Private fleets offer brokers $100B untapped capacity
A digital freight-matching platform reports it can free up over $100 billion in unused trucking capacity by linking brokers with private fleets that often travel empty on return trips.
Private Fleet Net Zero, introduced less than a year ago, uses an AI-driven system to target backhaul lanes where nearly half of U.S. trucks run without cargo. These fleets, including those from major retailers like Walmart, have accident rates one-third lower than for-hire carriers and provide shipping rates about 25% below typical market prices, according to the company’s data.
How the platform works
The system collects route information from private fleets, whether fixed or changing, and stores it in a database covering more than 40,000 lanes and 80,000 trucks. Brokers submit shipments electronically through their management systems, and the AI matches them using 17 different data points. Fleet route details stay hidden until the fleet either accepts or negotiates an offer, a feature Russell Jones called essential for gaining fleet cooperation.
Jones, who earlier led digital freight platform Cargo Chief, noted that roughly 70% of the top 100 private fleets already have for-hire authority, allowing them to carry outside loads. Since its launch, the platform has signed over 40 broker buyers and 65 fleets.
Brokers seek new capacity options
Demand for alternatives has grown as brokers face increasing risks. Large legal judgments, such as the $500 million Montgomery case, and rising cargo theft reported by crime agencies have led many to reduce their carrier networks. ILG Logistics, for instance, halved its carrier count to limit lawsuit exposure, as described in an interview with Jones.
“The transportation industry has long focused on finding the cheapest truck available,” Jones said. “Now the priority is a safe truck that won’t trigger lawsuits or leave cargo scattered on the highway.”
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Private fleets provide several benefits: better vehicle maintenance, drivers with stronger English skills, and consistent insurance coverage. Walmart’s fleet drivers earn around $100,000 annually. The 25% average savings on rates could significantly improve broker margins, which currently sit at 2% to 3% EBITDA.
The change also brings environmental advantages. Large trucks produce a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and over half of deadly fine-particle pollution, according to Forbes figures. Reducing empty miles could cut millions of tons of CO₂, equal to planting 45 million trees—a factor that matters more as publicly traded shippers report emissions to the SEC.
Brokers have traditionally used spot markets and load boards to fill gaps, but these tools often favor price over dependability. Private fleets, though not new, have been hard to access at scale. The difficulty lay in matching their set routes with broker needs without exposing sensitive information. Private Fleet Net Zero’s method keeps route data private until an agreement is reached, solving a major concern for fleet operators.
The platform’s quick expansion shows brokers want new options. With over $100 billion in capacity available, the focus now turns to how fast the industry can adopt a model that values safety and sustainability as much as cost.
Early results suggest the approach works.
