John Wanamaker (1838-1922), the Philadelphia retailer often referred to as the father of modern advertising, once complained, “Half my advertising is wasted; I just don’t know which half.” Today, transportation companies and in-house divisions everywhere face a similar dilemma in tracking their over-the-road costs—they just don’t know what percentage of their budget is being spent wisely, and what part is, well, wasted.
 
Let’s face it—transportation is by far one of the most challenging industries in which to squeeze out cost savings. Seven years ago, when I was first getting into the business, getting trucks on the road ...