Transport Solutions
Transport Solutions LLC is an independent freight optimization consultancy founded in 1987 and headquartered in Long Beach, California. It helps multinational enterprises select carriers, negotiate freight rates, and model landed costs across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersLong Beach, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Transport Solutions does
Transport Solutions LLC (TSL) is an independent freight optimization consultancy founded in 1987 by Phil Ramsdale and headquartered in Long Beach, California. The firm advises large enterprises and multinational corporations with complex, multi-modal, and multi-regional transportation needs, helping clients reduce freight spend and improve shipping efficiency through carrier selection, contract negotiation, and strategic transportation analysis. TSL explicitly operates without alliances to transportation providers, positioning itself as a conflict-free advisor to logistics and supply chain leadership.
TSL's service stack includes Freight Optimization Assessments, Freight Negotiation and Implementation, Site Location and Landed Cost Studies, Benchmarking Studies, Monthly/Quarterly Reports, and Freight Payment Company Selection and Management. Underlying these services is proprietary software covering RFQ processes, rate comparison, and multi-region transportation modeling, supported by a global freight rate library that has accumulated across 30+ years of carrier bid processes. The firm runs approximately 25-30 bid processes annually across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, continuously refreshing both client outcomes and the underlying benchmark dataset. Named enterprise clients include NetApp, Western Digital, Broadcom, Seagate, Bosch, Logitech, The Gores Group, Hampton Lumber, and the Logistics Services Alliance consortium.
TSL generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements and multi-year retainers, with quote-based engagement pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with two strategic partnerships—the Logistics Services Alliance (LSA) consortium for collective freight purchasing across global regions and Cascade Business Group for combined IT/logistics strategy delivery—and a content-led pipeline (industry blog, CSCMP Edge conference participation, and press relations as an expert source for journalists). The firm is founder-owned and operates without external investment, with revenue mechanics anchored in senior-consultant billable utilization and repeat engagements from large multinational clients.
Transport Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Transport Solutions
- Legal name
- Transport Solutions LLC
- Website
- https://tsllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Transport Solutions LLC is an independent freight optimization consultancy founded in 1987 and headquartered in Long Beach, California. It helps multinational enterprises select carriers, negotiate freight rates, and model landed costs across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Transport Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Optimization Consulting
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contract & Tariff Management (Carrier Contracts, Accessorials, Lane/Zone Rates) (TLAEAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rate Data Management & Master Data (Rate Cards, Fuel Surcharges, DIM/FAK Rules) (TLAEAIAF), Shipper-Carrier Direct Contracting Networks (TLAEAJAC)
Keywords
Where Transport Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Long Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Transport Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Freight Optimization Consulting: Professional consulting services providing freight optimization assessments, carrier selection and negotiation support, and implementation assistance. Revenue generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements for ongoing strategic support.
- Site Location and Landed Cost Studies: Analysis services evaluating current and potential site location networks across Americas, EMEA, and APR regions with 'what if' scenario modeling
- Benchmarking Studies: Competitive rate analysis using historical data and freight rate libraries to assess how competitive client rates are
- Monthly/Quarterly Reporting: Customized analysis and reporting services to monitor transport cost levels, track volumes, costs, and metrics with trend visualization
- Freight Payment Company Selection Advisory: Consulting services to help clients select and manage freight payment companies, leveraging 18 years of operational experience in the sector before divesting in 2006
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Professional Services Engagement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Transport Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Transport Solutions LLC provides freight optimization consulting to large enterprises and multinational companies. Core offerings include Freight Optimization Assessments, Freight Negotiation and Implementation support, Site Location and Landed Cost Studies, Benchmarking Studies, Monthly/Quarterly Reporting, and Freight Payment Company Selection and Management. Engagements are powered by TSL's proprietary software and a proprietary global freight rate database accumulated over 30+ years, spanning ground, ocean, and air modes across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
Product overview
Transport Solutions is a freight optimization consulting firm offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a software platform. The core offerings include Freight Optimization Assessment, Freight Negotiation and Implementation, Site Location and Landed Cost Studies, Benchmarking Studies, Monthly/Quarterly Reports, and Freight Payment Company Selection and Management. These services are powered by TSL's proprietary software and supported by a team of experienced consultants. The company also supports the Logistics Services Alliance (LSA), a consortium model for collective freight purchasing across global regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freight Optimization Assessment
Quantifiable outcome
- Saved $2 million on one year's freight through RFQ process
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Transport Solutions
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Transport Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Transport Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Logistics Services Alliance (LSA)coreThe LSA consists of a team of companies that work together to buy freight services in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Each member company contracts individually with freight companies after a highly detailed yet efficient selection process conducted on an annual basis for each world region. Transport Solutions provides analytical services and support to the group year-round.
