Best Ontruck Alternative for European Road Freight

Ontruck is a digital freight broker headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Founded in 2016, the company raised €65 million from investors including Cathay Innovation, Idinvest, and Atomico. Ontruck initially expanded to the UK and France before a significant restructuring in 2022 that reduced operations to Spain only. The company specialises in FTL/LTL regional freight within 200-300 kilometre corridors in the Iberian market.

Ontruck operates as an intermediary, shippers submit freight requirements and Ontruck handles carrier selection, pricing, and execution. The shipper does not choose the carrier or see the carrier’s cost.

TrucksOnTheMap is a neutral SaaS platform providing EU-wide coverage where shippers control their entire freight operation.

This comparison carries a unique dimension: platform stability. Ontruck’s 2022 restructuring, pulling back from two markets and significantly reducing operations, raises questions about long-term viability that do not apply to the other competitors in this analysis.

TrucksOnTheMap vs Ontruck: Full Feature Comparison

Company Overview

	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck
Network access model	Invite-only — you choose your partners	Open digital broker — Spain-focused
Headquarters	Europe	Madrid, Spain
Founded	–	2016
Business model	Neutral SaaS platform	Digital freight broker
Total funding	–	€65M raised
Coverage	Full EU + CEE	Spain only (withdrew from UK, France in 2022)
Operational status	Growing, expanding	Restructured 2022, reduced scope
Freight type	All distances, all EU	Regional FTL/LTL, 200-300km corridors, Spain only

The Restructuring Context

Ontruck’s 2022 restructuring is relevant to this comparison because it affects the platform’s scope, reliability, and long-term viability:

• UK operations shut down entirely after entering the market in 2019
• French operations shut down after expansion through the Everoad-adjacent market
• Staff reductions of approximately 30-40% according to industry reports
• Focus narrowed to Spanish regional FTL/LTL freight within 200-300km corridors

The restructuring does not mean Ontruck is a bad product within its narrowed scope. Spanish regional freight within 200-300km corridors remains functional. It does mean that Ontruck’s scope, resources, and trajectory have contracted significantly from its initial ambition of becoming a pan-European digital freight broker.

For shippers evaluating long-term platform partnerships, this trajectory matters. A platform that shrank from three markets to one and reduced staff by 30-40% carries different risk than a platform that is expanding.

Implementation and Access

Feature	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck	Advantage
Time to go live (shippers)	Days	Days	Tie
Self-service onboarding	Yes	Yes	Tie
Free TMS included	Yes	No	TrucksOnTheMap
Platform type	Neutral SaaS, shipper controls	Broker, Ontruck intermediates	TrucksOnTheMap

Both platforms offer fast onboarding. Ontruck’s process is particularly simple within its scope: enter pickup and delivery details within Spain, get a price, book. This simplicity is a genuine advantage for shippers who need quick Spanish regional freight without managing the process.

TrucksOnTheMap provides a complete platform requiring more initial setup but delivering control over the entire freight operation across the full EU.

Pricing and Commercial Model

Feature	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck	Advantage
Pricing model	SaaS pay-per-use (transparent)	Brokerage margin (10-20%, hidden)	TrucksOnTheMap
Shipper sees carrier cost	Yes	No	TrucksOnTheMap
Accessible to SMEs	Yes	Yes	Tie
Long-distance pricing	Full EU coverage	Only regional 200-300km	TrucksOnTheMap

Ontruck’s pricing follows the digital broker model: the shipper receives a per-shipment quote that includes Ontruck’s margin (estimated at 10-20%). The carrier receives a lower amount. The shipper does not see this breakdown.

For regional Spanish freight, Ontruck’s pricing can be competitive due to its established carrier network in Iberian corridors. The convenience of instant pricing without carrier management has value for shippers without Spanish freight management capability.

TrucksOnTheMap charges a transparent SaaS fee. The shipper sees carrier costs directly. For shippers with regular Spanish freight, the per-shipment cost difference between hidden brokerage margins and transparent platform fees accumulates over time.

