“Companies have been unable to effectively execute street-turns on a large scale due to a lack of transparency in the industry, combined with the costs and time required to turn mountains of unstructured data into usable information. Street-turns were executed ad-hoc and manually, if at all, and usually within their own operations. The technology to manage the complex process of street-turns in a systematic and scalable way has not existed,” shares Todd Ericksrud, President and CEO of MatchBack Systems.
MatchBack Systems transformed this approach. Their technology has digitized and automated these slow, suboptimal processes, making street-turns real and attainable for its customers. The company’s services apply to all supply chain participants including freight importers and exporters, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, 3rd party logistics (3PL) providers and trucking companies. They also extend existing transportation management applications to complete the container lifecycle.
Companies that use MatchBack Systems services experience street-turn benefits that can increase trucker loaded ratio from 50% full to 80%, reduce emissions by 30% (as less exhaust is released into the atmosphere), increase driver productivity, reduce road use with fewer miles driven, minimize port congestion and delays, improve container efficiency by 20% and reduce total supply chain costs by 30%.
Customers regularly recognize MatchBack Systems for providing transformative solutions to the street-turn challenge:
“MatchBack Systems automated our street-turn process. They quickly provide guidance for our planners every day that drops to our bottom line.” – Kuehne + Nagel
“MatchBack Systems software works. Twenty minutes after our training we found street-turns we never would have seen without them.”- Container Port Group
Furthermore, MatchBack Systems services lower overall supply chain costs, improve efficiency and reduce emissions. “Each street-turn saves $150-$400 in direct transportation costs and a further $200 in indirect costs while eliminating 440 pounds of CO2 emissions,” says Ericksrud. In 2019 MatchBack Systems evaluated millions of potential pairs and presented optimal matches that save customers over 10 million empty miles and 1.7 million gallons of fuel. At roughly $2/mile, that’s more than $20 million in savings.
As expected, MatchBack Systems became the first mover by solving a real industry problem. The company was recognized by the Boston Consulting Group for “rapidly reshaping shipping” with its sharing economy and industry transparency. The company has received several awards for innovation and sustainability, with its services recognized by The Journal of Commerce, Supply & Demand Chain Executive, CIO Magazine, Wisconsin Inno 50 On Fire, Wisconsin Innovation Award and Insight Publications.
Of course, these achievements are not a coincidence; Ericksrud attributes this success to the talented team and the culture at MatchBack Systems. “We are a nimble company, founded on a principle of continuous innovation. Everybody at MatchBack Systems finds reward in solving a customer’s problem that improves the efficiency of their operations. We all enjoy applying technology to the street-turn puzzle,” says Ericksrud. “It’s exciting to play a part in moving a traditional industry forward with our technology. We’re tackling a problem that has plagued the industry for decades and making a real difference.”
As MatchBack Systems looks to the future, it ultimately aims to bring a paradigm shift to the supply chain and create a sustainable process. “The MatchBack Systems team is committed to make street-turns mainstream and champion environmental sustainability in the industry,” says Ericksrud.