Chicago, IL — Industry executives gathered at the Journal of Commerce Inland Distribution Conference 2025 here in Chicago recently to discuss the latest trends impacting the supply chain. Among the key topics was DAT’s rapid evolution following a year marked by significant growth and strategic acquisitions.
Kary Jablonski, an executive at DAT, detailed the remarkable pace of change, noting that the company executed three acquisitions in nine months, starting with Trucker Tools. “I think we initially thought we’d do one acquisition and nine months later we’ve done three,” Kary observed.
The acquisitions included Trucker Tools, which closed on December 17, 2024, followed by Alco (a carrier factoring platform) in May, and Convoy two months later. This aggressive strategy aims to build a more comprehensive and secure platform for brokers and carriers alike.
The integration of Trucker Tools has been a phenomenal experience, leading directly to the development of the new Carrier Management Suite (CMS), set to launch soon. Trucker Tools’ expertise in tracking and visibility within the brokerage space was deemed essential to bringing DAT’s trust and safety vision to life.
Kary emphasized the critical role of tracking: “Tracking is such a critical part of fraud prevention. Our fraud toolkit’s been phenomenal for our brokers to, you know, continue to level up network security.”
Historically, DAT, as the largest marketplace in the spot world, operated somewhat as a point solution, requiring users to leave the platform to vet carriers. The CMS fundamentally changes this by integrating vetting directly into the load board.
Key features of the CMS will allow brokers to:
This move is expected to drive efficiency for brokerage users while simultaneously enabling carriers to figure out “how do I become a better service provider to my broker customers,” ultimately leveling up DAT’s network security.
Industry leaders noted the scale of the challenge DAT faces, managing and mitigating fraud within one of the largest marketplaces. Beyond new products, DAT has worked extensively to stabilize its platform, achieving almost 49% uptime, which is considered a best-in-class standard.
Following the Alco acquisition, which provided foundational knowledge in payments, DAT acquired Convoy. The focus on Convoy is scaling the platform.
Convoy offers two particularly exciting benefits:
The executive also highlighted why DAT was the ideal home for the Convoy platform. The main tenet Convoy was seeking was neutrality, which DAT provides as a neutral tech player that wants to work with all brokers and carriers.
While DAT is well-known for handling transactional situations, the company recognizes the industry shift toward brokers seeking larger contract market share and stable carrier partnerships.
DAT has been actively building out its enterprise carrier segment, moving beyond the historical focus on owner-operators and super small fleets. Furthermore, DAT is exploring new solutions focused on automating RFPs and mini-bids. While DAT may not be ideal for annual RFP cycles, the platform sees potential for smaller, more timely cycles, acting as a “souped-up spot market” in terms of timeline.
Internally, the company is undergoing transformation, prioritizing customer-centric culture and cross-functional collaboration. This involves product leaders like Jared Stow spending weeks on the road, sitting on brokerage floors, watching staff work, and gathering feedback directly from customers.