October 21, 2025
- Written By
Ben Emmrich
TL;DR:
A platform for alternative carriers connects shippers to multiple regional and specialized delivery providers through one unified system. It gives ecommerce retailers more control, better rates, and faster deliveries, without the headache of managing each carrier separately. Tusk Logistics built the infrastructure to make that possible, giving shippers access, visibility, and efficiency that national carriers can’t match.
A platform for alternative carriers is a single, tech-driven network that integrates dozens of regional parcel carriers under one roof.
Instead of negotiating and managing each carrier individually, shippers connect once to a unified system: gaining nationwide coverage, lower parcel costs, and better reliability through a connected ecosystem.
In plain terms, it’s the missing layer between ecommerce brands that want flexibility and the fragmented regional carrier landscape that can deliver it.
Tusk built that layer.
Ecommerce has evolved faster than the national-carrier model ever could. Shippers now expect:
The big national carriers (like UPS, FedEx, and USPS) can’t deliver on all three. Their systems weren’t built for the new shipping economy; one driven by regional agility, data, and cost pressure.
That’s why carriers like GLS, Better Trucks, and UniUni are reshaping parcel logistics. But fragmentation has always been the barrier: each carrier has its own tech, rules, and data.
Tusk solves that.
Tusk Logistics is the infrastructure that unites the alternative-carrier ecosystem.
Tusk’s platform integrates dozens of high-performing alternative carriers through one API and one billing system. You get national reach with regional precision, without the complexity of managing each contract or claim.
Ship anywhere. Work with one partner.
Visibility used to end once a parcel left your dock. Not anymore.
Tusk provides end-to-end parcel tracking across every carrier, normalized in a single view.
That means you can:
Tusk’s unified tracking eliminates data gaps between alternative carriers, improving both operational insight and customer experience.
Every carrier has its own billing and claims process. Tusk standardizes all of it.
Shippers finally see the full picture of their parcel network and how it impacts their bottom line.
Most shipping platforms serve IT teams. Tusk was built for operators – people who live in the details and know that the right carrier can make or break the customer experience.
Every feature is designed for execution:
When chaos hits (and it always does), Tusk keeps freight moving.
In 2025, parcel cost, speed, and reliability are competitive differentiators. Retailers and 3PLs that rely solely on national carriers will continue to face rising surcharges and limited flexibility.
Tusk’s platform unlocks:
That’s the power of a connected alternative-carrier network.
Written by the Tusk Logistics Team
With insights from Ben Emmrich, CEO and cofounder of Tusk Logistics.