What Test Drive does

Test Drive is a privately-held freight procurement firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in Ada, Michigan, operating under the trade identity "Test Drive | The Anti-Broker." The company connects large enterprise shippers directly with asset-based trucking carriers, positioning itself against the traditional freight brokerage model by maintaining low fixed margins, full disclosure of carrier names and rates, and a structured "test drive" workflow that allows shippers to verify carrier performance on lanes before contracting directly. Its core product is a carrier procurement platform that brokers initial testing relationships, introduces the parties, and then encourages ongoing direct shipper-carrier engagement once qualification is complete, eliminating back-solicitation barriers and the variable margins typical of incumbent brokers.

The firm's revenue model is a transaction-based fixed margin on loads facilitated through the platform, billed on a pay-as-you-go basis, with specific rates quoted per engagement rather than published. Sales are executed through direct enterprise field outreach targeting Fortune-tier shippers and established asset-based carriers, supported by a content-driven marketing presence (website, testimonials, FAQ, blog, Vimeo video, and social channels) rather than traditional paid distribution. The company is EcoVadis and EPA SmartWay certified, is an Inc. 5000 honoree, and reports saving customers "tens of millions" in shipping expenses since inception.

Customers are concentrated in the enterprise segment, with documented relationships including a Fortune 50 retailer, a Fortune 100 medical manufacturer, a Fortune 250 furniture manufacturer, a Fortune 300 food and beverage company, and a Fortune 500 paper manufacturer. The platform currently serves hundreds of companies and moves thousands of loads monthly, with operations domestic to the United States. The firm has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, no publicly identified management team beyond founder Brent Jordan, and operates with a headcount in the 11-50 employee range.

Name

Test Drive

Legal name

Test Drive

Website

https://tdusa.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Test Drive is a private trucking procurement firm based in Ada, Michigan that connects large enterprise shippers directly with asset-based carriers. Operating as "The Anti-Broker" since 2013, the firm facilitates carrier testing, transparent fixed-margin pricing, and long-term direct contracting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction/Margin-based Fees: Test Drive earns revenue by maintaining a low fixed margin on transactions between shippers and carriers. Unlike traditional brokers who take variable margins from both sides, Test Drive charges a transparent, consistent fee structure. The model encourages direct relationships after the testing phase, reducing ongoing transaction costs for repeat business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Test Drive operates as a strategic trucking procurement intermediary that connects enterprise shippers directly with asset-based carriers. Its core service allows shippers to test carriers across lanes before transitioning to direct long-term contracts, while Test Drive maintains a low fixed margin on each transaction. The model replaces traditional freight brokerage practices with full transparency on carrier names, rates, and accessorials, helping shippers reduce procurement costs and helping carriers secure direct, higher-margin business.

Product overview

Test Drive is a unified trucking procurement platform positioned as "The Anti-Broker." Rather than operating as a traditional brokerage with hidden margins and information asymmetry, Test Drive facilitates direct relationships between shippers and asset-based carriers. The core platform enables shippers to test carriers before contracting them, verify performance across different lanes, and eventually onboard preferred carriers directly—all while Test Drive maintains a low fixed margin. The company, founded in 2013, has saved customers "tens of millions" in shipping expenses and helps carriers make more money by avoiding traditional broker intermediation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Test Drive Carrier Procurement Platform A strategic trucking procurement platform that connects enterprise shippers with reliable asset-based carriers, enabling companies to test carriers before contracting and build direct, profitable, long-term carrier relationships. The platform helps shippers save money and time while helping carriers access direct business opportunities, operating on a low fixed margin with full carrier name and rate disclosure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved customers TENS OF MILLIONS in shipping expenses since inception
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• RXO (formerly Coyote Logistics): Public tech-enabled freight brokerage spun out from UPS following the Coyote acquisition; serves large shippers with truckload and last-mile services. Comparable as a large-scale enterprise-focused truckload broker; differs by scale, technology investment, and traditional brokerage economics.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Major asset-based carrier and one of the largest US truckload/intermodal/dedicated providers with a sizable Integrated Capacity Solutions brokerage segment. Comparable as an enterprise truckload services provider; contrasts via substantial owned-asset fleet and broader service portfolio.
• CH Robinson: Largest North American third-party freight broker with broad truckload, LTL, intermodal, and global forwarding services. Test Drive competes for the same enterprise shipper procurement dollars but operates at radically smaller scale and with a transparent, low-margin 'Anti-Broker' positioning rather than a traditional percentage-margin model.

Emerging players

• Loadsmart: Digital freight broker and logistics platform combining AI-driven pricing with carrier matching for truckload, drayage, and intermodal. Comparable as an asset-light, technology-first brokerage; Loadsmart's automation differs from Test Drive's relationship-led service approach.
• Uber Freight: Digital freight marketplace and brokerage built on Uber's technology platform, serving shippers and carriers with transparent pricing and digital booking. Comparable as a technology-driven, transparency-focused brokerage targeting enterprise shippers; backed by substantially more capital and offering a fuller digital platform.
• Truckstop.com: One of the largest digital load boards and freight matching platforms connecting carriers and brokers, with added factoring and compliance services. Comparable as a freight matching/connection platform; differs by serving brokers/ carriers as customers rather than acting as the shipper-facing procurement partner.

Direct peers

• Landstar System: Non-asset-based truckload broker and logistics provider using a network of independent agents and owner-operators to serve enterprise shippers. Closely comparable business model: arranged (not owned) capacity, low-overhead structure, and focus on shipper-carrier matching; Landstar's much larger scale and agent-based distribution differ.
• Echo Global Logistics: Tech-enabled freight broker acquired by The Jordan Company, serving enterprise and mid-market shippers with truckload and managed transportation. Comparable as a third-party truckload broker targeting enterprise shippers using outsourced carrier networks; Echo's wider tech stack and larger scale differ.
• Worldwide Express: Unison Global-acquired logistics provider offering LTL, truckload, and parcel brokerage services to mid-market and enterprise shippers via a sales-team-plus-technology model. Comparable as an outsourced transportation procurement partner for shippers; differs in scale and multi-mode focus.

Others

• Maersk Logistics & Services (Damco): Global integrated logistics arm of Maersk offering end-to-end supply chain management, including road freight brokerage and 4PL procurement services for large shippers. Comparable as an enterprise procurement and carrier-management partner; operates at far greater scale and across international geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TestDriveus
• YouTubeplayer.vimeo.com/video/443099414
• Facebookfacebook.com/tdusa.us

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Test Drive