Transportation brokers and online freight exchanges match empty trailers with backhaul loads. However, in early 2009 Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions (VICS), GS1 Canada, and GS1 US, have come together and launched their "Empty Miles Service." The website www.emptymiles.org allows motor carriers and shippers to match empty trailers with available loads. Organizations, such as Macy's, are already reaping benefits from this service. Empty miles enabled Macy's to put together about 30 backhaul loads per week with Schneider National. Macy's receive about 30 percent rate reduction for these backhaul load moves, which is expected to save about $25,000 a year in transportation costs on each backhaul line. Schneider National also gets the benefit of the service as it helped to eliminate 11 percent of its empty miles and increase its backhaul freight by 22 percent. As of now the service is available in United States, but there are plans to expand it to Canada.
Source: "Associations offer new load-matching service." CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly, Quarter 4/2009.