Email and Excel
Every forwarder sends its quote in a different format. You have to add fuel, tolls and ancillary charges by hand. Quotes cannot be compared at the push of a button. Follow-up questions and clarifications are unavoidable.
Digital freight procurement: spot and annual tenders in one system
For shippers in industry and trade: tender your shipments in your own freight portal. Compare all forwarder quotes instantly and at a glance.
- Road, rail, sea and air freight
- Your own portal, servers in Germany
- You decide who carries your freight
- No competitor sees your tenders
An example This is what the results of a tender look like in eFrexx
Hamburg → Munich · Truck · Full truckloadDeadline 14:00 · 5 bids sealed
- Bid 1Bid 1€1,284On-time 95 %
- Bid 2Bid 2€1,245On-time 93 %
- Bid 3
- Bid 4Bid 4€1,310On-time 96 %
- Bid 5
Best price or best quality: you choose the criteria for the best decision.
- Ø20.84%
- Proven savings
on freight costs - 80%
- Less effort in the tendering process
- under24h
- until your portal is ready
These companies tender their freight with eFrexx
- Liebherr
- Wieland
- Windmöller & Hölscher
- Saurer
- Bott
- Jumo
- Knipex
- Pulcra Chemicals
Freight tendering today: many tools, little overview
Most shippers buy freight capacity with a mix of email, Excel and freight exchanges. Each of these has a catch.
Open freight exchanges
On a freight exchange, the cheapest offer often wins. Quality falls by the wayside. The market sees what you ship and in what volumes, and your competitors draw their conclusions.
TMS or ERP modules
A transport management system manages and invoices. It is rarely built for procurement itself, and implementation often takes months.
eFrexx is built for one job:
- Tender freight
- Compare quotes
- Cut freight costs
- Reduce workload
- Find the best carrier
How a freight tender works with eFrexx
-
1
Define your needs
You set origin and destination, time windows and all parameters in a clearly defined form. You make the bid structure mandatory, and forwarders must quote their prices in exactly that structure.
-
2
Invite forwarders
You invite your existing partners and, if needed, new providers. Bidders cannot see each other.
-
3
Compare quotes
eFrexx instantly shows all bids side by side, ready to compare, and highlights the best price. For annual tenders, you run through different award scenarios to make the best decision.
-
4
Award the job
You decide by your own criteria who carries the shipment. Every tender is fully documented.
Spot tendering and tender management on one platform
Spot tendering
For short-term needs. You tender a shipment in just a few minutes, worldwide and for every mode of transport. Templates make sure all quotes arrive in the same format.
| Bidder | Freight | Surcharges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bid 1 | €1,140 | €144 | €1,284 |
| Bid 3 | €1,071 | €127 | €1,198 |
| Bid 2 | €1,108 | €137 | €1,245 |
Tender management
For annual and contract tenders. You define the rate structure, with as many lanes and tiered prices as you need. eFrexx checks every entry for plausibility instantly, on your side and on the bidders’ side. This shortens your tender cycles by up to 70 %.
| Lane | up to 10 t | up to 24 t | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE 40 → DE 80 | €612 | €1,198 | ok |
| DE 40 → AT 4 | €734 | €1,402 | ok |
| DE 40 → CH 8 | €8,900 | €1,655 | implausible |
All modes of transport
Each mode of transport has its own input form: for sea freight, eFrexx asks for the containers, for example, and for air freight, weight and volume. That way you get quotes you can compare like for like.
New tender · Road
- Origin
- Hamburg, DE 20
- Destination
- Munich, DE 80
- Load
- Full truckload
- Weight
- 24 t
- Pick-up window
- Mon 08:00 to 12:00
New tender · Rail
- Origin
- Duisburg, DE 47
- Destination
- Verona, IT 37
- Loading unit
- Semi-trailer
- Quantity
- 6
- Departure window
- Week 46
New tender · Sea freight
- Port of loading
- Hamburg, DEHAM
- Port of discharge
- Shanghai, CNSHA
- Containers
- 2 × 40' HC
- Containers
- 1 × 20' standard
- Shipping window
- Week 48
New tender · Air freight
- Departure airport
- Frankfurt, FRA
- Destination airport
- Singapore, SIN
- Weight
- 480 kg
- Volume
- 2.6 m³
- Departure window
- Tue to Thu
Example of an input form
Freight exchange, TMS or tendering platform?
