A freight exchange without a subscription
Freight exchange, transport exchange, marketplace – the words are used interchangeably, but the business models behind them differ considerably.
A classic freight exchange sells access to a list. You pay a monthly fee, see load offers and submit bids. Whether that turns into an order does not change the fee. The model works for high-volume operators who spread the fixed cost across many orders.
A marketplace works the other way round: access is free and the platform takes a share of the order actually driven. For small operators and owner-drivers that shifts the risk – a weak week then costs nothing.
The second difference is price formation. On exchanges with a bidding process the lowest bid regularly wins, which compresses margins. With a fixed order price there is nothing to undercut: you see the pay and decide whether it works for your run.
Freight exchange and marketplace compared
| Aspect | Classic freight exchange | Marketplace like Maxmove |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Monthly subscription, regardless of order volume | No subscription, a share per order driven |
| Price formation | Bidding and negotiation, often undercutting | Fixed price, visible before acceptance |
| Proof of delivery | your own arrangement, usually on paper | digital in the app, with photo and timestamp |
| Settlement | individual invoice to every client | via the platform, part of the order flow |