Project44 Boosts Predictive Shipping Insights Through ClearMetal Acquisition

Project44 acquires ClearMetal to strengthen predictive tools

Project44 has acquired ClearMetal, a San Francisco-based supply chain planning software company, in a move aimed at expanding its predictive analytics and shipment visibility capabilities. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Project44 provides real-time visibility across global supply chains, including tracking and status information for freight moving through multiple transportation modes. ClearMetal focuses on international freight visibility, predictive planning and customer experience. Its software uses machine learning algorithms to identify potential disruptions and forecast how those disruptions could affect deliveries.

The acquisition gives Project44 access to ClearMetal’s technology, engineering expertise and customer base. ClearMetal was founded by software engineers and data scientists with backgrounds at Stanford, Google and other technology companies. The company developed what it described as a “continuous delivery experience,” designed to provide earlier insight into changes affecting freight and inventory.

Jason Duboe, Project44’s chief growth officer, said the ClearMetal team will be important to the company’s effort to develop more predictive tools.

“Their team construct is fundamentally different. When you look at their data science, machine learning and computer science background, they are best in class,” Duboe said. “Applying the team to solve really interesting challenges, starting with highly predictive ETA and deeper exception management to create more predictive analytics is really a key component here.”

For transportation companies and professional drivers, the most visible potential effect would be in the quality and timing of shipment updates. More accurate estimated times of arrival could help shippers, carriers and logistics providers identify delays earlier and adjust appointments, labor planning and delivery schedules. The acquisition itself does not change operating requirements for drivers, but it reflects the broader push to make freight information more timely and useful throughout a shipment.

Project44 said it plans to use ClearMetal’s expertise to improve predictive estimated times of arrival and exception management. Exception management refers to identifying shipments that are likely to encounter problems, such as delays or missed milestones, so supply chain personnel can respond before the issue becomes more serious.

Those capabilities are particularly relevant to international freight, where a shipment may pass through several ports, terminals, rail connections and trucking operations before reaching its final destination. A delay earlier in the process can affect drayage appointments, warehouse receiving schedules and the availability of freight for over-the-road transportation.

The acquisition follows Project44’s recent expansion in ocean and international supply chain visibility. The company previously acquired Ocean Insights, which provided vessel and container tracking data. Project44 also has announced plans to expand its truckload tracking services in Asia.

Duboe said Project44 intends to expand further in Asia and obtain transportation data earlier in the shipping process. He also pointed to deeper freight-forwarder integrations as a way to improve end-to-end visibility in those markets.

“We’re going to be expanding deeper into Asia, and from a port perspective, getting data much earlier than competitors,” Duboe said. “Our freight forwarder integrations will give us much deeper visibility from an end-to-end perspective in these regions.”

In addition to its technology and personnel, ClearMetal brings customers in several industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, manufacturing, distribution and chemicals. Project44 said those customers have complex planning and visibility needs that can help shape the development of its platform.

Duboe said ClearMetal’s experience with order and inventory management, supplier onboarding and upstream supply chain processes will help Project44 identify disruptions earlier.

“What we gain from ClearMetal is a holistic platform for anybody that joins the platform in the future,” he said. “They have large customers with incredibly demanding and advanced use cases. So when it comes to order and inventory, functionality, supplier onboarding, and moving upstream into those processes, we can capture exceptions earlier on.”

For trucking operations, earlier information about international shipments can be useful when freight transitions from ocean or rail transportation to a truck. Better visibility may help logistics teams coordinate pickup appointments and communicate changes to carriers. The practical value will depend on how the tools are integrated into the systems used by shippers, brokers, carriers and drivers.

Project44’s acquisition of ClearMetal is part of a wider shift in freight technology from simply reporting where a shipment is to predicting what is likely to happen next. For carriers and drivers, that shift could mean more timely alerts about changing schedules and delivery conditions, while shippers gain additional tools for managing inventory and transportation disruptions.