Digital Freight Brokerage Market Size & Share 2026-2035

Digital Freight Brokerage Market Size

The global digital freight brokerage market was estimated at USD 4.9 billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow from USD 5.2 billion in 2026 to USD 8.6 billion in 2035, at a CAGR of 5.8% according to latest report published by Global Market Insights Inc.

Digital freight brokers have seen rapid growth over the years due to shippers’ growing preference for an automated load matching experience and a real-time capability to access available capacity. The International Trade Data for 2023 showed that over 12 billion tons of freight were moved internationally, leading to the use of digital contracting and dynamic pricing.
 

As E-commerce continues to expand at record rates, eCommerce is disrupting the conventional means through which freight was previously booked. It is projected that in 2024 there will be worldwide eCommerce sales exceeding $5 trillion, thus creating the need for more scalable solutions to provide access to digital brokers.
 

There have been significant pulls from shippers for cost reductions via digital platforms for freight transportation. In addition, digital freight brokers reduce manual processed freight by automating the process of finding available trucks for shipment and using that space for increased capacity of freight. According to industry sources, estimated empty miles travel can be reduced by up to 15% using automated freight matchmaking, resulting in a positive effect on carrier revenue and a shipper/service's reliability.
 

Regulatory agencies worldwide are applying stricter enforcement of their compliance requirements and monitoring shipments using digital broker platforms. As a result, over 50% of all Global Cross-Border Freight Workflows will use Digital Tracking Interfaces by the year 2024. This has increased the Global Adoption of Digital Broker Platform Solutions, particularly in Road, Sea, Air, and Rail.
 

Telematics Integration and the Use of Telework Solutions for Telematics and Fleet Management Support Platform Growth through Load Planning. In 2024, there were over 80 million commercial vehicles on the road, which has provided more access to real-time operational data for digital freight brokers.
 

Digital Freight Brokerage Market Trends

Increased demand from shippers for expedited booking has driven the adoption of automated procurement (pricing) and load matching capabilities across multiple digital freight platform models. North America saw over 40% of its road freight transactions processed through digital tendering by the end of 2024, thereby accelerating the acceptance of real-time brokerage models.
 

In 2024, the onboarding of carriers was becoming increasingly reliant upon data; thanks to improvements in carrier telematics and fleet sensor technology, verification and compliance are being enhanced. The number of global telematics units deployed in the commercial sector reached over 80 million units by the end of 2024; as a result, digital brokers have access to an increased volume of operational data.
 

Digital freight corridors crossing international borders are now gaining in popularity due to promotion of electronic documentation and automated customs processing by trade governing bodies. Adoption of electronic bill of lading increased by nearly 30% during 2023, improving both visibility of international freight and the efficiency of processing freight.
 

The rise in e-commerce, along with the increase of parcel shipment volumes worldwide (greater than 160 billion shipments in 2023), is driving increased use of digital capacity platforms to accommodate more onboarding of fragmented carrier networks. Due to this same increased volume of international(e) freight being handled and delivered through online platforms (2023), usage of automated load allocation tools is increasing exponentially.
 

The trend for brokers to integrate artificial intelligence-based forecasting is also rapidly growing as commodity brokers work towards decreasing price volatility while increasing the accuracy of their lane level forecasting; predictive tools can reduce empty miles travelled of cargo by up to 15%, thus having a direct impact on profitability and allowing for increased reliability of service levels.
 

Digital Freight Brokerage Market Analysis

Based on transportation mode, the market is segmented into roadway, seaway, airway and railway. The roadway segment dominates the market with 60% share in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2026 to 2035.
 

• The total amount of truckload freight activity as well as the rapid development and onboarding of digital freight brokers, which has led to increased demand for automated matching and real-time pricing solutions.
   
• Seaway brokerage services are growing as shippers increasingly utilize Digital Scheduling and Container Tracking Solutions. Global Container Crossings (TEU) were more than 900 million TEU in 2024. This accelerated shipping processes via Digital Documentation and Port Visibility Tools.
   
• As the airway segment relies on digital brokerage for instant quoting and capacity access on time sensitive shipments, demand for international air cargo increased approximately 5% CAGR and is driving broader usage of Automated Rate Discovery and Digital Airway Documentation.
   