- Cascade Business Group, LLCsupportingCascade is a premier provider of information technology and logistics strategy as well as project management services. Transport Solutions and Cascade share resources and expertise to deliver clients complete solutions. The partnership combines transportation optimization with IT and logistics strategy expertise.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Transport Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- nVision Global: Freight audit, payment, and supply chain visibility provider for multinational shippers. Comparable in scope of global freight rate analysis and audit services TSL performs for its clients.
- CTSI-Global: Freight audit, payment, and global logistics management services company. Comparable to TSL's audit/payment advisory and global freight cost optimization capabilities.
- CLX Logistics: Managed transportation and logistics consulting provider serving global shippers. Comparable to TSL in carrier procurement, RFP management, and strategic transportation consulting.
- Cass Information Systems: Provider of freight audit and payment, transportation expense management, and related consulting services to large enterprises. Closest direct comparable to TSL's freight payment selection and rate benchmarking work.
- Trax Technologies: Global freight audit, payment, and transportation spend management firm serving large shippers. Directly comparable to TSL's freight audit, benchmarking, and rate optimization offerings.
- TranzAct Technologies: Freight audit, payment, and transportation spend management firm serving enterprise shippers. Comparable scope to TSL's audit advisory, benchmarking, and contract management work.
- AFMS Logistics: Freight audit and consulting firm specializing in transportation cost reduction for mid-market and enterprise clients. Directly comparable to TSL's carrier negotiation and rate benchmarking focus.
- enVista: Supply chain and logistics consulting firm with transportation procurement, rate analysis, and TMS implementation services. Directly comparable consulting-driven peer.
Broad incumbents
- Uber Freight: Large-scale digital freight brokerage and managed transportation provider. Adjacent incumbent that competes for shipper transportation budget via a platform-plus-services model that overlaps parts of TSL's RFP and carrier selection practice.
- Blue Yonder: Enterprise supply chain and TMS software vendor with embedded transportation procurement, rate management, and carrier selection capabilities. Broad incumbent that overlaps TSL's procurement and contract management domain via software rather than consulting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Transport Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceTransport Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Transport Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Transport Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Transport Solutions 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 Transport Solutions
What does Transport Solutions do?
Transport Solutions LLC provides freight optimization consulting to large enterprises and multinational companies. Core offerings include Freight Optimization Assessments, Freight Negotiation and Implementation support, Site Location and Landed Cost Studies, Benchmarking Studies, Monthly/Quarterly Reporting, and Freight Payment Company Selection and Management. Engagements are powered by TSL's proprietary software and a proprietary global freight rate database accumulated over 30+ years, spanning ground, ocean, and air modes across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.
Is Transport Solutions a public or private company?
Transport Solutions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Transport Solutions founded?
Transport Solutions was founded in 1987. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Transport Solutions based?
Transport Solutions is headquartered in Long Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Transport Solutions make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Freight Optimization Consulting is the primary driver. The others are site Location and Landed Cost Studies, benchmarking Studies, monthly/Quarterly Reporting and freight Payment Company Selection Advisory.
Who are Transport Solutions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are nVision Global, CTSI-Global, CLX Logistics, Cass Information Systems, Trax Technologies, TranzAct Technologies, AFMS Logistics and enVista. Broad incumbents are Uber Freight and Blue Yonder.
Does Transport Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Transport Solutions.
What industry is Transport Solutions in?
Transport Solutions's product category is Freight Optimization Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAEAIAB, Contract & Tariff Management (Carrier Contracts, Accessorials, Lane/Zone Rates), with a secondary code of TLAEAIAF, Rate Data Management & Master Data (Rate Cards, Fuel Surcharges, DIM/FAK Rules). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.