Ontruck’s geographic limitation is a pricing constraint: it cannot price freight outside Spain. A shipper needing Spain-to-Germany or Spain-to-Poland freight cannot use Ontruck. TrucksOnTheMap prices freight across the full EU.

Core Platform

Feature	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck	Advantage
Real-time shipment tracking	Yes	Yes	Tie
Predictive ETA (AI)	AI-powered, multi-source	Basic / limited	TrucksOnTheMap
User interface	Modern, intuitive design	Clean shipper portal	TrucksOnTheMap
API architecture	API-first	Limited API	TrucksOnTheMap
Driver mobile app	Yes	Yes	Tie

Ontruck’s technology is functional within its scope. The shipper portal is clean and focused on the simple workflow of booking and tracking Spanish regional freight. Tracking provides location updates and basic ETA.

TrucksOnTheMap’s technology is broader: AI-powered ETA, full API integration, advanced analytics, and operational tools that extend well beyond tracking.

The technology difference reflects the products’ scope. Ontruck is a booking tool for Spanish regional freight. TrucksOnTheMap is an operational platform for EU-wide freight management.

Freight Operations and Control

Feature	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck	Advantage
Shipper chooses own carrier	Yes	No	TrucksOnTheMap
Freight procurement / e-tendering	Yes	No	TrucksOnTheMap
AI carrier matching	Yes	Automated but opaque	TrucksOnTheMap
Dock and yard management	Yes	No	TrucksOnTheMap
Regional FTL/LTL simplicity	Full-featured platform	Simple, fast quoting (ES)	Ontruck

Ontruck’s operational simplicity is its advantage for a specific use case: a shipper who needs to move a partial or full load within Spain tomorrow, without managing carriers, without running procurement, and without dock scheduling. Submit details, get price, confirm. Done.

TrucksOnTheMap provides operational control that Ontruck does not: carrier selection, procurement tenders, dock appointments, yard management, and AI-driven matching. This control produces better outcomes for shippers with freight management capability but requires active engagement.

The trade-off is identical to the Sennder comparison: convenience vs control. Ontruck’s convenience is limited to Spanish regional corridors. TrucksOnTheMap’s control covers the entire EU.

European Coverage and Support

Feature	TrucksOnTheMap	Ontruck	Advantage
EU-wide coverage	Full EU + deep CEE	Spain only	TrucksOnTheMap
Spanish market presence	Growing EU-wide	Strong Iberian brand	Ontruck
Company stability	Growing, expanding	Restructured, reduced operations	TrucksOnTheMap
Support model	Direct senior-level team	Standard support	TrucksOnTheMap
Long-term platform viability	Full-suite, expanding	Uncertain after restructuring	TrucksOnTheMap

Ontruck has strong brand recognition in the Spanish freight market. Within its narrowed scope, Spanish regional FTL/LTL, the company has an established carrier network and market presence.

The coverage limitation is absolute: Ontruck does not operate outside Spain. Any freight crossing the Spanish border requires a different solution. For organisations with multi-country European operations, Ontruck can only handle the Spanish domestic portion.

TrucksOnTheMap covers Spain alongside the rest of the EU in a single platform.

Trust Matters — TrucksOnTheMap Is Invite-Only

TrucksOnTheMap is a safe, invite-only platform. Every shipper and carrier on the network is vetted before joining — no anonymous postings, no unknown counterparties, no single-load accounts opened to move one shipment and disappear.

You decide who you want to work with. You choose your partners.

• Invite-only access — shippers and carriers join by invitation or after verification
• Vetted counterparties — identity, compliance, and operational history checked before onboarding
• Partner-controlled network — you approve who can see your loads and who can work with you
• No open marketplace risk — the fraud, double-brokering, and identity-theft exposure common to open load boards is eliminated by design

In European road freight, trust is not a feature — it is the foundation. TrucksOnTheMap’s invite-only model exists because fraud and unreliable counterparties are the #1 operational risk in open marketplaces and digital brokerages.

