Brokers using Lanesurf achieve significantly faster load coverage, with 62% of loads having pre-vetted carrier offers waiting before brokers arrive at the office, according to a FreightWaves report. The platform automates the initial carrier outreach process, starting work on loads as soon as they become available rather than waiting until the morning of pickup.
Automated Load Coverage
Lanesurf works brokers' loads for them from the moment a load appears. According to the report, outreach goes out when carriers are actually answering and continues until a truck is under the load. The system works carriers over calls, email and text, and connects to the brokerage's existing TMS. FreightWaves noted that Lanesurf demonstrated the software at its F3 event last year, where it booked a load live in 10 minutes.
Rob Workman, chief operating officer at CW Carriers USA in Tampa, Florida, told FreightWaves: "Two out of every three loads we move already have vetted carrier options on them before anyone even walks into the office." Workman, who spent over 15 years in freight including a stretch at Echo Global Logistics, added: "I honestly didn't think that was possible. We come in, look at the options Lanesurf found, pick the right carrier and rate, and book it."
"So the job for us now is: we walk in, offers are there, and we book. That's it." — Rob Workman, COO, CW Carriers USA
How It Works
According to FreightWaves, every broker knows the good trucks on a lane don't sit around waiting for the pickup date; they get booked days early by whoever asked first. Lanesurf asks first. A load gets worked from the day it becomes available, starting with the carriers that actually run that lane, widening out as the week goes on, circling back to the ones who said to check tomorrow. The result is that three days out, a broker is choosing among vetted carriers at market. On the morning of pickup, he's paying whatever the last available truck wants.
Inside CW Carriers USA, Lanesurf handles more than 400,000 annualised carrier communications a year. Workman contrasted this with manual methods: "A rep works one carrier at a time, all that back and forth, that's your whole day for just a handful of loads. Lanesurf works dozens of carriers simultaneously. Stuff gets covered before we'd have even gotten to it."
Measurable Impact
The following table compares outcomes with and without Lanesurf automation, based on the FreightWaves report:
| Metric | Without Lanesurf | With Lanesurf |
|---|---|---|
| Load coverage timeline | Morning-of scramble; pay premium for last available truck | Pre-vetted offers waiting before office opens; book at market rates |
| Carrier outreach method | Manual, one carrier at a time | Automated, dozens simultaneously |
| Annualized carrier communications (CW Carriers USA) | Not specified | Over 400,000 |
| Percentage of loads with offers at open | Unknown | 62% |
The report states that Lanesurf works with several Top 100 brokers to agent-based networks. The company is based in San Francisco and backed by General Catalyst and Y Combinator.
Implications for Brokers
FreightWaves highlighted that the Lanesurf model changes what brokerage representatives spend their day on: choosing between carriers rather than hunting for them, and grinding on the freight that genuinely needs a person. The team size at CW Carriers USA remains the same, but the workflow has fundamentally shifted. By having offers ready before the morning, brokers can lock in capacity earlier and avoid last-minute rate spikes, improving both service reliability and margin.
Watch List
FreightWaves' report mentioned the upcoming Brokerage Compliance Symposium and F3 Awards Dinner at the Signal in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where compliance issues and industry best practices will be discussed. These events may further highlight how technology like Lanesurf is reshaping brokerage operations.
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