Logistics and transport Case study
Freight bidding marketplace
An ASP.NET web marketplace where shippers post freight loads and carriers bid, with plans and free trials, freight alarms, card and ACH payments, mileage lookup and a SOAP API to external logistics systems, on Azure.
- Client
- Freight bidding
- Service
- Web apps, Integrations, eCommerce
- Years
- 2011–2018 (7 years)
- Stack
- ASP.NET, C#, WordPress, PayPal Payflow Pro and 8 more
- Platforms
- Web
Client details are private, so this study describes the client by type.
Overview
This is a web application for freight brokering: shippers post loads and carriers bid on them, for partial-load (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) freight and for heavy equipment. We built and maintained it from 2011 to 2018 as an ASP.NET application hosted on Microsoft Azure, from page design and the bidding flow to payments, administration and integrations with other logistics systems.
The challenge
Several kinds of user share one marketplace: shippers, carriers, brokers and staff each need their own view, plan and permissions, and a load has to be priced, bid on, awarded and paid for correctly. The platform also had to exchange loads and bids with other logistics systems and look up addresses and mileage reliably.
What we built
- Pages built from the designers' PSD files, dynamic email templates and cross-browser fixes
- Posting, editing, extending and withdrawing loads and bids, with bidding that can include equipment, and freight alarms that notify carriers about matching loads
- Subscription plans with different access levels, a free-trial period with a countdown, and enterprise accounts with sponsored co-workers
- Card and ACH payments through PayPal Payflow Pro and Braintree
- Address auto-completion and mileage with Google Maps and PC*Miler, including searches by radius
- A review module where shippers and carriers leave feedback on each other
- Admin tools for users, loads, sales reports and user activity, with charts
- Integrations: carrier credit checks, load-posting and carrier-management APIs, an accounting transfer to QuickBooks, and a SOAP API that sends and receives loads and bids for external logistics systems (Oracle Transportation Management)
- Hosting on Microsoft Azure, including the database, background worker roles and continuous deployment
How a system like this fits together
Reference architecture: freight bidding marketplace
Simplified reference architecture, not a client schematic.
- Shippers and carriers use the browser app to post loads, bid and manage shipments; staff use the admin tools for users, loads and reports.
- Both reach one ASP.NET web application over HTTPS, which handles loads, bids, freight alarms and accounts.
- The application reads and writes a database hosted on Microsoft Azure.
- The application calls outside services directly: address lookup and mileage, card and ACH payments, credit checks, accounting transfer, load-posting and carrier APIs, and a SOAP API that exchanges loads and bids with external logistics systems.
- Scheduled background workers on Azure, for example freight alarms and load imports, run against the same database.
Technology used
| Layer | Choice | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Application | ASP.NET (C#) | loads, bids, accounts, freight alarms and admin tools |
| Public site | WordPress | blog, moved onto Azure |
| Payments | PayPal Payflow Pro, Braintree | card and ACH payments |
| Maps | Google Maps, PC*Miler | address auto-completion and mileage |
| Hosting | Microsoft Azure | database hosting, background worker roles and continuous deployment |
| Integration | SOAP API, REST-style partner APIs, QuickBooks API | loads and bids for external logistics systems, load posting, accounting transfer |
What happened next
- Delivered
The work described above was delivered to the client.
- Operational facts
- Our work on this project spanned 2011–2018.
- It was maintained and extended over 7 years.
Screens
Could this be your project?
- You need a web application with user accounts, admin tools and reporting. Website and web app development
- Your product has to connect to payment, accounting, messaging or other third-party systems.
- You work in logistics and transport and want a team that has built for it before. Logistics and transport work
Questions about this project
How long did this project take?
Our work on it ran from 2011 to 2018.
What technology was used?
ASP.NET, C#, WordPress, PayPal Payflow Pro, Google Maps, Microsoft Azure, PC*Miler, Braintree, SOAP, QuickBooks API, Oracle OTM, jQuery.
Was it maintained and extended over time?
Yes. Our work on this project was maintained and extended over 7 years, from 2011 to 2018.
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