Case study: a Québec carrier cuts 40% of empty runs

The starting point

A mid-sized Québec drayage carrier ran a fleet of trucks between Montréal terminals and regional depots. Like most carriers, roughly a third of its kilometres were empty — structural waste it had simply priced into every quote.

What changed

Within the first month on PortChief, the dispatch team began posting empties and surplus missions instead of running them one-way. Closer carriers picked up the legs that no longer made sense to keep in-house, and the team claimed swaps that filled their own return trips.

The result

Empty runs fell by 40%. Fuel spend dropped, drivers completed more loaded moves per shift, and the carrier could quote sharper rates without touching its margin. The waste had been hiding in plain sight — swapping made it visible and tradable.