Coyote Logistics is a freight brokerage company owned by UPS that has built technology tools to support its brokerage operations and extended some of that technology to shipper and carrier customers. It is not a TMS in the traditional sense — it is primarily a freight broker that offers technology-enabled freight management services. Shippers who evaluate "Coyote logistics software" are often evaluating Coyote's managed transportation services and CoyoteGO technology rather than a standalone software platform. Understanding that distinction before evaluation saves significant time.
Key Takeaways
- Coyote Logistics is a freight broker owned by UPS, not a standalone TMS software company — its primary offering is freight brokerage services, with technology (CoyoteGO) that supports shipper and carrier access to the Coyote network.
- CoyoteGO is Coyote's shipper-facing technology platform for freight booking, tracking, and reporting within the Coyote brokerage network — it is not a full-featured TMS that manages a shipper's entire carrier network.
- Coyote's competitive advantage is its scale as a freight broker: access to one of the largest carrier networks in the US through UPS, with network pricing leverage that independent shippers cannot replicate.
- Shippers that use Coyote typically do so for spot freight and managed transportation programs rather than deploying CoyoteGO as their primary TMS for all freight modes and carrier relationships.
- CoyoteGO reporting covers freight booked through the Coyote network; visibility and analytics for a shipper's full multi-carrier freight program requires an independent TMS or custom development.
What Coyote Logistics Is
Coyote Logistics was founded in 2006 in Chicago and grew to become one of the largest freight brokers in the US before UPS acquired it in 2015 for $1.8 billion. Under UPS ownership, Coyote operates as a standalone brokerage brand while leveraging UPS's carrier relationships and scale.
The Coyote platform for shippers and carriers:
Coyote Freight Brokerage. The core business: connecting shippers with truckload, LTL, and specialty freight carriers for spot and contract capacity. Coyote's brokerage team and network cover TL, LTL, temperature-controlled, flatbed, and international freight.
CoyoteGO for Shippers. A digital portal for shipper customers to get freight quotes, book loads, track shipments, and access freight analytics for loads moved through the Coyote network. CoyoteGO is a customer portal for Coyote brokerage customers, not a standalone TMS.
CoyoteGO for Carriers. A carrier-facing portal and app for finding and booking Coyote loads, managing active loads, and submitting documentation. Coyote's carrier network of 75,000+ carriers uses CoyoteGO to access available freight.
Coyote Managed Transportation. A managed transportation service where Coyote manages a shipper's freight program — carrier selection, freight procurement, load tendering, and tracking — using Coyote's brokerage expertise and technology on behalf of the shipper.
Key Features
Carrier network scale. Coyote's primary asset is its carrier network scale under UPS: access to pricing and capacity from UPS's freight relationships, Coyote's 75,000+ active carrier relationships, and spot market pricing that a mid-market shipper cannot achieve independently. For shippers that use Coyote for spot freight, the network pricing is the value driver.
Temperature-controlled freight coverage. Coyote has strong coverage for refrigerated and temperature-controlled freight — a specialty where carrier capacity is constrained and network relationships matter more than for standard dry van. Food and beverage shippers with temperature-controlled requirements find Coyote's refrigerated carrier coverage a differentiator.
CoyoteGO digital booking and tracking. Shippers can book Coyote loads, get real-time pricing, and track active shipments through CoyoteGO without calling a broker. For shipper operations that want a digital interface for their Coyote freight, the self-service booking reduces friction for routine spot loads.
Managed transportation expertise. Coyote's managed transportation service goes beyond freight booking to program management: carrier vetting, performance management, freight cost benchmarking, and operational reporting for a shipper's freight program. For shippers that want to outsource freight management rather than build internal TMS capability, managed transportation is the relevant offering.
Pricing and Plans
Coyote does not publish software pricing because CoyoteGO is included with the brokerage relationship rather than sold as standalone software. Pricing is:
- Freight brokerage: Margin built into freight rates — shippers pay Coyote's all-in rate, which includes the brokerage margin. No separate software licensing fee for CoyoteGO.
- Managed transportation: Program management fee structure varies by freight spend volume and service scope.
Evaluating Coyote's "cost" is primarily evaluating freight rate competitiveness against direct carrier rates and alternative brokers, not software licensing fees.
Who Coyote Is Best For
Shippers with significant spot freight volume. Coyote's brokerage network delivers the most value for shippers managing meaningful spot freight — typically $1 million or more in annual spot truck spend where Coyote's carrier relationships and network pricing deliver measurable rate advantages.
Shippers with temperature-controlled freight requirements. Coyote's refrigerated carrier network is strong. Food and beverage shippers that struggle to source reliable temperature-controlled capacity directly benefit from Coyote's network relationships in that specialty.
