Why Your Routing Guide Is Failing

Everything is Logistics

The freight market doesn’t work the way most people think it does, and Chris Caplice is here to explain why.

As the Chief Scientist at DAT Freight & Analytics and Executive Director of MIT’s FreightLab, Chris has spent years studying the breakdowns in routing guides, the myth of economies of scale, and why AI isn’t a magic bullet for bad freight strategy.

In this episode, we’re diving deep into how shippers, brokers, and carriers can use benchmarking and dynamic tools to build more resilient freight networks and avoid the common traps in RFP season.

Key takeaways:

• Freight contracts often fail because they’re built around ghost lanes that never move freight.
• AI works best when applied to unstructured transportation data, not generic pricing models.
• Dynamic routing guides and benchmarking tools help reduce failure points in traditional RFPs.
• Economies of scale don’t really exist in truckload—scope and flexibility matter more.
• Smart freight strategy comes down to understanding your network’s quirks, not copying someone else’s.

LINKS:

• Chris' LinkedIn
• DAT Freight & Analytics Website
• DAT Freight & Analytics on CargoRex

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE

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Chapters

1. Why Your Routing Guide Is Failing (00:00:00)

2. The Real Reason Routing Guides Fail (00:06:34)

3. What AI Can (and Can’t) Do in Freight (00:16:31)

4. The RFP Death Spiral (00:24:43)

5. Benchmarking for Better Freight Decisions (00:33:16)

6. Dynamic Strategies vs. Static Planning (00:42:30)

7. Why Economies of Scale Don’t Exist in Truckload (00:50:51)