Optimize Freight Broker Workflow
Optimize a freight broker's day by putting the right info in front of the user at any given time. Make common tasks simple.
Discovery Design User Testing
The Challenge
Freight brokers are expected to cover 10-15 loads in a day. At Parade we think each broker could cover 150 loads a day. By studying their process and optimizing inefficiencies, we can move the needle towards our goal.
Understand the Problems
After talking to dozens of brokers and synthesizing learnings with a cross-functional team, we identified five crucial questions brokers needed answered throughout the day:
- What loads do I need to cover?
- Which loads should I prioritize?
- Who do I contact first on any given load?
- How do I manage inbound calls/texts/emails and continue progress on my tasks?
- Can I cover more than just one load at a time?
Prioritized Solutions
We prioritized solutions based on impact and feasibility:
- Fix the carrier list — the most impactful, hardest problem.
- Enable actions inside the list — high usability gain with minimal effort.
- Show what to do next — notifications, insights, and best practices over time.
- Allow interruptions without disruption — brokers handle constant inbound requests.
The Carrier List
We replaced confidence scores with data-backed reasons each match was displayed (e.g. recent successful hauls on similar routes), improving understanding and trust.
Actionable Results
Bringing critical actions (quotes, capacity, lane preferences) into the broker’s primary workflow increased usage without slowing users down.
Intuitive Dashboard
The dashboard is a jumping off point for the most important tasks: targeted loads, new quotes, real-time notifications, and insights.
The results
- Brokers work the right load first and know what’s next.
- Fewer calls by contacting the best-fit carriers first.
- Insights feed back into matching algorithms with minimal extra work.
- Incoming quotes are never missed, improving coverage speed and rates.