Companies seeking managed transportation outsourcing. Shippers that want to outsource freight management rather than build internal TMS capability and a dedicated freight team use Coyote managed transportation as an alternative to investing in a TMS platform.
Operations looking for digital-first brokerage. Shippers who want a digital interface for spot freight booking and tracking — without a full TMS implementation — find CoyoteGO a practical digital brokerage portal for their Coyote freight.
Coyote is not the right answer for:
- Shippers looking for a TMS to manage their full multi-carrier freight network independently
- Operations that need freight audit, multi-modal optimization, or carrier contract management beyond what a brokerage portal provides
- Companies that want to reduce freight intermediary costs by managing carriers directly
Real User Complaints and Limitations
CoyoteGO covers only Coyote freight. CoyoteGO provides visibility and reporting for freight moved through Coyote. Shippers that also use contract carriers or other brokers have a visibility and reporting gap for non-Coyote freight that CoyoteGO does not fill. A full-freight-program TMS is needed for cross-carrier visibility.
Pricing transparency concerns. Shipper reviews note that the broker margin embedded in Coyote freight rates is not always transparent. Shippers that have audited Coyote rates against market benchmarks occasionally find rates above what direct carrier negotiation or independent TMS freight optimization would achieve.
Managed transportation can create carrier relationship dependency. Shippers that fully outsource to Coyote managed transportation may find that their direct carrier relationships atrophy during the outsourcing period. If they choose to bring freight management in-house later, rebuilding carrier relationships requires time.
Limited TMS capabilities for independent freight management. CoyoteGO is a brokerage portal, not a TMS. Shippers that want to manage their full freight network — contract carriers, spot carriers, multiple brokers, freight audit — need an independent TMS alongside or instead of CoyoteGO.
When Custom Logistics Software Makes More Sense
For shippers that use Coyote for freight brokerage but need visibility across their full carrier network — combining Coyote freight data with direct carrier tracking data, contract carrier EDI data, and other broker shipments — custom applications aggregate freight visibility from multiple sources into a unified management view.
For companies evaluating whether to manage freight independently through a TMS or outsource to a managed transportation provider like Coyote, the decision typically comes down to freight spend volume and internal freight management expertise available. Organizations with annual freight spend above $10 million and internal logistics teams typically find that a TMS provides better cost visibility and carrier relationship control than full outsourcing.
Conclusion
Coyote Logistics is one of the largest and most capable freight brokers in the US, with genuine network scale under UPS ownership and a digital brokerage portal that reduces friction for shippers managing spot freight. It is not a standalone TMS and should not be evaluated as one. For the specific use case it serves — spot freight brokerage, temperature-controlled capacity, and managed transportation outsourcing — Coyote delivers measurable value. For shippers who need to manage their full multi-carrier freight program independently, a TMS investment is the right path alongside any brokerage relationship.
Managing Your Full Freight Program Beyond the Brokerage Portal
A brokerage portal covers one channel of your freight. The unified freight visibility, multi-carrier analytics, and management reporting your team needs across all freight requires a custom or TMS layer that brokerage portals do not generate.
LowCode Agency has built custom freight management and visibility applications for shippers that needed operational intelligence across their full freight program — not just a single broker's portal. If you need a unified freight analytics or multi-carrier visibility application, schedule a consultation with our Senior Partners.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Coyote Logistics?
Coyote Logistics is a freight brokerage company owned by UPS. It provides freight brokerage services for shippers and capacity opportunities for carriers, with CoyoteGO as its digital platform for booking, tracking, and reporting on freight moved through the Coyote network.
Is Coyote Logistics a TMS?
No. Coyote Logistics is a freight broker. CoyoteGO is a brokerage portal for booking and tracking Coyote loads. It is not a standalone TMS that manages a shipper's full carrier network, freight audit, or multi-carrier freight program.
Who owns Coyote Logistics?
UPS acquired Coyote Logistics in 2015 for $1.8 billion. Coyote operates as a standalone freight brokerage brand under UPS ownership, leveraging UPS's carrier relationships and network scale.
What is CoyoteGO?
CoyoteGO is Coyote's digital platform for shippers (freight booking, pricing, tracking, reporting on Coyote loads) and for carriers (finding and booking available Coyote freight). It is a brokerage portal, not a standalone TMS.
How much does Coyote Logistics charge?
Coyote does not charge a separate software fee for CoyoteGO — it is included with the brokerage relationship. Coyote earns a brokerage margin embedded in the freight rate. Managed transportation programs have additional program management fees based on freight spend volume.
Should I use Coyote instead of a TMS?
Coyote managed transportation and a TMS address different needs. Coyote is appropriate for shippers that want to outsource freight management, access the Coyote carrier network, or use digital brokerage for spot freight. A TMS is appropriate for shippers that want to manage their carrier network independently, run freight audit, and optimize multi-carrier freight spend.