The newest entrant on the freight-matching scene is Toronto’s CargoLinx Inc., which has introduced a service for shippers and carriers across North America with toll-free telephone access, Internet connectivity and monthly subscription rates for members.

For carriers, the service aims to provide a solution to the empty back-hauls that plague almost every carrier in North America, said Peter Hebb, president of CargoLinx.

“Industry estimates of such empty vehicles suggest up to 20 percent of all truck trips may be made without a paying load or having available capacity. This causes considerable hardship to truckers and trucking companies, particularly during this period of high fuel prices. Yet many manufacturers are having difficulties getting their products to market during busy periods due to a lack of available trucks and drivers. CargoLinx is aimed directly at addressing these inefficiencies and improving the return to truckers while improving service to shippers,” Hebb explained.

Hebb also said CargoLinx does not intend to act as a broker. “We will not get between the shipper and the carrier – all payment arrangements are directly between the two parties. Typical brokerage fees are straining the economics of the industry by reducing the amount a carrier can earn on a brokered load. By using this very low flat-rate fee, we can improve the return to carriers,” he said. “We will not attempt to replace the ways carriers and shippers are currently working together, nor do we intend to threaten existing contract situations. Instead, we believe we can be an affordable ‘insurance’ provision for carriers and shippers when existing arrangements don’t work or are being stretched.”

Registration for CargoLinx can be completed by toll-free telephone (1-866-474-9494 ) or directly via the Internet at www.cargolinx.com.