Non-Asset Carrier / Broker Model

The non-asset model describes any freight intermediary that doesn't own the trucks moving your product. This includes traditional freight brokers, non-asset 3PLs, and the newer wave of digital freight platforms. Instead of maintaining fleets, these companies build and manage carrier networks – vetting providers, negotiating rates, and coordinating execution through technology and relationships.

Non-asset carriers generate revenue on the spread between what they charge shippers and what they pay the underlying carrier. Their value proposition is network breadth, market intelligence, and operational flexibility. A single non-asset provider might give you access to thousands of carriers across every mode and geography without requiring you to onboard, vet, and manage each relationship individually. For shippers, this means faster access to capacity and less administrative overhead.

The downside of the non-asset model is the added cost layer and potential loss of visibility and control. Every intermediary takes a margin, and you're one step removed from the actual carrier hauling your freight. Tracking quality, communication responsiveness, and claims resolution can all suffer when there's a middleman. Some non-asset providers also operate with a conflict of interest – if they're both selling you technology and brokering your freight, their platform may steer you toward their own capacity rather than the best option in the market.

Smart shippers treat non-asset providers as one tool in the kit rather than a wholesale replacement for direct carrier relationships. The best approach is maintaining a core roster of asset-based contract carriers for your highest-volume lanes while using brokers and non-asset providers for spot coverage, surge capacity, and lanes where you lack direct relationships.