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Flock Freight

Category: AI in Supply Chain / Logistics

Flock Freight is a technology company that has developed a platform for pooling less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments into shared truckloads (STL). The company's AI-powered technology finds and matches shipments from different customers that are heading in the same direction, allowing them to share space on a single truck. This approach avoids the traditional hub-and-spoke system of LTL shipping, which involves multiple stops and transfers at terminals. Flock Freight was founded in 2015. The company is led by Pat Dillon. Based in Encinitas, CA. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $459 million. Latest round: Series E. Key investors include SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Google Ventures, Volition Capital, SignalFire, GLP Capital Partners, Susquehanna Private Equity Investments, O'Neil Strategic Capital.

Founded
2015
Headquarters
Encinitas, CA
Team size
101-500
Total funding
$459 million

Value proposition

Flock Freight offers a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable way to ship freight. By pooling shipments, the company reduces wasted space in trucks, which in turn lowers costs for shippers and reduces carbon emissions. The direct, terminal-free routes also lead to faster transit times and a significant reduction in the risk of damage to goods.

Products and solutions

Shared Truckload (STL) via FlockDirect®, Digital freight platform for quoting, booking, and tracking, Carbon-neutral shipping options, Integrations with Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Unique value

The pioneering of the “Shared Truckload” (STL) shipping model is Flock Freight's most unique factor. This model uses proprietary algorithms to pool multiple LTL shipments onto a single truck, effectively creating a new, more efficient mode of freight transportation that challenges the traditional LTL and FTL models.

Target customer

Businesses of all sizes that have less-than-truckload (LTL) or partial truckload shipping needs. This includes manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who are looking for more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective shipping solutions.

Industries served

Retail & E-commerce, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Industrial Supplies

Technology advantage

Flock Freight's core advantage is its proprietary AI-powered optimization engine. This technology analyzes trillions of combinations of shipments to create the most efficient shared truckload routes, eliminating the need for terminals. This reduces transit times, minimizes the risk of damage, and lowers carbon emissions.

How they differentiate

Flock Freight's primary differentiation is its 'Shared Truckload' (STL) model, which creates a new mode of shipping. Unlike traditional LTL carriers that use a hub-and-spoke system, Flock's technology pools multiple shipments into a single truck that travels directly from pickup to destination, bypassing terminals. This results in faster, more reliable, and less damage-prone service.

Main competitors

Convoy, Uber Freight, Traditional LTL carriers (e.g., XPO Logistics, Old Dominion)

Key partnerships

Oracle Transportation Management, e2open, Carbonfund.org, DAT

Notable customers

Unilever, Academy Sports, Sapporo-Stone Brewing

Major milestones

Became the first freight shipping company to be a certified B Corporation. Named to Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups list in 2020. Achieved unicorn status in 2021 after its Series D funding round. Secured a $60 million Series E funding round.

Growth metrics

Achieved unicorn status in 2021 with a valuation of over $1 billion. The company has demonstrated significant growth in freight volume, pooling over half a billion pounds of freight in 2023, a 7x increase since 2020. It has also been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies.

Market positioning

A technology leader in the 'Shared Truckload' segment, which it pioneered. Flock Freight is positioned as a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to both traditional LTL and full truckload (FTL) shipping for partial loads.

Geographic focus

Primarily United States

Patents and IP

The company holds multiple patents for its shipment pooling algorithms and digital logistics orchestration technology, which are central to its FlockDirect® service. These patents cover the methods for combining less-than-truckload shipments into a full truckload.

About Pat Dillon

Pat Dillon was appointed CEO of Flock Freight in 2026. He previously served as CFO, COO and President at Flock. Before Flock, he was CFO at TuSimple, leading its $1.3B IPO. He also worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and in public accounting at Deloitte. He holds an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BBA/MSA from University of Notre Dame.

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