National Transportation Exchange (NTE) of Downers Grove, Ill., the Internet freight-matching service, has begun handling temperature controlled shipments, including freight that must be refrigerated or prevented from freezing. Previously, the electronic market pioneer had dealt only with dry freight.

According to NTE, shippers can now specify temperatures required, while carriers can indicate a range of possible temperatures or the temperature of a particular load with space available. Excluded from the service is freight involving pallet exchanges, which are common in the food business.
Meanwhile, NTE has announced plans to offer a seamless link from another Internet-based service at www.transitgroup.com, operated by Transit Group of Atlanta, which operates 13 small to mid-sized truckload carriers. Transit Goup has become a NTE member, both as a carrier and as a shipper.
The TransitGroup.com web site was announced in May and is expected to offer various services to carriers as well as load matching beginning later this summer.