Mothership
Mothership Technologies is a freight-technology platform connecting shippers with 27,000+ verified carriers for same-day delivery and national LTL shipping. It offers an API-first TMS, billing, tracking, and AI-powered accessorial detection to enterprise and mid-market customers across 21 U.S. metros.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Mothership does
Mothership Technologies, Inc. is a freight-technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that operates a digital freight marketplace connecting shippers with a nationwide network of more than 27,000 verified, DOT-certified carriers. The platform offers two core transportation services—Local Same-Day delivery within roughly 100 miles across 21 major U.S. metros covering 7,000+ zip codes and approximately 70% of the U.S. population, and National Less-Than-Truckload shipping across more than 50,000 freight lanes—delivered through a TMS Dashboard, an AI-powered Intelligence layer, two API products (Galaxy API and Dashboard API), and an optional FreightProtect cargo insurance add-on. The company operates as an FMCSA-licensed property broker (USDOT #3029631, MC #38682-B) and runs a fully remote organization of 11-50 employees.
The technology stack is API-first, with both Galaxy API and Dashboard API exposing quoting, tendering, tracking, documents, and billing to customer TMS, ERP, and checkout systems. AI is applied to discrete operational problems—accessorial prediction using geospatial and historical data, address verification, smart carrier filtering, AI appointment scheduling, and AI-powered support chat—rather than to a single large foundation model. Real-time tracking, automated billing, universal invoicing and claims, and OpenAPI-documented developer tooling form the integration backbone.
Revenue is generated primarily through per-shipment transaction fees paid by credit card or ACH, with qualifying high-volume shippers receiving free platform access under a pay-as-you-go model. Supplementary revenue comes from usage-based FreightProtect cargo insurance premiums and Net 30 financing arrangements. The customer base spans enterprise accounts such as Walmart, Costco, and DoorDash; a broad mid-market segment across apparel, beverage, building materials, medical supplies, furniture, and consumer products; and a long tail of SMB and startup shippers acquired through self-serve signup, SEO, and developer relations channels.
Mothership firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mothership
- Legal name
- Mothership Technologies, Inc.
- Website
- https://mothership.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mothership Technologies is a freight-technology platform connecting shippers with 27,000+ verified carriers for same-day delivery and national LTL shipping. It offers an API-first TMS, billing, tracking, and AI-powered accessorial detection to enterprise and mid-market customers across 21 U.S. metros.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mothership industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Brokerage Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Freight Brokerage / Freight Marketplace Platforms (TLADAMAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAC), Expedited / Hotshot Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAG), Freight Brokerage (Truckload/LTL/Intermodal) (TLAIANAA)
Keywords
Where Mothership is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mothership business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Per-Shipment Transaction Fees: Customers pay per shipment by credit card or ACH. High-volume shippers meeting minimum volume requirements receive free platform access with per-shipment pricing only.
- FreightProtect Coverage: Optional premium cargo insurance coverage providing damage and loss protection with faster claims handling and reimbursement. Declared freight value coverage with competitive rates.
- Net 30 Financing: Billing terms offered to qualifying high-volume shippers with Net 30 payment arrangements, enabling working capital flexibility.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Free Platform Access for High-Volume Shippers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Same-Day Delivery Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Residential Delivery Accessorial |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mothership product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mothership operates a technology-enabled freight brokerage platform connecting shippers with a network of 27,001+ verified DOT-certified carriers. The company delivers same-day local freight within 100 miles across 21 major U.S. metros and technology-enhanced national LTL shipping across 50,000+ freight lanes. Its cloud-based platform combines instant quoting, AI-powered accessorial detection, real-time tracking, automated billing, and API-first integration for shippers of all sizes.
Product overview
Mothership is a freight-technology platform operating on a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of two trucking services: Local Same-Day (same-day delivery within 100 miles across 21 US metros) and National LTL (less-than-truckload shipping across 50,000+ lanes). These are powered by the TMS Dashboard as the central management platform, with Intelligence as an AI enhancement layer providing accessorial detection and cost optimization. Two APIs serve developer integration needs: Galaxy API (all-in-one carrier API with AI features) and Dashboard API (REST API for supply chain integration). FreightProtect Full Coverage provides optional cargo insurance. The platform connects shippers with a network of 27,000+ verified carriers and handles booking, dispatch, tracking, and billing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Local Same-Day On-demand, same-day freight delivery service operating within 100 miles across top US metros, offering real-time tracking, complimentary liftgate service, and delivery to 7,000+ zip codes covering 100 million people. Targets businesses requiring rapid local freight delivery including heavy goods, store restocking, and hot-shot shipments.
- National LTL Technology-enhanced national less-than-truckload shipping service with pre-negotiated rates, access to 50,000+ freight lanes, and direct integrations with top-tier national carriers. Designed for businesses shipping palletized freight nationwide with residential and limited access delivery support.
- TMS Dashboard Modern freight dashboard for growing businesses providing instant quoting and classification, AI-powered accessorial detection, address verification, all-in-one billing with Net 30 financing, real-time tracking, claims management, and scheduled/future shipment booking capabilities.
