Freight Management Services
Managing freight from St. Louis means navigating a complex national carrier market — fluctuating capacity, rising costs, carrier reliability issues, and the constant pressure to move product on time and on budget.
McClain & Associates provides full-service freight management to St. Louis manufacturers, distributors, and shippers. From carrier selection and rate negotiation to freight audit and real-time visibility, we manage your freight program so you can focus on running your business.
- Dedicated freight managers — who know your account — not a call center rotating through your tickets
- Vetted carrier network — with performance data on the lanes that matter most to your business
- Proactive exception management — we catch problems before they become missed deliveries
- Freight spend analysis — identifying savings across your carrier mix and routing patterns
- Freight audit & payment — invoice validation and dispute resolution on every shipment
- Scalable support — that grows with your freight volume — from 50 loads per month to 500+
A Freight Management Partner You Can Trust
Full-program management across every mode — from carrier selection to freight audit.
Carrier Selection & Optimization
Matching freight to the right carrier, mode, and equipment for every shipment.
Rate Negotiation & Benchmarking
Leveraging carrier relationships and market data for competitive pricing.
Freight Audit & Payment
Invoice validation, carrier billing review, and dispute resolution.
Real-Time Visibility
Live tracking, exception alerts, and on-demand reporting through our TMS.
Inbound Freight Management
PO-level control of supplier and vendor shipments arriving at your facility.
Carrier Performance Management
Scorecarding, issue resolution, and continuous improvement on your lanes.
- Truckload
- LTL
- Intermodal
- Expedited
- Drayage
- Flatbed
- Temperature Control
- Over-Dimensional
- Cross-Border
- Power Only
- Project Freight
- Partial TL
Freight Management for Key St. Louis Industries
- Automotive & Manufacturing
Supplier coordination, production-critical timing, specialized equipment.
- Food & Beverage
Temperature-sensitive freight, FSMA compliance, retail distribution, seasonal volume.
- Consumer Goods & Retail
Seasonal volume surges, multi-channel distribution, high-velocity SKUs.
- Industrial & Building Materials
Oversized and heavy freight, project-based shipping, flatbed and step deck.
- Healthcare & Medical
Compliance-driven logistics, critical delivery windows, temperature requirements.
- Distribution Centers
Inbound and outbound coordination, carrier optimization, freight cost reduction.
FAQ: Freight Management in St. Louis
- What is freight management?
Freight management is the process of planning, executing, and optimizing the movement of goods. A freight management provider like McClain handles carrier selection, rate negotiation, shipment tracking, freight audit, and ongoing program optimization — so your team doesn't have to manage each shipment individually.
- Is McClain a freight broker or a freight manager?
McClain operates as a freight management company, not a transactional broker. That means we manage your entire freight program — including carrier relationships, performance management, cost optimization, and visibility — rather than just quoting individual shipments.
- How does McClain handle freight visibility?
We provide real-time shipment tracking through our TMS platform, with exception alerts when shipments fall outside expected parameters. You can access status updates on demand or receive scheduled reporting summaries — whatever fits your operational workflow.
- Do you manage inbound freight from suppliers?
Yes. Inbound freight management is a core part of our service. We coordinate vendor and supplier pickups at the PO level, manage freight routing guides, and provide visibility on inbound shipments arriving at your St. Louis facility.
