Technology

Transportation Management | Compliance | Visibility | Procurement

Carrier onboarding challenges hinder EU truckload tracking: shippers

By Eric Johnson

Some large EU shippers are writing visibility terms into contracts with truckload carriers. paparazzza / Shutterstock. com

“ But there’ s no way for us to connect that open appointment to other systems,” including visibility platforms, Neyses told the event.

Terms and conditions

Olivier Cuntz, senior vice president of supply chain optimization at Geodis, said putting Shippeo onboarding requirements into contracts with carriers has helped increase the accuracy of data it receives.

“ All carriers face tech issues, so we get around that by providing a mobile app,” he said.

The challenges around onboarding carriers— and the connected importance of data quality for shippers— was a common theme at the Shippeo event. But sources have independently told the Journal of Commerce that onboarding is a hindrance to using visibility tools effectively.

“ It’ s a challenge to manage the variability between carriers that have onboarded employees or vetted drivers versus other [ third-party ] drivers they use,” said a shipper who asked not to be identified.

Another shipper who also asked not to be identified said the data exchange mechanisms commonly used by visibility providers— application programming interfaces— are challenging for shippers with legacy infrastructure.

Much of the discussion at the Shippeo event involved how shippers and 3PLs could collaborate to make the onboarding challenge easier for each other and carriers.

Truckload shippers in Europe are constrained by a host of behavioral and technical challenges from effectively tracking carriers. But those challenges can be overcome if data quality expectations are spelled out in contracts with carriers and third-party logistics providers( 3PLs), a range of shippers say.

“ Carrier onboarding and data quality management are the most important visibility project success factors,” Frank Hildebrandt, director of supply chain excellence at BASF, said Nov. 6 at the Shippeo VisibilityNow conference.

“ You need procurement involved,” Hildebrandt added.“ If you don’ t have [ service level agreements ] built into contracts with carriers, you’ re a toothless tiger.”

Jurgen Neyses, associate director of inbound logistics at Arla Foods, echoed those remarks.

“ Make sure carriers know visibility expectations before you onboard them and then eventually make it part of the contract,” he said.“ No visibility, no contract.”

Neyses bemoaned the silos of information around coordinating truckload pickups and deliveries, saying that visibility data, if properly absorbed by the shipper and conveyed to the carrier, could help create efficiencies for both parties. Appointment scheduling is a good example.

Arla’ s freight tendering system might default to set an appointment at 8 a. m., but a receiving facility, which requires appointments, might only have a 3 p. m. appointment available on a specific day.

“ If you don’ t have [ service level agreements ] built into contracts with carriers, you’ re a toothless tiger.”

“ If the carrier doesn’ t onboard, we can’ t track our shipments,” said Bas Schoone, chief operating officer of Dutch 4PL provider Caroz.“ But what’ s in it for the carrier? In most cases, they’ re not rewarded. The tender happens, freight is awarded and then visibility is discussed, but the carrier has a small margin and they are being asked to integrate with many platforms. Those costs are not included in their price.”

Schoone had a call to arms for Shippeo’ s customers, one that would apply to other networks of shippers and 3PLs built around a common visibility vendor.

“ We as Shippeo customers should share information about carriers that are integrated to give them more freight and help them build their businesses,” he said.“ That’ s a benefit.” Hildebrandt agreed.“ We as shippers have overlapping carrier networks, yet we’ re all individually doing the same exercise over and over with those carriers,” he said.“ We all have the same base requirements.”

email: eric. johnson @ spglobal. com

36 Journal of Commerce | December 1, 2025 www. joc. com