How Cartage is Rethinking Freight Logistics with AI

Freight tendering has long been an antiquated process, with brokers and shippers often relying on a patchwork of phone calls and email threads to coordinate shipments. It’s an approach that works - but not without significant inefficiencies.

Cartage is on a mission to change that.

Cartage is an AI-managed logistics service that coordinates freight directly for shippers, eliminating the need for brokers or large logistics teams. 

By leveraging AI to automate workflows, Cartage integrates seamlessly into existing communication methods like email, reducing costs and improving efficiency without requiring behavioural changes from shippers or carriers.

This approach is resonating with customers. Since its launch in December 2023, Cartage has already onboarded over 30 shippers across the US and Canada, coordinating millions of dollars worth of freight.

Now, with $3.3M in funding led by Y Combinator, Garage Capital, Wayfinder Ventures, Northside Ventures, Pioneer Fund, and Ritual Capital, Cartage is focused on scaling its operations, refining its AI, and redefining how freight logistics are managed.

I sat down with Abdul Basharat, co-founder and CEO of Cartage, to discuss his journey, the challenges of building in the logistics space, and how AI is transforming freight management.

Now, on to the Q&A with Abdul!

Connect with Cartage on LinkedIn and their website.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. If you're short on time, skip to the TL;DR section for the key takeaways.