• Railway digital brokerage continues to grow as operators are connecting terminal data, tracking and other freight-related data to their digital platforms. Global rail freight tonnage exceeds 12 trillion-ton kilometers in 2023 encouraging the use of Digital Booking and Multimodal Coordination.
   

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Based on service, the digital freight brokerage market is divided into full truckload, less than truckload, and intermodal. The full truckload segment dominates with 61.8% market share in 2025 and is growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2026 to 2035.
 

• The growth of less than truckload (LTL) shipments is driven by an increase in e-commerce returns and the expansion of multiple types of shipments. The increase in the number of e-commerce parcels shipped worldwide reached 160 billion in 2023 and created a need for an easier way for companies to allocate freight using flexible LTL through digital brokers.
   
• Intermodal growth/enhanced services are being driven by companies looking to create efficiencies in costs through various forms of sustainability and shifting from long-haul trucking to the use of rail and ocean transportation for domestic and international shipping. In 2023, global rail freight ton kilometers exceeded 12 trillion this volume of traffic also created a greater demand for the coordination of intermodal shipment movements using digital delivery systems.
   
• Smaller to mid-sized trucking companies are increasingly seeking to use digital onboarding tools to simplify their onboarding of both truck drivers and freight customers. The benefit of using automation for validation and processing purposes has resulted in companies reducing their onboarding period by 30% in some of the larger brokerage companies, making the onboarding process more efficient for smaller to mid-sized carriers.
   
• Less than truckload digital platforms utilize advanced rating engines that calculate both zone-based pricing and density-based pricing. The growth in the adoption of automated rating systems has increased to over 20% in 2024 among midsized shippers, creating opportunities for companies using LTL to adopt digital solutions even further due to its growth.
   

Based on platform, the digital freight brokerage market is segmented into mobile app-based platforms and web-based platforms. The mobile app-based platforms segment dominates with 61.3% market share in 2025.
 

• The market for digital freight and freight logistics is led by mobile app-based platforms. More than 70% of all North American digital freight transactions in 2024 were initiated via mobile applications. The high penetration of smartphones of over 85% allowed for quick alerts to load availability, the ability to upload documents and the ability to match loads to drivers based on their location.
   
• However, web-based platforms remain essential for large companies, which typically need a structured workflow, advanced planning tools, etc. In 2024, shipper portals handled over 40% of all digital freight expenditures and thus strengthened the importance of these platforms as they relate to multi-modal planning, tendering and analytics.
   
• Web-based portals/calendars/platform also provide support for rate audits and compliance, as well as support for integration to a company's system - the amount spent on global cloud software in 2023 was over USD 600 billion, thus providing for an increasing number of businesses using browser-based freight systems.
   
• Mobile-app-based freight platforms are continuing to grow because the number of commercial telematics units installed exceeded 80 million units in 2024, thus enabling real-time visibility, faster notifications to drivers regarding their loads and proof of delivery via seamless formats.
   

Based on deployment model, the digital freight brokerage market is divided into cloud based, on premises and hybrid. The cloud based segment dominate with 64.3% market share in 2025.
 

• The cloud is driving freight management software adoption at the highest pace. More than 70% of the new freight management systems deployed in 2024 will use the cloud as their platform. In 2023, over $600 billion was spent globally on cloud services. This expenditure increased the speed with which companies moved their freight operations to cloud-based or scalable freight management systems.
   
• There are still many Tier 1 shipper operating with strong data control and compliance needs that are maintaining on-premise or localized servers. While cloud-based solutions are becoming increasingly popular with many shippers, close to 30% of Tier 1 shippers will still keep sensitive freight data on premises and also keep their systems and internal structure aligned with these servers.
   
• Hybrid deployment is growing in popularity as shippers take advantage of the advantages offered by both cloud-based solutions and the security offered by on-premise/deployed systems. More than 20% of the hybrid models deployed in 2024 will be utilized by multimodal freight operators, as the flexibility offered by multi-modal freight operators allows for a variety of different pricing and routing structures.
   
• The rapid growth of cloud-based solutions in the logistics industry is also driven by the increasing number of API connectivity options between shippers and carriers. In 2023, the total amount of API transaction activity in logistics exceeded 40% of all outbound and inbound freight shipments, further increasing demand for cloud-compliant digital brokerage and third-party logistics operations.
   

U.S. dominates the North America digital freight brokerage market accounting for 86.2% share and generating USD 1.76 billion in 2025.
 

