Revolutionizing Freight Finance: How Upwell is Solving the AR & AP Crisis in Logistics

The logistics industry moves at a relentless pace. Freight keeps rolling, trucks keep hauling, and warehouses keep operating—but behind the scenes, a financial bottleneck threatens to slow everything down. For many brokers and carriers, getting paid isn’t just a routine process—it’s a constant battle against inefficiency, late payments, and administrative overload.

While logistics has seen rapid advancements in technology for routing, tracking, and freight matching, the financial side of the industry remains painfully outdated. Upwell sheds light on this overlooked crisis and how AI-powered automation is driving real solutions.

The Silent Killer in Logistics Finance

Every logistics company depends on a healthy cash flow, but too many are losing money to inefficiencies buried in their back offices. The struggle to get invoices processed, matched, and approved creates unnecessary delays, leaving businesses in a constant state of financial uncertainty.

"There’s high blood pressure, a silent killer going on in the back office, and it’s all tied around accounts receivable and accounts payable," Upwell CEO and Co-Founder Charley Dehoney 🚚🤓 warned.

This isn't just an inconvenience—it’s a fundamental threat to profitability. When 25-30% of invoices are paid late, even by just a few days, it can throw off financial planning, impact hiring decisions, and limit a company’s ability to reinvest in growth. The cost isn’t just in delayed payments—it’s in the operational burden of chasing down invoices, correcting errors, and manually handling routine financial tasks.

"At least half of the operational cost inside a business's OPEX is tied up in the back office, and these are non-revenue-producing roles that are ripe for AI-driven transformation," Dehoney explained.

Logistics is a high-stakes, low-margin industry, and the fact that so much capital is being wasted on manual processing is a missed opportunity for efficiency, scalability, and profit maximization.

AI-Powered Automation: Eliminating the Bottleneck

The problem isn't just that invoices are slow—it's that the entire process is fragmented. Carriers and brokers must navigate multiple platforms, customer-specific requirements, and a tangled web of payment terms that complicate even the most routine transactions.

"We built an integration application that connects the transportation management software to the accounting software and then absorbs operational emails to extract documents automatically," Dehoney stated.

With AI-driven automation, Upwell ensures that invoices are processed faster, with fewer errors, and with real-time tracking at every step. The platform eliminates unnecessary human intervention, dramatically improving efficiency and accuracy in freight finance. But Upwell’s impact goes beyond just sending invoices—it has reimagined the entire workflow of freight payments.

"Our customers asked, 'Can you also send the follow-up email? Can you send my past-due statements? Can you help process a credit card or an ACH for my customer?'" Dehoney recalled.

Instead of just solving one problem, Upwell built an end-to-end automation layer that handles:

✅ Invoice validation and submission—ensuring all documents meet customer-specific payment requirements.

✅ Automated follow-ups and past-due notices—eliminating the need for manual collections.

✅ Seamless payment processing—helping brokers and carriers get paid days, if not weeks, faster.

The result? Less time chasing payments. More time growing the business.

Driving Real Results for Freight Brokers & Carriers

For many companies, Upwell isn’t just an efficiency tool—it’s a financial lifeline. By eliminating invoice processing delays, Upwell is freeing up working capital, reducing administrative overhead, and lowering daily sales outstanding (DSO) by 3-4 days.

"We're working with some of North America's largest transportation companies, helping them get paid by their biggest customers faster," Dehoney emphasized.

But speed is only part of the equation. Upwell’s predictive analytics give freight businesses unprecedented visibility into their finances, allowing them to make smarter decisions and proactively manage cash flow.

"For the first time, our customers can see all of their payments—both historical and upcoming—in one place," Dehoney pointed out.

This level of financial transparency and control is a game-changer for CFOs who are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and improve profitability. Traditionally, fixing inefficiencies in AR and AP required adding headcount or making painful process adjustments—but now, Upwell allows companies to do more with less while putting more money in the bank—faster.

"CFOs are generally displeased with the outcome of everything going on. They know they’re spending too much and aren’t as efficient as they should be. If they’re going to fix this, they need an automation layer," Dehoney noted.

What’s Next? The Future of Financial Automation in Logistics

While Upwell has already streamlined freight invoicing, the company isn’t stopping there. The real goal is to automate the entire order-to-cash process, ensuring that brokers, carriers, and freight forwarders can focus on growing their business instead of drowning in paperwork.

"Today, we're starting with an AI application to help the bills go out faster. Tomorrow, we’re going to take over the order-to-cash process holistically," Dehoney shared.

This vision of a fully automated freight finance ecosystem means:

🔹 No more cash flow surprises—real-time insights help companies predict financial trends before they happen.

🔹 No more wasted overhead—AI takes care of repetitive, low-value tasks, so businesses can reallocate resources to revenue-generating initiatives.

🔹 No more friction in payments—brokers and carriers will have a seamless, fully integrated financial workflow, eliminating manual roadblocks once and for all.

For logistics companies that rely on cash flow to stay competitive, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Manual processes aren’t just inefficient—they’re costing businesses real money, every single day.

Upwell is proving that the right technology doesn’t just improve back-office workflows—it has the power to transform the entire financial landscape of logistics. Schedule a demo today and see for yourself.

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