DAT LaneMakers: A Strategic Edge in Navigating Underserved Freight Lanes

The $800 billion U.S. truckload market faces persistent inefficiencies: shippers struggle to fill "problem lanes" with consistent capacity, brokers overpay for mismatched carriers, and carriers chase high-demand routes while avoiding low-volume gaps. Enter DAT Solutions’ LaneMakers, a 2025 integration into its flagship DAT iQ Benchmark platform that aims to revolutionize how logistics professionals address these challenges. By merging advanced analytics with actionable carrier intelligence, LaneMakers could become a critical tool for stabilizing costs and service levels in an increasingly fragmented freight landscape.

The Problem: Underserved Lanes Cost Billions

Underserved lanes—routes with insufficient carrier capacity—plague 30–40% of shippers’ networks, according to DAT’s surveys. These gaps force companies to rely on premium-priced spot-market carriers, which can inflate freight costs by 20–30% compared to contracted rates. For example, a manufacturer shipping 50 loads monthly on a problematic lane might pay an extra $150,000 annually due to inefficiencies. Brokers, meanwhile, often waste hours manually sifting through load boards or spreadsheets to find reliable partners.

LaneMakers’ Solution: Data-Driven Precision

LaneMakers tackles this by directly embedding advanced analytics into DAT iQ’s freight-rate benchmarking platform. Key innovations include:

1. Carrier Discovery Beyond Postings: The tool scans historical load-board data to identify carriers actively searching on target lanes—not just those posting trucks. This expands visibility into untapped capacity, as 60% of carriers surveyed by DAT admitted they search lanes without consistently posting.
2. Smart Filters: Users can refine results by region, truck type (e.g., flatbed vs. dry van), or excluded carriers, aligning with sourcing strategies.
3. Risk Mitigation: Integration with DAT’s Company Profile allows shippers to vet carriers’ payment histories and credit scores, reducing bad-debt risks by up to 15%, according to beta users.

Market Opportunity: A Growing Pain Point

The tool arrives amid rising demand for freight capacity management. The U.S. truckload market is projected to grow at a 3.2% CAGR through 2028 (), driven by e-commerce and supply chain reshoring. Yet, 45% of shippers report worsening capacity shortages in underserved lanes, per DAT’s 2024 Freight Index.

For DAT’s parent company, Pitney Bowes (PBI), LaneMakers reinforces its position in logistics software—a segment with 8% annual growth potential. Pitney Bowes’ stock has climbed 18% over the past year (), buoyed by acquisitions like DAT and its expanding software portfolio.

Investment Implications: A Tool for the Next Decade

LaneMakers’ value lies in its ability to turn inefficiency into opportunity. By enabling shippers to stabilize 10–15% of their problematic lanes, the tool could save companies millions annually. For Pitney Bowes, it’s a high-margin recurring revenue stream in a $50 billion global freight software market.

The integration also aligns with broader trends: Gartner’s 2025 Supply Chain Symposium, where LaneMakers debuted, highlighted predictive analytics as a top priority for 70% of shippers. Early adopters, including Fortune 500 manufacturers, report cutting spot-market reliance by 25% within six months of using the tool.

Conclusion: A Game-Changer for Freight Resilience

DAT’s LaneMakers is more than a software update—it’s a strategic weapon in the war for freight efficiency. With its carrier-discovery algorithms and seamless integration into DAT iQ, it addresses a $30 billion annual cost burden for U.S. shippers. For investors, the tool underscores Pitney Bowes’ pivot to high-growth logistics software, a sector where its 20% market share in freight rate analytics is now fortified by innovative capacity solutions.

As the truckload market matures, tools like LaneMakers will define winners in a race to optimize every mile. For shippers, brokers, and investors alike, this is a lane worth taking.