Did you ever wonder how your favorite products get in front of you? Beaverton-based DAT sits at the intersection of commerce and tech in North America and provides software for businesses in the freight industry to move the goods we rely on every day.
I sat down with DAT president and CEO Claude Pumilia to learn more about DAT’s marketplace and the company’s plans for major expansion over the next two years.
“We are an inextricable part of the backbone of commerce in this country because we operate the largest freight marketplace of its kind in North America,” said Pumilia. “Our automation and analytics technology connects shippers with brokers and carriers in ways that allow them to move goods from one place to another as efficiently as possible.”
DAT consists of two offerings: freight matching and freight analytics. Through DAT One, the company’s single-source platform for moving freight, brokers and carriers are able to find the “right job for the right load at the right price.” Additionally, end-users can access the DAT iQ platform to see rates, pricing, and forecasting to optimize their operations and help them to run more profitably.
Throughout the pandemic, the need for technology like DAT’s was further punctuated, as the global supply chain contracted, and businesses had to react quickly to a new way of doing things.
“The pandemic was a particularly interesting time because it tested our global supply chain like never before,” said Pumilia. “As we now look back months later on how the unpredictability of the supply chain resolved itself, it’s clear that the marriage of freight automation tools and rich data made it possible for businesses to quickly adapt. This ability to turn on a dime ensured that customers and consumers could have access to the goods they needed during a time of uncertainty.”
In response to the growing need for DAT’s technology, the company is looking to expand its workforce over the next two years. Currently, the company employs around 500, and they will look to bring on 200 more employees. Open positions include sales, marketing, engineering, product development, and more.
When asked why job seekers should send a resume DAT’s way, Pumilia noted how the company’s work is deeply ingrained in our everyday lives.
“Every single thing we own or see every day in our homes or at stores, restaurants, supermarkets, and beyond, has arrived to consumers by way of freight of one form or another. The solutions we’re enabling have a direct impact on a supply chain that touches us all, and so the people we hire at DAT have the chance to make a difference in a part of their lives they see and experience every day.”
This is part of a regular guest column written by the Technology Association of Oregon. If you are interested in submitting a guest post please email Malia Spencer at mspencer@bizjournals.com.
