Advanced TMS + Real-time Visibility Transform Reefer Operations

Advanced TMS + Real-time Visibility Transform Reefer Operations 

Bahr Transportation, a freight brokerage specializing in transporting food products and perishable goods, implemented the cloud-based Descartes Aljex™ transportation management system (TMS), seamlessly integrated with Descartes MacroPoint™ for real-time freight visibility, load tracking, and automated capacity sourcing. The combined scalable solution automates and streamlines freight brokerage tasks to help Bahr cover more customer freight—saving time, labor, and operational costs to protect margins—while providing full visibility across the supply chain to enhance customer and carrier relationships.  

The Challenge: Inefficient Transportation Operations Hinder Growth

Charlotte, NC-based Bahr Transportation moves approximately 100-300 reefer loads per month depending on the season—of which 70% are last-minute!—of fresh produce, frozen seafood, and dry perishables that need to be picked up the same day and then shipped across the U.S. and Canada. Given that out-of-tolerance temperature variances can have major implications for food and beverage freight, the transportation of perishable goods—domestically and cross-border—presents an extra layer of logistical complexity, especially as Bahr continues to scale and grow. Time-consuming and labor-intensive manual processes (e.g., track-and-trace, carrier sourcing and onboarding) and limited load visibility were impacting operational efficiency, delivery performance, and the customer and carrier experience. Bahr realized their previous TMS, and related business processes were not sufficient to support the growing transaction volumes and chose Descartes as their technology partner to manage their business today and into the future. 

Ninety percent of our loads are time-sensitive and 70% are last-minute bookings so we have almost no margin for error. We rely on the end-to-end automation and real-time freight visibility of the integrated Descartes solution to help us easily and quickly quote, source, and tender loads at competitive rates and build customer loyalty through proactive exception management and 98% on time delivery performance.”

-Andy Bahr, Founder & President, Bahr Transportation  

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Bahr Transportation is a reliable, client-focused commercial freight broker specializing in refrigerated truckload shipments of food products and perishable goods across the U.S and Canada through its extensive network of vetted carrier partners.

The Solution: End-to-end Automation + Load Visibility

To support its continued growth, Bahr deployed Descartes Aljex integrated with Descartes MacroPoint. The combined solution simplifies and streamlines Bahr’s transportation workflows for increased efficiency, provides real-time visibility across the shipment journey, and enables the freight broker to book loads faster and more cost-effectively with AI-driven capacity matching. 

Descartes Aljex eliminates manual data entry, minimizes user error, and provides dashboard-based visualizations to help make quick, effective transportation decisions. “Having a very granular view of our operations in one place is incredibly helpful—and not just because we no longer have to scroll up and down hunting for load details,” said Andy Bahr, Founder and President of Bahr Transportation.  

“We can view 50-60 loads at one time on a single screen and proactively identify problems; we can see what loads are dispatched, what loads still need paperwork from accounting, what needs to be covered today or tomorrow—and we can quickly pull data-driven reports to prioritize actions,” said Bahr. “From lane scoring, rate negotiation, and rate confirmation to carrier onboarding and  performance reporting, plus integration with our TriumphPay carrier payment platform, Descartes Aljex simplifies brokerage workflows to boost productivity, drive revenue and strengthencarrier relationships.” 

Bahr added, “Whether a customer has a last-minute load of Mother’s Day flowers or needs help transporting the overflow of avocados in the run-up to Super Bowl, Descartes Aljex has the flexibility and scalability to meet our customers’ reefer demands.” 

Descartes MacroPoint provides real-time load tracking with predictive ETAs to accurately coordinate shipments and improve on-time transportation performance, in tandem with in-transit temperature monitoring. With load information on the required trailer, pre-cool temperature and shipment temperature range, Bahr can confidently preserve product quality and keep perishable goods fresh. 

“We’ve saved tons of time by eliminating the high volumes of check calls needed with manual tracking. Descartes MacroPoint notifies us if a driver is running behind so we can proactively address issues enroute and manage expectations with shippers,” said Bahr. “Plus, because the software has such a high level of familiarity and trust within the carrier community, it fits seamlessly into carrier workflows and delivers a frictionless user experience for our partners.” 

The Results  

Greater Efficiency

Descartes Aljex automates daily activities and consolidates follow-up tasks (e.g., accounting, carrier payments, reporting) within a single platform. Using Descartes MacroPoint’s capacity matching, Bahr books loads up to 15 times faster than traditional manual procurement. 

Enhanced Carrier & Customer Relationships

Bahr streamlined carrier onboarding, invoicing, and payments while optimizing communication and collaboration within its carrier network with real-time visibility. Bahr is more strategic and proactive in serving shippers, managing by exception to deliver 98% of loads on time. 

Increased Productivity

Using Descartes MacroPoint, Bahr reduced time spent tracking loads by 30%-40%, giving employees time back to focus on higher-value work. Real-time freight visibility helps to minimize delays and improve delivery performance for time-sensitive shipments.

Scalable Growth

By streamlining the full range of transportation workflows, the solution helps Bahr flex operations to manage seasonal peaks and other busy pockets during the year. By covering more loads with greater efficiency, Bahr can scale operations without additional headcount.