Lateral provides a unified coordination platform for less‑than‑truckload (LTL) freight that combines pricing and routing into a single, API‑driven layer.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Less‑than‑truckload (LTL) freight often suffers from fragmented pricing and routing processes, requiring carriers and shippers to exchange information manually across multiple systems. This fragmentation leads to delayed rate negotiations, suboptimal load planning, and reduced visibility into freight costs.
Solution
Lateral offers a unified coordination platform that connects LTL carriers with shippers to streamline pricing and routing decisions. The platform centralizes rate quotes, capacity information, and routing preferences, enabling automated match‑making and collaborative planning. By providing a single data layer, Lateral reduces manual effort, accelerates contract negotiations, and improves load optimization. Carriers gain access to sustainable business opportunities through consistent rate exposure, while shippers benefit from clearer cost visibility and more efficient freight planning. The solution is delivered as a cloud‑based service currently in private beta, allowing early adopters to shape the coordination workflow.
Target Audience
Primary customers are LTL carriers seeking consistent freight volume and shippers that require efficient, cost‑transparent freight planning for regional shipments.
Features
- Centralized pricing hub that aggregates carrier rates and shipper load requirements in real time
- Automated routing engine that suggests optimal load sequences based on capacity, distance, and service constraints
- Collaboration workspace enabling carriers and shippers to negotiate, confirm, and track shipments within the same interface
- API integration points for existing transportation management systems (TMS) to feed data into the coordination layer
- Dashboard analytics that provide cost visibility, capacity utilization, and performance metrics for both parties