Trimble is acquiring TMS-provider Kuebix, creator of North America’s largest connected shipping community. The acquisition will bring together Trimble’s network of private and for-hire fleet customers — which run more than 1.3 million trucks across North America — with Kuebix’s network of more than 21,000 shipping companies.
“What we believe is that if you have a connected platform that's got shipper capabilities, carrier capabilities, intermediary capabilities — all participating together in one community — the opportunity for people to do business together more directly, more effectively, more efficiently, that will drive a lot of capital waste out of the industry, lower the overall cost to all the providers and maximize the returns,” James Langley, senior vice president of Trimble Transportation, told Fleet Owner.
He said the deal could transform transportation supply chain solutions as it creates new opportunities in the “logistics ecosystem.” Langley said Trimble will have the largest collections of fleets and shippers under one tech banner. With most TMS systems focused on one side or the other, this gives Trimble a “one-two punch.”
With shippers, carriers and intermediaries’ software splintered among various platforms, Langley said the Kuebix acquisition will allow Trimble to break down technology barriers, enable actionable visibility and improve collaboration by delivering a single logistics platform for all participants in the supply chain. This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), multi-tenant, cloud platform will optimize the entire logistics process from order management to financial settlement, improving efficiency and asset utilization for carriers and giving shippers access to expanded capacity and reduced costs.
“For more than a decade, Kuebix has served shippers with supply chains of all sizes and complexities, transparently connecting them directly to their carriers for the pricing, service levels and visibility they need to run their businesses,” said Kuebix CEO Dave Lemont. “We are excited to join Trimble and expand the investment in our platform to serve new audiences, and increase collaboration and savings for shippers and carriers alike.”
The transaction closed earlier this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
User conference opens up
Trimble is also opening up its annual user conference to its competition, the company told Fleet Owner. The 2020 In.Sight User Conference and expo will be held in Orlando from Aug. 23-26.
“If the world's gonna be more interconnected, if the world's going to be more transparent and it's going to be more about data services and integration, then we have to support better integration and customer choice,” Langley said. “So we understand that customers aren't going to buy all of their products from Trimble. They are going to meet their business needs in whatever way is best or most optimal for their business.
“So for us, that means, we have to embrace the competition," he said. "We have to be open, we have to support customer choice. So if we're going to go solve the supply chain, and we're going to make transportation as a whole more efficient, then it's going to take all of us together working together for the best benefit of the customer."
