SPS Commerce Inc. and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. announced Tuesday a collaboration to help retail businesses navigate supply chain challenges during the holiday shopping season.
The partnership will make shipping easier, cheaper and faster by connecting SPS Commerce Fulfillment's carrier service into C.H. Robinson's Navisphere logistics platform, allowing 95,000 retail-supplier clients of SPS to have access to the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) network in North America.
Less-than-truckload is a $46 billion market and refers to a service that ships small loads or quantities of freight.
“For this holiday season and into 2022, transportation marketplaces are going to be constrained, which is why we are leveraging our information advantage and investing in technology that can help businesses be as automated and efficient as possible,” said Chris O’Brien, chief commercial officer at Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson (Nasdaq: CHRW).
The carrier-service platform run by Minneapolis-based SPS Commerce allows suppliers to view rates from multiple carriers, schedule pickups and book shipments with automatic access to C.H. Robinson's carrier network, ensuring the best pricing is available.
LTL freight has increased almost 10% this year, and many carriers now aren't taking new business or are implementing peak surcharges. A truck-driver shortage is also exacerbating problems in the industry.
"Our partnership with C.H. Robinson makes that process easier, faster and more efficient while at the same time unlocking seamless access to C.H. Robinson’s vast carrier network without ever leaving SPS Commerce Fulfillment,” said Jim Frome, chief operating officer at SPS Commerce (Nasdaq: SPSC). “This new collaboration benefits suppliers during a challenging time and is the type of innovation that adds significant value to our customers.”