• The U.S. is the largest market due to increasing volumes of road freight, a proven digital infrastructure and a broad adoption of truck carriers. In 2024, the total amount spent by US consumers on freight through a truckload was more than $600 billion, allowing for the quick rollout of automated matching and real-time pricing platforms.
   
• Growth in e-commerce sales along with significant increases in the demand for last-mile shipping will continue to spur the use of many various digital platforms across the country. In 2024 alone, there were more than 20 billion parcel deliveries in the US, creating much greater utilization of mobile apps to manage LTL and FTL capacity.
   
• The cloud-based environment is the most commonly utilized method of deploying freight-centric applications in the USA by shippers. Most shippers prefer cloud-based solutions as they offer a higher degree of scalability, and because they can connect directly to a company’s Transportation Management System (TMS). Cloud-enabled apps helped over 70% of the freight companies rolling out new apps in 2024 to set up solutions that support the use of real-time GPS and Predictive Analysis capabilities for their in-transit shipments.
   
• As independent trucking and small company carriers utilize instant load notifications and telematics connections, the prevalence of mobile app-based booking platforms continues to increase. Approximately 85% of all U.S. regional carriers used mobile app-based booking platforms, which enhanced the amount of cargo that was transported, while reducing the number of empty miles.
   
• Intermodal digital brokers have been growing in the U.S. as rail and port operators increasingly use truck networks. In 2023, the intermodal containers handled by the U.S. railroads were over 40 million TEUs. The increase in volume created the need for improved planning for shipment consolidation and for improved, real-time tracking.
   

Germany dominates Europe digital freight brokerage market growing with a CAGR of 4.2% from 2026 to 2035.
 

• Germany is one of the key markets for digital freight brokerage in Europe due to its large industrial output, high density of road and rail networks, and level of logistics digitization. In 2024, freight transports will surpass 3.2 billion tones, creating a greater demand for automated load matching and booking platforms.
   
• Germany will see a significant increase in rail-based digital brokerage as companies continue to leverage railroads to optimize container and bulk shipping. In 2023, the amount of rail freight tonne-kilometers grew to more than 400 billion; this increase in rail freight is expected to drive the adoption of integrated modes of transport.
   
• Mobile applications are being increasingly adopted by small and medium-sized carriers for regional distribution. In 2024, approximately 65 per cent of German carriers used mobile applications for tendering; this has improved responsiveness and asset utilization.
   
• Most large shippers favor using Cloud-based deployments to create integration with their ERP and warehouse management systems. In 2024, over 60 per cent of forwarding companies and industrial shippers have adopted cloud solutions to reduce IT overhead while generating more efficient transportation solutions.
   
• Germany continues to experience growth in intermodal platforms that allow for digital co-ordination of shipments between road, rail, and inland waterways. Digitally coordinated intermodal shipments grew over 12 per cent in 2024, resulting in improved cost efficiency and sustainability.
   

China dominates the Asia Pacific digital freight brokerage market, showcasing strong growth potential, with a CAGR of 8.6% from 2026 to 2035.
 

• China's rapid growth in digital freight brokerage stems from an increase in e-commerce, an increase in the number of manufacturing export businesses, and an increase in the number of small and medium-sized carriers that make up a significant portion of the market. In 2024, domestic freight volume exceeded 14 billion tons; as a result, the adoption of automated booking and load matching platforms is growing rapidly.
   
• The most important way that small fleet and independent truckers are using digital platforms is via mobile device apps to notify them the moment a load opportunity arise on their mobile device. About 70% of all freight transactions will take place using mobile devices in 2024, creating an increase in fleet utilization and decreasing empty miles (the distance a truck travels without a load).
   
• Cloud-based solutions are widely used in China to support scalability and ease of integration into transport management systems. In 2024, more than 65% of Chinese enterprises used cloud solutions for efficient handling of high-volume e-commerce shipments.
   
• Digital platforms are increasingly used to optimize long-distance transport by integrating intermodal services (rail and inland waterways); in 2023, total rail freight ton-Km exceeded 10 trillion km. Therefore, the demand for platforms to coordinate multimodal scheduling and real-time tracking of freight is increasing.
   
• Also accelerating the rate of adoption of digital documentation is a growing number of regulatory initiatives to standardize electronic waybills. More than 50% of freight-related paperwork has been processed digitally in 2024, allowing for quicker customs clearance and enhanced efficiency when conducting business between provinces.
   

