The typical 53-foot dry van running linehaul for an LTL or regional carrier is only 52-68% utilized by cube. That empty space is not just wasted trailer capacity; it is wasted fuel, wasted driver hours, wasted equipment utilization, and ultimately lost linehaul revenue. Traditional TMS platforms such as Truckmate, McLeod, or TMW Systems rely on static manifest cube estimates entered at the dock. These numbers are frequently inaccurate and never updated once the trailer leaves the terminal.
Strong Tower Consulting has spent years helping carriers integrate real-time trailer telemetry with their existing dispatch and settlement workflows. The most powerful new capability available to motor carriers in 2026 is the ability to measure, transmit, and act on actual interior trailer cubic capacity while the trailer is moving down the highway.
The Empty Space Linehaul Bleed
Every night thousands of 53-foot trailers leave LTL terminals across the United States carrying partial loads. Dispatchers have no visibility into remaining linear feet or cubic capacity once the trailer doors are closed. The result is predictable: high-yield LTL shipments that could have been loaded at intermediate points are instead tendered to outside carriers or moved on dedicated empty equipment. Fuel surcharges, driver detention, and axle-weight compliance issues compound the problem when weight and cube are poorly balanced.
The Strong Tower VolumetricCube Protocol™
Our engineering team has designed a practical, carrier-grade solution built around the CheckPoint platform. CheckPoint (accessible at https://exspeeditecheckpoint.com/login.php) combines overhead ultrasonic and optical ceiling-mounted sensors with a wireless gateway that reports trailer interior status every 60 seconds.
The system delivers three core capabilities that directly integrate with existing TMS environments:
- Real-time interior cargo space monitoring - Sensors measure from the nose to the tail, calculating both linear feet remaining and true volumetric cube utilization. Data is pushed into SQL schemas that mirror your existing McLeod or TMW freight tables.
- Dynamic route re-load recommendation engine - When a linehaul trailer has sufficient remaining cube along its transit corridor, the system generates an alert to central dispatch. This enables immediate matching of high-yield LTL backhauls without waiting for EDI 204 tenders.
- Weight and cube distribution balance verification - By pairing volumetric data with axle scale telemetry, the platform confirms that cargo is properly distributed across tandem axles, reducing the risk of overweight citations and improving fuel economy.
Trailer Utilization Performance Matrix
The following table summarizes three operational approaches used by motor carriers today. Data is derived from aggregated carrier benchmarks we have observed across multiple Truckmate and McLeod installations.
| Metric | Visual Inspection Guesswork | Static Manifest Cube Estimates | Strong Tower CheckPoint Real-Time Ultrasonic Sensor Telematics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Trailer Cube Utilization % | 48% | 61% | 84% |
| Linehaul Revenue per Trailer Mile | $1.87 | $2.34 | $3.12 |
| Unplanned Backhaul Empty Miles (% of total) | 31% | 19% | 7% |
| Cargo Shift Damage Claims per Million Miles | 4.2 | 2.8 | 0.9 |
Defending Against Shipper Claims of Insufficient Trailer Space
When a shipper claims that a carrier failed to provide adequate trailer space, the burden of proof historically fell on the carrier. With CheckPoint ultrasonic telematics, dispatch can produce certified, timestamped interior volumetric sensor snapshots showing exact trailer availability at the moment of arrival. These records integrate directly with EDI 214 status messages and provide irrefutable documentation during claims resolution or driver settlement disputes.
Strong Tower Consulting, LLC and Exspeedite LLC are separately organized sister companies under common ownership. We engineer fleet efficiency. You never have to buy our software to work with us. Our only goal is to help you extract maximum value from the systems you already own. Founded in Minnesota in 2008 by Scott Elliott. Phone: 763-244-1373.
Implementation Considerations for LTL and Private Fleets
CheckPoint wireless sensor hubs can be installed on both company trailers and outside carrier equipment. The ultrasonic sensors distinguish between light packing materials (such as foam or empty cartons) and dense cargo pallets by analyzing echo patterns and multiple measurement points. The system also monitors for sudden cargo shifts during hard braking events and can alert dispatch via the CheckPoint dashboard or through API integration with your existing TMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: The CheckPoint sensors use multi-frequency ultrasonic pulses and advanced echo-return analysis. Dense cargo returns a sharp, high-amplitude echo close to the sensor, while low-density packing materials produce diffuse, lower-amplitude returns. The system applies proprietary algorithms to classify the load type and adjust the remaining usable cube calculation accordingly. This data can be stored alongside EDI 210 freight bills for audit purposes.
A: Yes. The platform continuously monitors both linear and volumetric changes. A sudden shift that reduces usable cube or creates an unsafe weight distribution triggers an immediate notification to dispatch. This capability has proven especially valuable for carriers handling high-value or fragile freight where cargo movement can lead to damage claims.
A: Absolutely. The CheckPoint system was designed for multi-tenant use. Wireless sensor hubs can be temporarily mounted on third-party trailers. Data is transmitted to your CheckPoint portal without requiring the outside carrier to have any software license. This allows you to maintain visibility into cube utilization across your entire network, including power-only moves and interline shipments.
A: Accurate cube data allows dispatch to assign the correct fuel surcharge tier based on actual utilization rather than manifest estimates. Drivers benefit from fewer detention events because loads are optimized before they reach the dock. Settlement systems that pull from SQL schemas can incorporate volumetric efficiency scores directly into driver pay calculations.
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