Highway tops 2027 FreightTech 25 as fraud-prevention tech dominates

Highway has taken the No. 1 spot in the 2027 FreightTech 25 for the third consecutive year, tying the record Amazon set from 2019 to 2021 in FreightWaves' annual ranking of freight technology companies.

FreightWaves revealed the top 25 at the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner in Chattanooga, where all 100 FreightTech 100 winners were recognized as part of the 2027 FreightTech Awards, presented by Sope Creek. Kevin Nolan, Craig Fuller and Malcolm Harris closed the evening by announcing the winners.

The list recognizes 25 companies for their contributions to innovation across freight technology and transportation. Highway, based in Dallas, develops technology that helps freight brokers verify trucking companies, prevent cargo theft and fraud, and find reliable carriers for loads. Its platform checks carrier identity, operating authority, insurance and operational data, while its Trusted Freight Exchange connects brokers with verified capacity.

"I think there's been no bigger story over the last decade," Fuller said of the rise of fraud and cargo theft prevention technology.

That claim deserves scrutiny, but the rankings back it up. Highway and GenLogs took the top two spots, putting freight fraud prevention at the forefront of this year's list. Highway focuses on verifying carrier identities. GenLogs, at No. 2, uses highway camera networks and data to help verify carriers and track freight capacity.

How the FreightTech 25 is chosen

The FreightTech 25 is selected from the FreightTech 100, a broader list of companies recognized by FreightWaves for innovation in freight and supply chain technology. An independent panel ranks the 100 companies to determine the top 25, with the voting process overseen by accounting firm Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough.

What role did AI play?

Artificial intelligence was the second major theme. Five companies in the AI orchestration and automation category made the list: HappyRobot, CloneOps.ai, Augment, Pallet and Carrier1. All five are first-time FreightTech 25 winners — a sweep that signals a shift toward AI tools that can carry out work, rather than simply assist employees.

The most concrete number of the night came from C.H. Robinson, ranked No. 11. The company said its AI fully executes 92% of shipments for customers that outsource their transportation operations. It is a striking claim, and one the company itself framed; independent verification was not part of the awards process.

Autonomous trucking expands its footprint

Autonomous trucking also gained ground. Four companies made this year's list, up from three last year:

• Aurora, No. 4
• Kodiak, No. 12
• Torc Robotics, No. 19
• Waabi, No. 20

Where did the traditional players go?

The list also included fewer traditional transportation providers. Eight carriers, brokers and third-party logistics providers made the 2026 FreightTech 25. This year, just two did: C.H. Robinson and Amazon Relay.

That is a six-company decline in a single year — the clearest evidence in the rankings that venture-backed software firms are displacing incumbent operators as the industry's recognized innovators.

The full 2027 FreightTech 25

Place	Company
1	Highway
2	GenLogs
3	HappyRobot
4	Aurora
5	Qued
6	Samsara
7	CloneOps.ai
8	Tive
9	Augment
10	REPOWR
11	C.H. Robinson
12	Kodiak
13	Pallet
14	Overhaul
T-15	Amazon Relay
T-15	Platform Science
17	Carrier1
18	Triumph
19	Torc Robotics
20	Waabi
21	Gnosis Freight
T-22	Descartes
T-22	Truckstop.com
T-24	Motive
T-24	ShipStation Global

Why this matters

The FreightTech 25 shows how companies are tackling some of the freight industry's biggest challenges, from fraud and inefficient operations to driver shortages and underused equipment. The range of companies on the list also reflects how innovation is happening across the industry, with startups developing new tools and established players expanding their technology offerings.

For brokers and shippers, the composition of the 2027 list points to where technology budgets are heading: identity verification, autonomous capacity and AI agents executing transactions end to end. Whether next year's rankings confirm the acceleration — five first-time AI winners is one data point, not a trend — will depend on whether these tools deliver measurable fraud reduction and cost savings at scale.