Brazil leads the Latin American digital freight brokerage market, exhibiting remarkable growth of 5.7% during the forecast period of 2026 to 2035.
 

• Brazil's market has been spurred on by increasing e-commerce, agricultural export volumes, and fragmented carrier networks (which often fail to work together). The year 2024 has seen Domestically, more than 1.2 billion tons of freight move by truck in Brazil, creating a significant need for digital brokerage platforms to enable automated load matching and real-time pricing.
   
• During 2024, trucking continues to dominate Roadway services dominate because they transport more than 60% of all freight within Brazil. The popularity of Using digital mobile application-based platforms is growing among small to mid-sized carriers, resulting in improved fleet utilization and less empty miles per truck in regions where the roadway infrastructure is limited.
   
• The growing acceptance of cloud computing to help large shipping companies and logistics providers manage their distributed network of companies is taking place. By 2024, over 50% of freight forwarding companies in Brazil are expected to take advantage of the benefits associated with cloud computing systems for improving integration between companies in Brazil; providing greater visibility to their operations and using predictive planning systems.
   
• There is a growing trend toward digital brokerage of intermodal freight in Brazil. This trend is a result of the increasing use of rail and inland waterway transportation options to minimize the cost of transporting goods as well as help reduce congestion at the ports. Rail freight tonnage has increased to 120 billion ton/kilometers in Brazil.
   
• The implementation of Electronic Documentation in Brazil, due in part to Regulatory Reforms and Government Initiatives, are promoting greater use of digital documentation. Approximately 45% of all Documentation in Brazil was created digitally by 2024.
   

UAE to experience substantial growth in the Middle East and Africa digital freight brokerage market in 2025.
 

• As the United Arab Emirates establishes itself as the logistics center of the Middle East, the country's growing digital freight brokerage industry is also being driven by its high-level import export activity, along with its superior port facilities. According to reports, the volume of Road and Air Freight shipped to and throughout the UAE in 2024 reached more than 180 million tons.
   
• As trucking is used to deliver most short- and medium-distance shipments within domestic and regional markets, there are many more companies turning to mobile application-based platforms to access the digital freight brokerage markets to assist them with improving fleet efficiencies and to provide quicker and easier access to the ability to match loads to truckers travelling the same route.
   
• With most shipments of high-value time-sensitive cargo utilizing air transportation, the digital freight brokerage platforms used to serve the UAE markets have become an integral part of how air cargo is booked in the UAE. In 2023, data indicates that more than 3.5 million tons of air freight was shipped to the UAE using digital freight brokering platforms for the real-time booking of freight and to determine freight rates using automated processes.
   
• The current digital freight brokerage solutions being implemented by freight forwarders and large shippers are using cloud-based deployment solutions that allow these entities to conduct freight operations across multiple hub location. Over 60% of companies are using the cloud-based solutions for predictive analytics, supply chain visibility, and the integration of their enterprise resource planning systems.
   
• Increasing demand for scheduled automated tracking capabilities and multimodal freight solutions being provided through the digital platforms that freight brokerages utilize are also being created due to the amount of Intermodal traffic passing through the UAE. The Ports of UAE received more than 27 million twenty-foot equivalent units of intermodal freight in 2024, leading to greater demand for automated scheduling and tracking capabilities and solutions for managing intermodal freight.
   

Digital Freight Brokerage Market Share

The top 7 companies in the digital freight brokerage industry are Full Truck Alliance, C H Robinson, Uber, RXO, J B Hunt, Echo Global Logistics, and XPO. Collectively, contributed around 47% of the market in 2025.
 

The digital freight brokerage market has experienced rapid growth with the increasing adoption of technology-enabled solutions by both shippers and carriers to achieve greater efficiencies, enhanced visibility, improved transparency and increased reliability in the management of freight operations.
 

Key characteristics of the market include an increased usage of automated load matching capabilities, real time pricing capabilities and unified visibility across multiple modes of freight transportation.
 

Various factors are enhancing the growth of market, including the continuing evolution and growth of e-commerce, the increasing need for timely and flexible shipping solutions, and the ability to better utilize carrier assets.
 

In addition, ease of use through mobile applications as well as cloud-based service offerings that enable all forms of transportation through integration with different means of freight transportation has contributed to increased use of Digital Freight Brokerage platforms by smaller carriers, medium-sized fleet operators and large enterprise shippers.
 

