Shippers moving high-value and mission-critical freight are finding that lower costs often come with higher risks, according to a new survey from FreightWaves and Werner®. The results reveal widespread concerns around compliance failures, limited visibility, carrier performance issues, and a lack of accountability across brokerage networks.
The survey, conducted among professionals responsible for high-value and critical freight, underscores a growing tension between cost reduction and risk management. Many shippers associate lower freight costs with greater risk, particularly as automation speeds up brokerage processes but may bypass traditional vetting and oversight.
Key Findings on Brokerage Risks
The survey identifies several major challenges:
- Compliance failures: Shippers report that rapid automation can lead to gaps in carrier compliance checks.
- Limited visibility: Lack of real-time tracking and status updates remains a top concern for critical freight.
- Carrier performance issues: Inconsistent service levels undermine trust in brokerage networks.
- Financial and operational consequences: Freight failures are driving tangible costs and disruptions.
Accountability is becoming a top priority for shippers, with respondents demanding clearer responsibility from brokers when issues arise.
Implications for Logistics Operations
For freight forwarders, 3PL operators, and logistics managers, the survey signals a need to re-evaluate brokerage partnerships. The shift toward automated brokerage platforms may reduce costs but introduces risks that must be managed through stricter compliance protocols, enhanced visibility tools, and performance guarantees.
Carriers like Werner are positioning themselves as partners in mitigating these risks, emphasizing accountability and service reliability for mission-critical shipments.
Industry Events Addressing the Issue
The findings will be discussed at upcoming industry gatherings. The Supply Chain AI Symposium promises to move past hype and focus on practical deployment of AI in supply chain, featuring operators, founders, and enterprise leaders. Additionally, the F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will include industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and networking—plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner revealing FreightTech and Shipper of Choice winners. These events provide a platform for logistics professionals to explore solutions to the accountability and risk challenges highlighted in the survey.
What Shippers Should Do
Based on the survey findings, shippers of high-value freight should:
- Audit brokerage partners for compliance and visibility capabilities.
- Demand accountability clauses in brokerage contracts.
- Invest in technology that provides real-time tracking and performance data.
- Consider hybrid models that combine automated brokerage with human oversight for critical loads.
The full report, available for download from FreightWaves, details the specific service and visibility challenges impacting critical freight and outlines how freight failures are driving financial consequences. As the brokerage landscape evolves, risk management and accountability remain at the forefront of shipper concerns.
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