C.H. Robinson, which connects 450,000 carriers with 75,000 customers and manages 37 million shipments a year.

"C.H. Robinson works with carriers of all sizes that have different needs,” said Adam McDonough, vice president for capacity at C.H. Robinson, in a news release.

“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.”

A Digital Marketplace for Longer-Term Freight

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 where shippers need coverage they can count on.

C.H. Robinson’s network 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 through one online interface.

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, according to the company, and saves significant time and effort.

This allows carriers to spend more time moving loads instead of searching for them.

Maintaining the Human Element

At the same time, it preserves the human element by involving C.H. Robinson’s experts. 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.

BidBoardX is available today. Carriers can sign up via the C.H. Robinson carrier platform.