Thomas Mella on TMS, Visibility, and API Solutions in Freight Tech

In this week’s episode of The FreightCaviar Podcast, we sit down with Thomas Mella, President at Sightline Freight Partners, a transportation software consulting company. Thomas delves into his journey into the industry, shares insightful perspectives on the future of freight tracking, and introduces the company’s latest innovation, TrackFlo.

Early Passion for Sustainability

Ever since he was a teenager, Thomas has been fascinated with the topic of sustainability. This passion initially guided his decision to pursue it as a major in college. However, he later chose to double major in supply chain management as well, realizing that practical use of reducing waste and emissions is closely tied to efficient supply chain processes.

Career Beginnings and Consulting Insights

After graduating, he started his journey with Menlo, a business unit of Con-way, which was acquired in 2015 by XPO Logistics. In 2016, he changed paths, joining FourKites, a supply chain visibility platform, where his key responsibilities were visiting at-risk customers and making sure they grew using the software. However, he noticed that a chunk of ROI was always left on the table, so he met with customers trying to redefine their process and help them save money. Thomas soon realized that he wasn’t just offering them software and making sure it worked; he also took on the role of a consultant.

Founding Sightline Freight Partners

In 2021, Thomas decided to put his money where his mouth was. That same year, he became President of Sightline Freight Partners, a transportation software consulting company.

A Day in the Life at Sightline Freight Partners

He walked us through a typical day at the company.

“About 80 or 90% is spent on the consulting side. And the software side? We're just starting to go to market with it. However, today we have so many customers on the consulting side that need help with designs or vendor selection, project management, and integration work that I have no problem staying busy there.”

Insights on ELD Integration and Market Predictions

We asked Thomas his thoughts on ELD integration and predictions for its future.

“ You've got all these companies doing ELD integrations. That's the easy part. The hard part is convincing 100,000 to 250,000 trucking companies to share their ELD credentials or integrate and send the data. My prediction for the next three years is if anyone is going to come into that market with a fresh take, it would be Highway–  if they decide that that's something they're interested in doing.”

Thoughts on Tracking and Industry Consolidation

He also gave us his take on tracking and the future of its providers. In Thomas’s opinion, with so few of them existing and working with 3PLs and freight brokers,  there’s room for consolidation.

“Or, more likely someone coming up with that better incentive, and then running away with it, at least for the over-the-road side.”

The Drive Behind Delivering Customer Solutions

When asked what truly drives him to deliver the best solutions for his customers, Thomas said the conversations, demos, and learning are the easiest and most enjoyable parts.

“The hard part is integrating and implementing. That's the blood, sweat and tears that really teaches you how the software works. That's why we have a handful of customers who rely on us to deploy this technology, support it, and own it. We're an extension of their team. We go deep and we own it from start to finish.”

Introducing TrackFlo: A Game-Changing Solution

Thomas also introduced the company’s latest innovation tailored specifically for nearshore teams.

“It runs on a schedule and assigns a tracking rep to an individual load.  There's a clear articulation on the number of loads that don't have a location update, are past the delivery time, are running late, are in detention.”

 It’s clear that Thomas’s vision extends beyond just offering solutions—it's about transforming the way companies optimize their operations. With TrackFlo, the company is continuing to deepen its consulting expertise and remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in supply chain technology.

Listen to the entire interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch it on our YouTube Channel.