Lanesurf

What do they actually do

Lanesurf runs a voice-driven AI “freight coordinator” that answers carrier calls for freight brokers, verifies carriers for compliance, negotiates rates, and books truckloads. The product is live with mid‑sized U.S. brokers and is positioned to take over the repetitive call work that slows down dispatch teams (Lanesurf site; YC profile).

Brokers can start by uploading an Excel of loads or connecting their TMS. Lanesurf posts loads or uses its phone number on load boards (e.g., DAT), handles inbound and outbound calls, checks FMCSA status, COI, dispatcher history, and phone legitimacy, negotiates in parallel with many carriers, and either locks in a booking under configured limits or hands back vetted quotes. Edge cases get paused and escalated to a human, and all calls, quotes, and documents are logged for audits (Lanesurf site).

Lanesurf claims it handles tens of thousands of carrier calls monthly and has booked thousands of loads without human intervention; a published case study reports ~80% faster booking and ~8% margin improvement for a produce broker. The company also notes that unclear situations are escalated rather than guessed (YC profile; Lanesurf case study; FAQ).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Mid‑sized freight brokers running dozens of loads daily: Heavy reliance on phone calls slows booking, creates after‑hours coverage gaps, and leads to missed opportunities.
• Dispatch teams at busy brokerages handling high call volumes: Time is lost to manual FMCSA/COI checks and chasing bids, causing slower coverage and losing out to faster competitors.
• Small brokerages or single‑owner shops: Can’t cover nights or spikes without hiring; growth requires additional headcount they can’t justify yet.
• Brokers moving time‑sensitive or perishable freight (e.g., produce): Delays or missed calls directly reduce margins and risk load rejections; they need faster, reliable booking.
• Operations/technology leads at 3PLs: Need to scale booking volume without proportional hiring and keep TMS/load boards/compliance and audit trails stitched together.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Founder‑led outreach to mid‑sized, phone‑heavy brokers with a low‑friction pilot using Excel and Lanesurf’s phone number to prove faster booking, automated compliance, and audit logs, securing a case study and reference (Lanesurf site; YC profile).
• First 50: Use initial case studies to hire a small sales team focused on similar verticals (e.g., produce) and run short, time‑boxed pilots with an ROI calculator; co‑sell with select TMS/load boards and convert pilots to paid rollouts (Lanesurf site; YC profile).
• First 100: Productize onboarding (Excel templates, standard escalation/rate rules, sub‑10‑day integrations) and add customer success playbooks; expand TMS/load‑board channels, run targeted webinars/content, and layer in referral incentives and SLA‑backed offers to speed conversions (Lanesurf site).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

U.S. truck brokerage/forwarding is roughly $160–180B annually, based on IBISWorld’s industry sizing (~$162B) and cross‑checking truckload revenues and broker penetration (>20%) from ATA and FreightWaves logic (IBISWorld; ATA Trends 2025; FreightWaves).

Bottom-up calculation:

Assuming 20–40% of brokered freight is still won/lost via phone and is automation‑addressable, the serviceable market for a voice AI coordinator is on the order of $32B–$72B per year (e.g., 20% × $162B ≈ $32B; 40% × ~$181B ≈ $72B) (IBISWorld; ATA/FreightWaves).

Assumptions:

• A significant share of brokered loads is still sourced and negotiated by phone today.
• Lanesurf can practically serve those phone‑heavy workflows at brokers/3PLs in the U.S.
• Estimates focus on U.S. truck brokerage/forwarding and exclude other geographies/adjacent modes.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Convoy: Digital freight network offering automated pricing and instant booking for shippers/carriers; an indirect alternative to manual carrier sourcing by brokers.
• Uber Freight: Marketplace and booking platform that enables digital capacity sourcing and instant booking, reducing reliance on phone‑based carrier outreach.
• Loadsmart: Automated brokerage providing instant quotes and electronic booking across lanes; software‑first capacity procurement can displace phone sourcing.
• Transfix: Digital freight marketplace/brokerage focused on automated matching and workflows; competes with brokers’ manual outreach processes.
• Shipwell: TMS with integrated capacity sourcing, booking, and compliance/audit tools; an end‑to‑end system that can lessen the need for a separate voice automation layer.