All three help with transport. When it comes to procurement, they differ clearly.
eFrexx does not replace your TMS. It takes care of the procurement step before it. You exchange data via an interface (API) or file import.
 | Freight exchange | TMS or ERP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sees your tender? | only the forwarders you invite | the open market | internal |
| Built for | freight procurement and cost reduction | matching loads and capacity | planning, execution, invoicing |
| Comparing quotes | automatic, in one consistent format | by hand | depends on the module |
| Costs | tiered by your freight volume | subscription plus fees per transaction | high implementation costs |
| Ready to go | in under 24 hours | after registration and approval by the operator | after months |
Independent, discreet and with servers in Germany
We are not a forwarder and we do not carry freight. Who gets your business is your decision alone.
More about eFrexx-
Independent
No forwarder is behind eFrexx. Only the bidders you invite see a tender.
-
Servers in Germany
A requirement for many customers, especially in pharma and security-critical industries.
-
In logistics since 1999
Software for distribution warehouses, pharmaceutical companies, the prefab housing industry and automotive.
eFrexx grew out of this customer question
I think I’ve negotiated good prices, but I’m not sure I’m really getting the best market price. Can you come up with something?
What eFrexx customers achieve
The figures come from our customers’ feedback.
- Freight costs
- 20 to 30 %
- lower, 20.84 % on average
- Effort
- 80 %
- less per tender
- Tender cycles
- up to 70 %
- shorter
- In use
- 28 countries
- focused on Germany, Austria and Switzerland
How much could you save on freight costs?
Enter your annual freight spend and choose your mode of transport. The freight cost calculator gives you an instant first estimate of your savings potential.
Frequently asked questions about digital freight tendering
What is a freight tender, and who is it for?
In a freight tender, a shipper requests quotes from several forwarders at the same time and chooses the best offer. It pays off for companies that buy transport regularly, whether single shipments or entire annual volumes.
What is the difference between a spot tender and an annual tender?
A spot tender covers a single, short-term shipment at the current market price. An annual tender fixes prices for a longer period, usually a year and for many lanes. eFrexx handles both in one system.
What is the difference between a freight exchange and eFrexx?
On a freight exchange, your request is visible to the open market. With eFrexx, only the forwarders you invite see your tender, and bidders cannot see each other either.
Does eFrexx replace our TMS?
No. A TMS plans and invoices shipments. eFrexx handles the procurement step before that: tendering, comparison and award. Data can be exchanged via an interface (API) or file import.
Can competitors or other forwarders see our freight volumes?
No. Every customer has its own portal. Your tenders are visible only to the forwarders you invite.
Where are the servers, and who runs eFrexx?
The servers are in Germany. eFrexx is run by eFrexx GmbH, with offices in Ratingen and Hamburg. eFrexx is independent and not operated by forwarders.
How quickly is eFrexx ready to use?
Your portal is ready in under 24 hours. No installation is needed, as eFrexx runs in the browser.
How is eFrexx priced?
Costs depend on your freight volume, in fixed tiers. We discuss which tier applies to you in the demo.
Which modes of transport and countries does eFrexx support?
Road, rail, sea and air freight. eFrexx is used in 28 countries.
How much can you save with eFrexx?
Our customers cut their freight costs by 20 to 30 %, by 20.84 % on average (2025). The freight cost calculator shows how much it could be for you.
See eFrexx in a live demo
In 45 to 60 minutes, we show you eFrexx live in the system, with your questions and your modes of transport. You talk directly to our managing director or our sales team.
No suitable slot, or do you have further questions?
You can reach us by email at post@efrexx.com or by phone at +49 2102 5650 870.
Pick a slot directly
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