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Martin Lew, Founder, and CEOTraditionally, rail shippers have heavily depended upon off line methods to gauge overall viability or perform the successful execution of a new commercial opportunity. Relying upon phone calls and emails as a main form of communication, rail shippers have painstakingly moved from one provider to the next in an attempt to procure the assets and services needed to finalize a deal.
Martin Lew founded Commtrex to create one centralized network capable of seamlessly connecting rail shippers to suitable rail service providers. The platform allows shippers to quickly connect to transload operators, storage facilities, lessors, and a wide range of additional service providers. Initially, the company provided a technology platform solely as a self-serve business. But recently, the firm has integrated a full-service model and created a new rail logistics component that now provides end-to-end rail shipment management services and advanced data and analytics offerings. “Moving freight by rail can be one of the most effective and economical modes of transportation. However, managing the lifecycle of a rail shipment can be complicated, and doing it well requires a considerable amount of time, expertise, and technology,” said Lew.
Commtrex encompasses six components consisting of four unique railcar marketplaces (transload, lease, buy/sell, and storage), a comprehensive rail resources section, and a supplemental rail services directory. The company’s platform hosts more than 800 shippers and 1600 transloaders across the US, Canada, and Mexico. As trucking costs continue to skyrocket and reliability waivers, Commtrex has proven to be the number one go-to firm poised to provide customers with rail-centric transloading alternatives that are both environmentally friendly and lower in overall cost.
Historically, the rail logistics component of shipping was carried out in-house but the market has witnessed a shift toward outsourcing the rail components.
Seeing opportunity, Commtrex now initiates assistance with procuring rail cars, finding transloading services, or locating warehouses as a part of its service offerings.
For instance, a shipper who traditionally had not moved any freight by rail approached Commtrex when they could not find the trucking capacity to move their load. The client had never contracted a railroad, transloader, or warehouse, and needed to move the product within three weeks. Commtrex created a strategic plan for moving the load on railroads with short notice by researching and securing rail rates and routing, identifying a transload facility within close proximity to the client’s location, and coordinating the freight move from origin to destination. Commtrex’s logistics team ended up achieving about 15-18 percent savings for the client while ensuring flexibility and reliability.
Commtrex’s primary distinction is that they provide the largest database of rail-served supply side companies, including transloaders, warehouses, terminals, ports, short line railroads, and many others. “We have everything in our system and a shipper can connect directly with these providers through our platform,” states Lew.
Forging ahead, Commtrex is focused on developing new tools for shippers to manage their freight movement more efficiently. They are working on both a delivered cost calculator and a carbon footprint calculator so that shippers can analyze the prices and carbon footprint for their moving requirements on the platform itself. The company will further enhance warehousing options on their website to provide increased visibility into available product storage capacity.
They are also developing tools that will allow for shippers to access containers needed for intermodal movements. In addition, Commtrex is continually focused on adding educational materials and new training videos so that both new and experienced shippers can leverage the content and learn more about the rail industry. As rail continues to grow its footprint as the most sustainable and cost-effective mode of transportation, Commtrex has positioned itself as the go-to-platform for rail shippers to facilitate and manage their rail movements across North America.
Commtrex, known for its innovative tech-driven solutions, will tap into Eco-Energy’s extensive resources and infrastructure. This collaboration empowers Commtrex to offer comprehensive, tailored logistics management—fully outsourced or as-needed on-demand—to its diverse customer base. With Eco-Energy as Commtrex’s exclusive physical bulk logistics partner, the two companies are poised to streamline and simplify logistics management with turnkey, transparent, full-service supply chain solutions.
"Over the past year, our members have shown a growing interest in outsourcing their rail logistics and fleet management needs," said Martin Lew, CEO of Commtrex. "While Commtrex currently supports customers with certain complexities of rail transit, Eco-Energy's extensive experience, assets, and infrastructure enable us to address more sophisticated supply chain challenges. Partnering with Eco-Energy allows our customers to concentrate on scaling their core business while their bulk freight is expertly managed by a seasoned logistics team. Managing over 40,000 rail carloads and 85,000 truckloads, Eco-Energy is the ideal partner, proficient in anticipating and handling shipment intricacies. This synergy of technology, visibility, and service is set to elevate efficiencies across the freight shipping landscape."
“At Eco-Energy, we are thrilled to join forces with Commtrex, a company renowned for its cutting-edge technology and robust market presence. This partnership delivers incredible synergies, combining our extensive logistics capabilities with Commtrex’s innovative technology solutions. By leveraging our combined strengths, we will deliver comprehensive solutions to our customers with unmatched efficiency and transparency. This partnership not only enhances our ability to meet the market’s evolving needs but also positions us to transform how shippers manage their rail logistics across North America." - David Maggied, President of Transportation, Eco-Energy.
Together, Eco-Energy and Commtrex are not just meeting the market’s needs—they have comprehensive solutions for solving problems and are redefining the future of rail logistics.