Smarter Freight RFPs with Benchmarking Insights: takeaways from the Keelvar & DAT webinar

Freight RFPs conjure up images of tedious manual work, endless spreadsheets, and that unsettling feeling that you’re leaving money on the table. But Keelvar and DAT have built something that takes the fright out of freight procurement.

Our integration with DAT is helping procurement teams move faster, make smarter decisions, and unlock real cost savings. Fortune 100 shippers are already leveraging it, and in their latest webinar, Jordan Rose (Sr. Procurement Analyst, Keelvar) and Cole Hytjan (Product Manager, DAT) broke down how you can do the same. 

Here’s some of our top takeaways:

1. Freight benchmarking puts an end to second-guessing

One of the toughest parts of an RFP is knowing if the rates you’re getting are actually competitive. Without a reliable benchmark, there’s always that nagging doubt. “A lack of current market data in your RFP breeds a little bit of uncertainty,” Jordan said. 

“Even when you save money, there’s that lingering question—could we have saved more?”

Keelvar’s integration with DAT removes that uncertainty by pulling in live market data—including low, average, and high rates—directly into Keelvar’s Sourcing Optimizer platform. Procurement teams can see exactly how their bids compare and adjust strategies accordingly.

2. Automation slashes manual work and speeds up the process

RFPs can take weeks, sometimes months, to complete. Manually validating bids, checking for errors, and analyzing pricing data is a huge drain on resources. “RFPs can take too long and require a lot of manual data analysis,” Jordan said. “What might have taken three weeks before, you might now be able to do in two.”

He added that a major time-saver is automatic outlier detection; if a bid is way too high or too low, the system flags it instantly—no more combing through spreadsheets trying to spot errors.

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3. Smarter feedback makes suppliers more competitive

When suppliers don’t get feedback, they don’t know how to adjust their bids. Keelvar’s traffic light system gives them a clear idea of where they stand, making it easier for them to sharpen their rates.

“Just the act of giving bidders lane-by-lane feedback about how their rates compare lets them feel like they’re getting something out of the process,” Jordan explained.

This keeps suppliers engaged and ensures they bid more competitively in future rounds—driving better savings for shippers.

"Using DAT benchmark data along with Keelvar’s automation helps you run faster, better RFPs that generate round-over-round savings and keep suppliers engaged"

4. Real savings with less effort

This integration isn’t just about making life easier—it’s delivering serious cost savings. “In the events that I manage, I typically see savings of at least 3-7% in Round 2 over Round 1 when using both target rates and traffic lights,” Jordan shared.

Cole backed it up with hard numbers on DAT’s market data: “We simply have the most of it. We just eclipsed the $1 trillion mark in total invoice spend, averaging over $100 billion per year. That volume ensures we provide reliable benchmarking for better freight procurement decisions.” 

5. The integration is seamless (and a no-brainer)

New technology can sometimes be a hassle to implement, but that’s not the case here. “The integration we have is very turnkey,” Cole said. “So those savings can come quickly with your next RFP event.” Once connected, procurement teams can instantly pull in market rates, automate bid scoring, and analyze results in real time—without extra effort.

Conclusion

Keelvar and DAT are making freight RFPs faster, easier, and more cost-effective. No more spreadsheets from hell, no more guessing games—just smart, automated decision-making backed by live market data.

As Jordan put it: “Using DAT benchmark data along with Keelvar’s automation helps you run faster, better RFPs that generate round-over-round savings and keep suppliers engaged.”

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Now’s the time to explore how this integration can transform your freight procurement strategy. If you missed the webinar, watch it back here, or reach out to our experts to see a demo in action.