How to evaluate this requirement
Start by identifying the actual buyer. A manufacturer shipping outbound orders, a distributor arranging inbound replenishment and a retailer managing vendor freight can have different responsibilities for the same lane. Record who owns the contract, who can tender freight, who pays and who handles a disputed charge. A useful buying process preserves those responsibilities while making options easier to inspect.
Build a coverage register by carrier, origin, destination, mode and service need. Separate an available system connection from an eligible account-level price. Ask which arrangements require authorization, separate agreements or additional onboarding. Test ordinary lanes and the awkward cases: remote destinations, special delivery services, unusual pallet sizes and urgent requests. Coverage that matches your real freight matters more than a large headline count.
For procurement, the output should be a documented decision. Preserve the alternatives considered, their source, validity and conditions, and the reason for the award. Retaining a carrier relationship can be sensible even when another shipment has a lower offer. The point is to make the tradeoff visible and repeatable, including cases where service or reliability takes priority.
MGN's company post describes comparing current pricing with carrier-direct, 3PL and dynamic options. Use that as a focused demonstration request: bring a few completed shipments and ask what the comparison would require today. Treat historical rates and present quotes as different observations, not automatic proof of historical overpayment. Establish what your team can execute before building a new routing policy around it.