“A soybean super crop presents significant logistical challenges, especially since this year’s harvest is more delayed than last year…”
Rodrigo Arnus Koelle is the CEO of Strada, a company that provides specialized services for truck drivers, shippers/cargo owners, and transport companies. Koelle is an agronomist who graduated from Esalq/USP.
AgriBrasilis – Is Brazil ready to transport the super crop?
Rodrigo Koelle – The soybean super crop presents significant logistical challenges, especially since this year’s harvest is more delayed than last year. This delay compresses the shipping period, requiring transportation within a shorter time frame. As a result, demand for trucks increases, naturally driving freight rates higher.
Beyond supply and demand dynamics, operational performance plays a crucial role. Loading efficiency directly impacts costs: a shipper that loads a truck in one hour has a competitive advantage over another that takes six hours, as delays increase freight expenses.
Strada offers solutions that help shippers optimize costs and operations in this challenging scenario by working across the entire logistics ecosystem.
AgriBrasilis – Are freight rates attractive? Will the record soybean harvest drive prices up?
Rodrigo Koelle – Freight rate increases are not only due to the delayed harvest but also to other factors, such as diesel prices and inflation. With data, planning, and technology, shippers can improve their performance and secure more competitive freight rates, even in a market under pressure from high demand.
AgriBrasilis – How can the industry handle the harvest concentration and increased transportation demand in February?
Rodrigo Koelle – The concentration of the harvest and rising demand pose significant logistical challenges. The first step to mitigating this pressure is carefully selecting service providers, whether transport companies or independent truck drivers.
Beyond selection, using technological tools to enhance logistics efficiency is essential. For example, Strada offers solutions such as Risk Management (GR), which analyzes drivers and vehicles to ensure operational safety; the Gate Module, which verifies driver identity at loading sites to prevent fraud; and Tracking, which enables real-time cargo movement monitoring.
AgriBrasilis – With rising diesel prices, is there a risk of transportation strikes like in previous years?
Rodrigo Koelle – Currently, we do not see a high probability of strikes due to diesel prices. Freight rates have increased more than fuel costs, offsetting much of the impact. As a result, transporters should experience a more favorable financial balance.
Moreover, the road transport sector is highly dynamic and governed by supply and demand. The need to ship the harvest and the growing transportation demand help maintain freight rates at levels that absorb rising diesel costs.
However, it is crucial to monitor the market and factors that could influence transporters’ operational costs.
AgriBrasilis – What is the “freight bid” service, and what are its benefits?
Rodrigo Koelle – It is a solution that automates and structures the freight bidding and contracting process, bringing more transparency, efficiency, and reliability to shippers and carriers.
The key differentiator of our platform is not just price quoting but ensuring continuity in the contracting and execution process, guaranteeing that the selected carrier fulfills the service at the agreed price.
One of the most common challenges in the market is the so-called “paper price,” where a company offers a low price just to win the bid but later fails to meet the commitment and attempts to renegotiate at a higher rate. This can delay operations and create unexpected costs for shippers.
With the bid system, this risk is minimized because the platform includes a contingency plan: if the selected carrier fails to execute the service, the system automatically engages the second pre-validated option, ensuring transportation continues without emergency renegotiation.
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