According to theloadstar.com, Project44 has launched a dedicated business unit—LSP44—focused exclusively on logistics service providers (LSPs), including third-party logistics providers (3PLs), freight forwarders, and brokers, as part of a strategic pivot toward AI-powered carrier connectivity and automation.
Strategic bifurcation reflects divergent market needs
Founder and CEO Jett McCandless confirmed the split was driven by fundamentally different software requirements between enterprise shippers and logistics service providers. While shippers primarily adopt applications such as transportation management systems (TMS), visibility platforms, yard management, and last-mile services, forwarders seek embedded infrastructure—API-first, interoperable components that integrate into their proprietary operating systems and customer-facing workflows.
“Our sales reps have to context switch between shippers and LSPs… it’s monumental… if you bifurcate these personas… that’s a better outcome,” Jett McCandless told The Loadstar. The separation enables Project44 to maintain distinct product development, sales, and support teams for each segment—eliminating cross-market friction and accelerating feature delivery.
AI-driven carrier connectivity challenges CargoWise dominance
The launch of LSP44 coincides with Project44’s rapid expansion beyond real-time visibility into generative AI agents, exception management, and deep carrier integration—capabilities the company asserts are unmatched by CargoWise, the flagship platform of WiseTech Global. According to Jett McCandless, many CargoWise customers now rely on Project44 specifically for carrier connectivity: “What we’re seeing with a lot of their customers is they use Project44 for the connectivity into the carriers because, quite honestly, we’re just better at it.”
He added that Project44 is increasingly deployed for AI agents and exception management—areas where, he claimed, CargoWise “doesn’t have anything that even competes with that.” This competitive gap is widening as generative AI lowers the barrier to custom application development: “Now that you can build code with AI, a freight forwarder can build an application layer that matches their workflow better than something off the shelf, like CargoWise can build.” Several forwarders are already building confidential, in-house AI layers—and engaging Project44 solely for carrier connectivity while migrating away from CargoWise entirely.
Consolidation looms as AI reshapes LSP labor models
McCandless predicted sharply divergent AI impacts across the supply chain: while manufacturers and retailers deploy AI mainly to improve performance—not reduce headcount—freight forwarders face structural efficiency gains that will inevitably drive consolidation. “The LSPs that lean into AI and APIs will take more market share, and they will grow,” he said. “The number of people employed in LSPs will be reduced.”
This outlook comes amid growing scrutiny of WiseTech Global, which reported a 20% increase in CargoWise volumes in early July 2026—even as it faced customer criticism over pricing changes and leadership turbulence, including the resignation of executive chairman Richard White on 7 July 2026. Meanwhile, DSV’s parallel move to develop its own internal platform—announced in June 2026—has further intensified pressure on established forwarding software vendors.
IPO readiness and long-term commitment affirmed
Despite speculation about potential divestiture, McCandless explicitly ruled out any sale of LSP44: “There are no plans or desire to sell it.” He reaffirmed his personal commitment, stating he hopes to remain involved with the company “for several decades.” Project44 continues to operate with public markets in mind, describing an initial public offering as “a milestone” rather than an end goal—and confirming it remains “in a ready position” to pursue listing when market conditions improve.
According to the report, the strategic shift underscores a broader industry inflection point: AI is no longer just an analytics add-on but a foundational infrastructure layer—reshaping how forwarders architect their technology stacks, manage carrier relationships, and compete on operational agility. As one forwarder recently told The Loadstar, “We’re not replacing CargoWise with another monolith—we’re dismantling the monolith and rebuilding with best-of-breed AI-native components.”
Source: The Loadstar
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
