Lone Cypress Logistics specializes in cold chain freight for produce and prepared foods. Founded just over three years ago by a team of food shipper veterans, the company grew quickly to manage thousands of shipments annually. To better compete in a crowded market, Lone Cypress focuses on delivering high standards of service and transparency for shipper customers, a goal supported by its tech stack that includes the Descartes Aljex™ broker-focused transportation management system (TMS) integrated with Descartes MacroPoint™ for real-time visibility and Descartes MyCarrierPortal™ for carrier vetting, onboarding and monitoring. Together, these tools helped drive efficiency, credibility and security for Lone Cypress as a startup and as the business scaled rapidly.
“Efficiency, transparency and visibility are everything, especially when we were starting out. With Descartes’ platform, we can rip through load building, add new carriers quickly, and provide updates and alerts our customers require. We’re faster and more accurate than we’ve ever been and we wouldn’t be where we are today without how efficiently our systems work—and how our people work within them.”
Jason McArthur, President, Lone Cypress Logistics
Based in Pacific Grove, CA, Lone Cypress Logistics specializes in moving cold chain and temperature-controlled freight across the U.S. The brokerage is committed to providing shippers with the highest quality transportation services for their produce and prepared foods. For more information, visit www.lonecypresslogistics.com.
Descartes Solutions
Descartes Aljex™
Descartes MacroPoint™
Descartes MyCarrierPortal™
Quick Overview
Challenge
New brokerage competing in crowded market.
Solution
Unified technology platform with Descartes’ solutions
Results
Survived and scaled past critical first-year challenges.
Faster and more accurate load execution with real-time tracking.
Stronger carrier network that minimized fraud.
Gained credibility with shippers and moved more loads/month than ever before.
The Challenge: Competing in Cold Chain as a New Brokerage
As a new brokerage entering a competitive market, Lone Cypress aimed to differentiate itself and build credibility with food shippers. Customers expected real-time shipment visibility and high service levels, while covering loads quickly meant the brokerage needed to work with trusted carriers. Early attempts with another TMS, however, led to inefficiencies and poor integrations, which left the growing business vulnerable to shipment delays, errors, and fraud. To succeed, Lone Cypress needed a proven, integrated technology platform that could support growth while keeping operations lean and establishing trust with all stakeholders in the supply chain.
The Solution: A Unified Tech Stack
Upon launch, Lone Cypress adopted Descartes MacroPoint for real-time shipment tracking and proactive customer communication. With reliable alerts on ETAs and delays, the brokerage stood out by offering food shippers the transparency and responsiveness they expected.
As load volumes increased, the solution was integrated with Descartes MyCarrierPortal to strengthen carrier vetting and onboarding. This tool streamlined the process of bringing new carriers into the company’s growing network while significantly reducing the risk of fraud through configurable checks, VIN verification, and integrated FreightValidate features. By making onboarding efficient and secure, the company was able to quickly build trust with carriers.
To further enhance operational speed and accuracy, Lone Cypress transitioned from its earlier TMS to Descartes Aljex, a broker-focused TMS that simplified critical workflows such as load execution, invoicing, and payments. The integration across Descartes’ solutions allowed the small brokerage team to work with greater confidence and precision.
Reflecting on the company’s technology journey, Jason McArthur, President at Lone Cypress, emphasizes, “The time Descartes spent making sure we were ready to go was really important to us. I don’t feel like we had that with our previous TMS provider when we launched the company. The time Descartes put in, the care, the Q&A sessions were all great—and it’s paid off in how our business runs today.”
The Descartes platform helped transform Lone Cypress from a startup into a trusted cold chain transportation provider able to compete effectively with more established brokerages. Today, the company continues to expand operations while maintaining the same reliability that won over its first shippers with the visibility, efficiency, and risk management required for long-term success.
The Results
Scaling Through Year One
With help from Descartes’ technology, Lone Cypress survived its critical first year and built a foundation for sustainable growth. By its third year, inbound calls from shippers began outpacing outbound sales, demonstrating the company’s credibility in the market.
Greater Operational Speed and Accuracy
Load building, execution, and carrier onboarding became significantly faster and more reliable with the Descartes platform. This efficiency reduced costly errors and allowed the team to dedicate more time to customer service and relationship management.
Improved Fraud Protection
With Descartes MyCarrierPortal, Lone Cypress quickly developed a trusted carrier network while avoiding high-risk partners. Features like VIN verification and FreightValidate further reduced exposure to fraud, strengthening the company’s reputation and security.
Enhanced Customer Service
The combined Descartes solutions gave Lone Cypress the ability to communicate proactively with customers and resolve issues before they escalated. Food shippers gained confidence in the brokerage’s ability to protect sensitive, time-critical freight.
