INDIANAPOLIS, IN — FTR and Truckstop.com released a unique freight forecasting tool here today at FTR's annual Transportation Conference. Trans4Cast is powered by data collected from Truckstop.com's online load board and analyzed by FTR.

It provides freight haulers an interactive tool to determine which lanes and areas of the country provide the best opportunity for profitable loads. Data is analyzed weekly to reveal up-to-date trends in freight patterns.

Truckstop.com says it collects a tremendous amount of data from its 40,000 active accounts. Each month the company claims close to half a billion page views. It's one of the most viewed and widely used load boards in North America. Scott Moscrip, Truckstop.com’s CEO says because such a large portion of the industry uses the service, it's truly a great benchmark for what's happening on the spot market.

"The reinvented Trans4Cast provides a deeper dive into the spot marketplace," says Moscrip. "Freight professionals are now able to see information that’s more relevant to their business, viewing spot market data by freight equipment type and region."

Trans4Cast now has a new visually oriented user interface rather than the previous text-based version. The database is broken down regionally and by state which is important for shippers and carriers. There is a freight forecasting mechanism built into and it's getting stronger all the time.

"Forecasting is everything," says Moscrip. What happened in the past means nothing; it's all about is happening today and what will happen tomorrow or next week. Forecasting allows carriers to be predictive to market trends rather than reactive."

The new Trans4Cast also features regional “heat maps,” showcasing hot spots across the nation, both in terms of rates and the movement of freight. In addition to historical trending, Trans4Cast will also feature commentary and freight forecasting provided by FTR, a first in the market.

“We’re constantly searching for ways to improve both our data and the delivery of our data,” said FTR’s Larry Gross. “We believe Trans4Cast delivers on that objective – it’s an unsurpassed tool in helping freight professionals make critical decisions.”

A free preview of the Trans4Cast report will be available through September 30th, 2015 by visiting Trans4Cast.com.

The advanced Trans4Cast was featured at FTR’s Transportation Conference in Indianapolis today, and will be showcased at Connected 2015, Truckstop.com’s user conference in Dallas, from November 9 – 11.

Trans4cast.com