How Armstrong Transport Group Transformed Contract Freight Management with Real-Time Analytics

The Initial Challenge

Armstrong Transport Group's contract freight operations were managed through spreadsheets and manual workflows that limited real-time visibility. Without a centralized view of carrier relationships and lane profitability, the team struggled to efficiently optimize its growing network of contract lanes.

“Most of our reporting was manual and weekly at best. Leadership had no real-time visibility into lanes, relationships, or profitability. We couldn’t scale those insights without a complete overhaul of our data stack.”
_{— Jake Walrath, Business Intelligence Manager}

Industry & Organizational Context

The freight industry's inherent supply and demand volatility requires rapid, data-driven decision-making. With over $400 billion moving through contract domestic transport annually, brokers must carefully balance carrier relationships, lane profitability, and service reliability to maintain their competitive advantage.

As Armstrong scaled toward $2 billion in annual revenue, their traditional reporting methods couldn't provide the real-time insights needed to optimize operations and drive growth in new markets like LTL and cross-border freight.

The Approach to Change

Armstrong recognized that transforming their contract management required both technical and cultural changes. They implemented Sigma as part of a broader data modernization initiative, moving from production server queries to a scalable data stack with near real-time analytics.

“Every company has data; the difference is knowing how to translate it into decisions that matter. Sigma empowers our teams with the visibility and agility to act on insights quickly — turning information into a true competitive advantage. It’s not just a reporting tool; it’s a strategic partner in how we run our business.”
_{— Cameron Ramsdell, CEO}

Sigma in Action

Using Sigma's spreadsheet interface, Armstrong built an integrated contract management system that provides real-time visibility across their entire operation. The platform's live connection to their cloud warehouse enables instant analysis of carrier performance, lane profitability, and commitment tracking.

The solution leverages Sigma's row-level security to control access to sensitive carrier data while allowing operations teams to collaborate effectively. Input tables enable teams to manage carrier assignments and track performance metrics directly in the analytics environment.

"By the time that we generated the lane-level performance number manually, it was too late. With 1,600 lanes, the volume became the issue. Sigma gives you the opportunity to get that information all centralized."
_{— Jake Walrath, Business Intelligence Manager}

Business Outcomes & Impact

The transformation delivered significant measurable results. Contract carrier volume grew by 40% over 18 months as Armstrong gained the ability to strategically expand these relationships. The platform now provides visibility into $12M+ in contract revenue, enabling optimization of rates and carrier assignments.

By automating commission calculations in Sigma, Armstrong eliminated days of manual effort monthly while saving $150,000 in external vendor costs. Most importantly, they gained the ability to identify troubled lanes and proactively address profitability issues.

Looking Ahead

With foundational analytics now in place, Armstrong is shifting focus from basic reporting to predictive analytics using AI. They plan to build forecasting and projection models directly in Sigma to support strategic planning across operations, finance, and sales.

"We want to provide analytical tools, not just reporting tools - living analyses in Sigma as opposed to one-off reports that just exist."
_{— Jake Walrath, Business Intelligence Manager}