clearate builds a zero-based cost floor for every lane in your portfolio — so you know when you're overpaying, when you're at risk, and exactly where to negotiate.
Every carrier knows exactly what it costs to run your lane. You've been negotiating without that number. clearate changes that.
Upload your lanes and run your first portfolio analysis in under 5 minutes.
I spent years in freight operations watching shippers walk into carrier negotiations with nothing but last year's rates and a gut feel. Carriers knew exactly what it cost to run every lane. Shippers didn't.
With an industrial engineering background, I built the math that carriers use internally — driver pay, fuel, equipment depreciation, HOS cycles, deadhead, overhead — and put it in the hands of shippers.
clearate isn't a market rate tool. It's a cost engineering tool. There's a difference — and it's worth millions in your freight spend.
The cost model isn't a secret. We make it accessible, configurable, and defensible for every shipper regardless of size.
Industry benchmarks are useful for calibration. But your cost floor has to be built from your freight type, your routes, your carrier relationships.
We start with a consultation to understand your network. The model gets calibrated to your operation. The output is built for your next negotiation.
Every carrier walks into a negotiation knowing exactly what your lane costs to operate. clearate gives you that same number — built from first principles, calibrated to your freight.
The ZBC model is built from the same cost components carriers use internally to price freight. Nothing is estimated — everything is calculated.
Driver base pay, benefits burden, HOS-governed cycle time, load/unload time, idle time.
Live EIA diesel prices, loaded vs idle burn rate, actual MPG, deadhead fuel cost.
Tractor and trailer depreciation over replacement cycle, maintenance cost per mile, tires.
Insurance, permits, tolls — allocated per load based on route type and frequency.
Carrier G&A overhead as a percentage of operating costs, based on industry benchmarks.
Configurable carrier margin applied on top of the cost floor — your negotiation ceiling.
clearate works best as a guided engagement. The tool is powerful — but calibrated to your specific freight network, it becomes a precision instrument.
We start with a 30-minute conversation to understand your freight network — what you move, how you move it, who your carriers are, and how your rates are currently structured.
We configure the zero-based cost model to your specific freight type — setting the right payload, equipment costs, driver market rates, typical deadhead, and carrier margin. Your model, not industry averages.
This is the step most tools skip. A model calibrated to your operation produces cost floors you can actually defend in a negotiation.
We run your full lane portfolio through the calibrated model. Every lane gets a true cost floor, a status — Negotiate, Fair, or Risk — and an estimated annual savings figure.
The result is a ranked list of negotiation priorities. You know exactly which lanes to attack first, and by how much.
You walk into every carrier conversation with a PDF report, a defensible cost floor, and the math to back it up. No more gut feel, no more accepting bids you can't evaluate.
The report shows the carrier's cost structure, your current rate vs the floor, and a clear recommendation. It's the same conversation — with the numbers finally on your side.
Whether you're negotiating annual contracts with core carriers or evaluating a spot quote in real time, clearate gives you a cost floor in seconds.
Your 4–5 best carrier relationships. Negotiate annual rates with a ZBC floor that carriers can't dispute — it's built on their own cost structure.
Annual RFPQualified backup carriers. Get a ZBC floor before awarding a load so you know if the rate is sustainable for the carrier — and fair for you.
Contract / BidLast resort — highest cost, lowest service guarantee. Get a ZBC floor in 30 seconds before accepting a spot quote. Know if it's fair before you commit.
Spot / Last ResortEnter a lane and get an instant zero-based cost floor — built from driver pay, fuel, equipment, and overhead. No login required.