FedEx chooses project44 to connect shippers with truckers, 3PLs

FedEx has started using application programming interfaces (API) from logistics software provider project44, to connect its less-than-truckload (LTL) division to shippers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs).

The deal means that project44 subscribers now have access to real-time data from the largest LTL trucking operation in the country, which, in turn, means increased rate quote accuracy, automated billing, and the elimination of costly freight-pricing software. A deal with FedEx also represents a massive expansion of scope for project44, which launched in 2014, quickly becoming a prominent enterprise cloud provider of intelligent web-service APIs to the global supply chain. The more extensive its freight data, the more valuable its proposition.

Real time pricing also eliminates the costs of pricing freight through third-parties. “Paying for expert resources… can be costly,” FedEx’s website said. “Eliminate additional development and IT maintenance, while reducing your costs, with one integration point.”

FedEx said that the API connections allow shippers to “integrate FedEx shipping capabilities with the tools you already use to automate the entire shipping lifecycle.”

The Memphis-based integrator said that its API interface would increase transparency with real-time tracking, reduce the cost of legacy software, and eliminate backlogs with one integration point.