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Building a Freight Management System to Connect CargoBarn Logistics' Hub Network
TechnBrains developed a logistics platform that connects shipment booking, transportation scheduling, hub tracking, documents, invoices and claims. CargoBarn's operations teams and customers can access shipment information through a shared system instead of relying on disconnected records and communications.
Project Highlights & Key Metrics
- Industry
- Logistics & Transportation
- Platform
- Web-Based Logistics Management Platform
- Region
- United States (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Project Timeline
- 2.5 Years
- Engagement Model
- Software Outsourcing
Team Composition
- Technical Lead / Solution Architect
- Backend Developer
- Frontend Developer
- UI/UX Designer
- QA Engineer
Tech Stack
- .NET Core (C#)
- ReactJS (TypeScript)
- PostgreSQL
- Microsoft Azure
- Redis
- Azure Blob Storage
Integrations
- Google Maps API
- Twilio SMS
- SendGrid Email
- PDF Generation
- REST APIs
CLIENT OVERVIEW
Managing Freight Across a Multi-Hub Transportation Network
CargoBarn was an Atlanta-based, technology-enabled third-party logistics company providing freight brokerage and transportation services to US shippers.
Its services included full truckload brokerage, expedited freight, drayage, and specialized transportation. Brokerage operations involved evaluating available capacity, coordinating carriers, managing freight requirements, and supporting transportation decisions.
Founded in 2007, CargoBarn expanded its presence across multiple US markets. On April 2, 2024, the company was acquired by Sheer Logistics.
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Connecting shipper requirements with available transportation capacity.
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Supporting full truckload, expedited, drayage, and specialized freight.
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Coordinating loads, carrier offers, bookings, and shipment execution.
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Using connected freight information to support pricing and carrier selection.
When a customer called about a shipment, the answer often depended on which branch or team had the latest update. A shipment could be moving while the customer was still waiting for someone to confirm its status. We wanted our teams and customers looking at the same information, with the booking, transport updates, and related documents accessible in one place.
★★★★★
Problem
The Challenge
Disconnected Shipment Records Made Tracking and Coordination Difficult
CargoBarn's freight operations required agents to work across carrier information, load requirements, shipment records, and transportation schedules.
Without a shared operational view, agents had to reconcile information across different sources before progressing with carrier selection, booking, and shipment coordination. This also complicated shipment visibility for customers and teams working across multiple hubs.
Key Challenges
- 01
Limited centralized visibility across hub movements
- 02
Manual coordination of route and schedule changes
- 03
Repeated customer inquiries about shipment progress
- 04
Disconnected documents, invoices and claims
- 05
Fragmented reporting across branches and hubs
CargoBarn needed a more consistent way to manage shipment information across hubs, giving operations teams and customers access to reliable updates without depending on manual coordination between branches.
Solution
Our Solution
A Shipment Management Platform Connecting Operations Across Hubs
TechnBrains developed a centralized platform organized around a seven-stage shipment lifecycle. Tracking events, transport schedules, documents, invoices and claims are linked to the shipment record, giving authorized users access to the information relevant to their responsibilities.
Shipment Lifecycle Management
The system tracks shipments through seven stages, from creation and scheduling to pickup, transit, hub processing and delivery.
Operations teams work from a consistent shipment history.
Transportation Scheduling
Route planning, available capacity, transport assignments and shipment schedules are managed through connected workflows.
Scheduling information is linked with shipment tracking and execution.
Hub Tracking
Pickup, hub arrival, departure, transit and delivery events are recorded against individual shipments.
Operations teams can identify the last recorded shipment movement across hubs.
Customer Portal
Courier customers can book freight, review tracking events, access shipment documents and check invoices.
Customers can retrieve routine shipment information without contacting a branch.
External Freight Data Integration
The application imported information from Truckstop, DAT, and SaferWatch, alongside transactionally replicated data from an existing system.
The matching logic could use information originating from multiple sources.
Existing TMS Connectivity
TechnBrains' published project reference identifies McLeod API data retrieval as part of the CargoBarn application.
Existing TMS information could be accessed by the custom software.
Engineering Approach
Connecting Transportation Events Through a Single Shipment Record
The engineering work involved combining data from multiple freight services with transactionally replicated records from an existing operational system.
The backend used matching algorithms to evaluate current carrier and load options. This required handling information from different sources while preserving the relationships needed for brokerage decisions.
The application exposed these capabilities through agent and customer portals. Agent workflows supported carrier offers and load bookings, with the documented implementation also describing updates sent back to an existing system.
TechnBrains has separately documented McLeod API data retrieval within the CargoBarn project, demonstrating how custom application functionality could operate alongside established transportation management software.
The resulting design connected external freight information, matching logic, and brokerage workflows while retaining integration with existing operational software.
Impact
The Impact
Making Shipment Delays, Tracking Updates, and Claims Easier to Manage
The platform changed how CargoBarn's teams handled shipment exceptions and customer requests. Instead of treating each status inquiry as a separate investigation, staff could review shipment activity and supporting records within the same workflow. For operations teams, this meant more attention could be directed toward delayed movements, scheduling conflicts, and unresolved claims rather than routine information retrieval.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Shipment updates obtained through branch inquiries | Customer-facing shipment tracking |
| Hub movements recorded across separate processes | Centralized shipment event history |
| Scheduling and tracking information disconnected | Linked transport scheduling and shipment records |
| Claims and documents managed separately | Shipment-linked documents and claims |
| Operational reporting assembled from different records | Shared shipment data for branch and hub reporting |
Our Engagement
Business Outcomes
Supporting Freight Brokerage Development Over a 2.5-Year Association
TechnBrains supported CargoBarn through an outsourced engineering engagement covering solution planning, development, integration testing, and ongoing platform changes.
The team worked across backend services, frontend workflows, and integrations, with technical responsibilities spanning both new functionality and compatibility with CargoBarn's existing transportation environment.
- 35%Faster Quote Preparation
- 80%Targeted Automated Carrier Evaluation
- 20-30%Reduction in Manual Data Handling
- 98.6%On-time Delivery
Carrier matching required us to work with load details, carrier availability, and freight records coming from different systems. The challenge was keeping that information consistent as agents moved from evaluating matches to negotiating offers and booking loads. We connected those steps so agents could act on matching results while keeping the relevant booking and transportation records linked.
Syed Faisal
Logistics Technology Lead
TechnBrains
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