- Galaxy API All-in-one carrier API platform enabling developers to rate, tender, track, and manage freight documents programmatically. Powered by AI with smart carrier filtering, AI-powered accessorial detection, universal invoicing and claims, and performance metrics. Designed for integration with TMS, ERP, or e-commerce systems.
- Dashboard API RESTful API enabling supply chain integration with comprehensive carrier coverage, real-time webhook notifications, and access to nationwide and local same-day freight networks with sandbox and production environments. Includes OpenAPI specification for developer integration.
- FreightProtect Full Coverage Premium cargo insurance coverage protecting against damage and loss, featuring personalized coverage, industry-best pricing, fast claim approval (as little as 24 hours), dispute management, and automatic carrier reconciliation. Declared freight value coverage with competitive rates and up to 100% freight value reimbursement.
- Intelligence AI-powered shipping intelligence layer providing instant quoting, address auto-complete and verification, real-time cost optimization, and smart carrier filtering for smarter booking and fewer surprises. Delivered through Mothership Intelligence (powered by AI) including ShipBot programmatic assistant.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% on-time pick-up and delivery rate
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Mothership
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mothership technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Mothership partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- StripecorePayment processing services for drivers including instant payouts to bank accounts. Stripe processes all payment transactions on the Mothership platform.
- LoadsurecoreCargo insurance provider for FreightProtect coverage, offering up to 100% freight value reimbursement for shipments under the premium coverage option.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mothership competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Uber Freight: Digital freight brokerage spun out of Uber operating a marketplace for shippers and carriers across truckload and LTL, with API integrations and TMS-style tooling. Closest direct comparable to Mothership's marketplace model, though it operates at larger scale and primarily on TL.
- Loadsmart: Digital freight broker focused on truckload and LTL with API-first integrations and instant quoting/booking for enterprise shippers. Highly comparable technology architecture, customer segment, and go-to-market motion to Mothership's API products.
- Transfix: Digital freight brokerage combining technology-driven matching with managed service for enterprise shippers across truckload. Comparable digital-first brokerage model targeting mid-market and enterprise freight, with similar revenue model and customer profile.
Broad incumbents
- C.H. Robinson: Largest North American third-party logistics broker with broad LTL, truckload, and intermodal offerings plus Navisphere TMS. Competes head-to-head on Mothership's national LTL lanes but at vastly larger scale with deeper carrier relationships.
- Coyote Logistics: Major US freight brokerage (acquired by UPS) offering truckload, LTL, and intermodal with technology-enabled matching. Directly competes on LTL lanes and mid-market/enterprise freight shippers that Mothership targets.
- Echo Global Logistics: Technology-enabled non-asset 3PL offering truckload, LTL, and managed transportation across North America. Comparable tech-forward brokerage model serving enterprise shippers with similar service portfolio.
- Flexport: Tech-enabled global freight forwarder expanding into domestic trucking and LTL with API-based platform. Adjacent but expanding into Mothership's territory, with a comparable API-first philosophy for shippers.
Emerging players
- project44: Supply chain visibility and connectivity platform with carrier network and API integrations for shippers. Adjacent rather than competing directly, but increasingly overlapping in API-based freight orchestration and visibility tooling.
- FourKites: Real-time supply chain visibility platform offering shipment tracking, predictive ETA, and yard management. Comparable enterprise shipper base and API architecture; adjacent in that Mothership's tracking capabilities overlap with parts of FourKites' offerings.
- Next (NextTrucking): Digital freight marketplace focused on drayage and short-haul trucking, with mobile-first carrier app and shipper platform. Comparable asset-light, tech-driven model with similar carrier-onboarding approach though concentrated on port/drayage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mothership compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Mothership financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mothership leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Mothership funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mothership M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mothership
What does Mothership do?
Mothership operates a technology-enabled freight brokerage platform connecting shippers with a network of 27,001+ verified DOT-certified carriers. The company delivers same-day local freight within 100 miles across 21 major U.S. metros and technology-enhanced national LTL shipping across 50,000+ freight lanes. Its cloud-based platform combines instant quoting, AI-powered accessorial detection, real-time tracking, automated billing, and API-first integration for shippers of all sizes.
Is Mothership a public or private company?
Mothership is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Mothership founded?
Mothership was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mothership based?
Mothership is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mothership make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Per-Shipment Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are freightProtect Coverage and net 30 Financing.
Who are Mothership's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Uber Freight, Loadsmart and Transfix. Broad incumbents are C.H. Robinson, Coyote Logistics, Echo Global Logistics and Flexport. Emerging players are project44, FourKites and Next (NextTrucking).
Does Mothership have an API?
Yes. Mothership offers a RESTful API platform comprising the Galaxy API (all-in-one carrier API for rate, tender, track, and docs, powered by AI) and Dashboard API (for supply chain integration). Both APIs support sandbox and production environments with OpenAPI specification available. The API enables developers to create quotes, manage shipments, access real-time tracking, handle billing/invoice line items, and receive smart accessorial suggestions programmatically via ShipBot. Developer documentation is at developers.mothership.com/reference.
What industry is Mothership in?
Mothership's product category is Freight Brokerage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAMAO, Digital Freight Brokerage / Freight Marketplace Platforms, with a secondary code of TLADAMAC, Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.