The 9-Feature Coverage Test

A recent cross-platform analysis mapped 10 European freight platforms against 9 critical features organised into three pillars: securing capacity (freight procurement, spot quoting, automated transport allocation), loading scheduling (time slot management, digital yard, agile schedule sharing through information), and tracking deliveries (real-time visibility, customer status notifications, reporting and performance). Only 5 platforms cover all 9 features end to end: Transporeon, alpegaTMS, AEB, TrucksOnTheMap, and cargo stream.

Ontruck is not in that group. It covers the capacity matching slice of securing capacity, but customers running a complete freight operation have to stitch Ontruck to separate tools for loading scheduling and tracking deliveries. This creates an integration tax: multiple vendor contracts, disjointed data models, manual reconciliation across systems that were never designed to work together, and a support model that fragments whenever an incident spans more than one tool.

TrucksOnTheMap eliminates that problem by covering all 9 features in a single platform. Time to production is 2 to 3 months, the fastest of the full-coverage group. ROI typically materialises inside 12 months. A shipper replacing a Ontruck point deployment with TrucksOnTheMap consolidates capacity procurement, scheduling, and visibility into one workflow, one contract, and one data model, without managing a multi-vendor stack.

Summary

Category	TrucksOnTheMap Wins	Ontruck Wins	Tied
Implementation and Access	2	0	2
Pricing	3	0	1
Core Platform	2	0	2
Freight Operations	4	1	0
European Coverage	3	1	0
**Total**	**14**	**2**	**3**

TrucksOnTheMap wins 14 of 19 compared features. Ontruck leads in Spanish regional brand recognition and simple spot quoting for Iberian corridors. TrucksOnTheMap leads on technology, EU-wide coverage, operational capabilities, and platform stability.

When to Choose Ontruck

• Your freight is exclusively Spanish regional FTL/LTL within 200-300km corridors
• You want a broker to handle carrier management entirely within Spain
• Simple, instant quoting without managing carrier relationships is your priority
• You are comfortable with Ontruck’s post-restructuring operational scope and stability
• Cost transparency is not a priority, convenience justifies embedded brokerage margins

When to Choose TrucksOnTheMap

• Any freight outside Spain is part of your operations
• You need long-distance or cross-border freight capabilities
• You require procurement, dock scheduling, and AI matching, not just brokerage
• Platform stability and long-term viability influence your technology decisions
• You want transparent pricing without hidden brokerage margins
• You need a single platform covering all your European freight, including Spanish domestic

FAQ

Is Ontruck still a viable platform?

Ontruck continues to operate in Spain for regional FTL/LTL freight. The company is functional within its narrowed scope. The 2022 restructuring reduced coverage from three countries to one and staff by an estimated 30-40%. Long-term viability depends on Ontruck’s ability to sustain operations and potentially re-expand, which remains uncertain.

Can TrucksOnTheMap handle Spanish regional freight?

Yes. TrucksOnTheMap covers Spain with the same platform that covers the rest of the EU. For organisations currently using Ontruck for Spanish freight, TrucksOnTheMap provides domestic Spanish coverage plus EU-wide operations, procurement, and visibility in a single platform.

Is Ontruck cheaper for Spanish freight?

Ontruck’s instant quoting may appear cheaper for individual shipments because there is no visible platform fee. However, the 10-20% brokerage margin is embedded in every shipment price. For regular Spanish freight volume, cumulative brokerage margins typically exceed TrucksOnTheMap’s transparent platform fees.

Why did Ontruck leave the UK and France?

Ontruck’s expansion to the UK and France did not achieve the unit economics required for sustainability. The digital brokerage model requires significant carrier network density in each market to generate competitive pricing. Building this density in new markets requires substantial investment that Ontruck’s funding could not sustain across three geographies simultaneously.

Should I be concerned about Ontruck’s stability?

Platform stability is a legitimate consideration for freight technology decisions. Switching platforms has costs, data migration, team retraining, workflow disruption. A platform that has already contracted once carries higher risk of further contraction or discontinuation than a platform that is expanding. This risk should be weighed against Ontruck’s specific advantages for your use case.