Digital Freight Brokerage Market Companies

Major players operating in the digital freight brokerage industry are:
 

• C.H. Robinson
• Coyote Logistics
• Echo Global Logistics
• Full Truck Alliance
• J.B. Hunt
• Landstar System
• RXO
• Total Quality Logistics (TQL)
• Uber
• XPO
  
   
• Full Truck Alliance is one of the leading platforms in China that provides digital freight services through a wide network of carriers, as well as through their mobile application, to allow for real-time load matching, fill-in load pricing, and the opportunity for small and medium carriers to quickly onboard.
   
• C H Robinson is one of the largest logistics companies in the United States. With its large network of carriers coupled with advanced data analytics and managed transportation solutions, C H Robinson uses its digital brokerages to provide more efficient routing, lower empty miles, and better operational efficiencies for global shippers.
   
• Uber Freight has created a unique platform that automates load matching, provides transparent pricing, and integrates with the shipper’s transportation management systems. Uber Freight also benefits from being part of the Uber platform, which allows them to tap into Uber's global network and mobile technology to scale up their services rapidly.
   
• RXO is the new name for what was formerly XPO Logistics Brokerage. They leverage technology to drive their operations, including automation, machine learning, and centralized carrier procurement. RXO enables large and mid-sized shippers to have better shipment visibility, more accurate pricing, and more predictive load planning through technology.
   
• J B Hunt drives the technology aspects of its brokerage through its large asset base. Through its platforms, J B Hunt provides multimodal capacity across road and rail. Their technology enhances service reliability, coverage, and operational efficiencies for both regional and enterprise carriers.
   
• Echo Global Logistics's focuses on managed transportation solutions are shippers with complex freight networks. Echo's platform provides automated processes for tendering and selecting carriers, along with the added benefit of real time visibility.
   
• XPO is leveraging its technological capabilities and experience in the logistics industry to deliver cloud based digital freight solutions. XPO's platforms help optimize full truckload, less than truckload and intermodal operations, as well as create efficiencies in shipping network and transit times across major markets.
   

Digital Freight Brokerage Market News

• In November 2025, C.H. Robinson was named to the 2026 FreightTech 25, recognizing it among the most innovative companies in transportation and logistics for its agentic AI use, continuous automation, and the launch of the Always-On Logistics Planner.
   
• In November 2025, Uber Freight announced a strategic expansion of its partnership with Better Trucks to boost last-mile delivery capability. Uber Freight took a minority ownership stake in Better Trucks, enabling combined delivery capacity across sortation centers and expanding last-mile coverage across the U.S.
   
• In October 2025, Echo Global Logistics was selected for the 2026 FreightTech 25 by FreightWaves, marking another year of recognition for its use of technology and data analytics to power its brokerage and managed-transportation services.
   
• In August 2025, Full Truck Alliance increased its freight brokerage service fees to reduce reliance on government grants. The company warned that this change may lead to a decline in transaction volume and revenue from freight brokerage services starting in the quarter ending September 2025.
   
• In August 2025, Full Truck Alliance reported strong second quarter results with total net revenues at RMB 3,239.1 million and net income at RMB? ,264.8 million, reflecting a 17.2 percent and 50.5% increase respectively. Fulfilled orders reached 60.8 million, up 23.8 percent from the prior year.
   

The digital freight brokerage market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecasts in terms of revenue (USD Mn) from 2022 to 2035, for the following segments:

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Market, By Transportation Mode

• Roadway
• Seaway
• Airway
• Railway

Market, By Service

• Full Truckload (FTL)
• Less than Truckload (LTL)
• Intermodal

Market, By Platform

• Mobile app-based platforms
• Web-based platforms

By Deployment Model

• Cloud-Based
• On-Premises
• Hybrid

By Organization Size

• Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
• Large Enterprises

Market, By Application

• Freight management
• Carrier & shipper matching
• Price bidding & auction
• Real-time tracking & analytics
• Automated documentation
• Others

Market, By End Use

• Retail & e-commerce
• Automotive
• Manufacturing
• Consumer goods
• Healthcare
• Food & beverages
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Nordics
  • Netherlands
  • Sweden
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Indonesia
  • Vietnam
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina 
• MEA
  • South Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Turkey