DAT acquires Convoy Platform to boost digital freight matching
The acquisition will strengthen DAT’s technology and innovation capabilities by integrating the Convoy Platform’s experienced team and advanced features.
DAT Freight & Analytics has announced the acquisition of the Convoy Platform from Flexport, expanding its portfolio with advanced automation and digital freight-matching capabilities, according to an official release.
The Convoy Platform provides freight brokers a powerful way to automate virtually every aspect of the freight transaction and connect with trusted trucking companies. It is an ideal complement to DAT One, DAT’s flagship subscription-based load board, where nearly 700,000 loads are posted daily.
“The acquisition of Convoy demonstrates DAT’s ongoing commitment to enhancing network value for our customers,” says Jeff Clementz, DAT President and CEO. “Together, we will give customers a better, broader freight-matching network, the ability to manage more loads and capture incrementally more business, and ultimately more choice.”
“We invested in the Convoy Platform because we saw its potential. In just 18 months, we improved the core technology platform, reengaged the market, and significantly increased its value. Importantly, we demonstrated a strong product-market fit by decoupling the platform from a brokerage,” says Ryan Petersen, Founder and CEO of Flexport. “We look forward to a lasting relationship as a DAT customer. This sale is a win for the entire freight industry, a win for DAT, and a win for Flexport.”
In a blog post, Petersen of Flexport noted that the Convoy Platform is now stronger, more widely adopted, and significantly more valuable than at the time of acquisition. As the platform evolved, it became clear that realising its full potential would require it to function as a neutral infrastructure layer within the freight ecosystem.
“This sale allows us to focus our capital and energy on our core business: helping the world’s most beloved brands move goods through global logistics, customs, and technology. It sets the Convoy Platform up for long-term success as a neutral infrastructure layer that integrates across shippers, brokers, and carriers.”
Flexport acquired the Convoy Platform and related intellectual property in October 2023 and launched the Convoy Platform as a freight-matching service for all brokers in April 2024, growing the platform with thousands of carriers. Flexport’s vision and investment in building and scaling the Convoy Platform for the broader market, as a neutral digital marketplace, creates significant value for DAT and its customers.
The acquisition will strengthen DAT’s technology and innovation capabilities by integrating the Convoy Platform’s experienced team and advanced features. Led by Bill Driegert, who will join DAT’s executive leadership, the platform’s engineers, product specialists, and operations professionals bring deep industry expertise. The Convoy Platform enhances fraud prevention through proprietary machine learning and AI tools that verify carriers and block malicious activity, enabling brokers to operate more securely and efficiently. Its user-friendly mobile app, used by nearly 30,000 carriers, primarily owner-operators and small fleets, offers a seamless experience for finding loads, managing paperwork, and receiving payments. Additionally, all carriers on the platform have access to QuickPay, ensuring fast and reliable payments across every load, the release added.
DAT plans to integrate the Convoy Platform into its DAT One product, creating a unified solution that combines automated and hands-on freight-matching capabilities. This integration will enable brokers to access both options seamlessly, while carriers will benefit from a faster, more efficient way to find high-quality loads from trusted brokers, leveraging DAT’s extensive network and industry reach.
