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Can anyone dethrone Amazon atop FreightTech awards? Nominations now being accepted

E-commerce giant has captured first place in annual FreightWaves awards two years running

Can anyone top Amazon when it comes to FreightTech innovation? Nominations for the annual FreightTech awards are now open.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has become synonymous with disruption. It disrupted the retail space and helped usher in e-commerce, and it’s done the same in the freight space, turning traditional freight delivery schedules upside down. Amazon brought two-day, one-day and even same-day shipping to the fore, and competitors have now added those services as well.

Amazon’s knack for disruption is one of the reasons it is a two-time winner of the FreightWaves FreightTech awards. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant finished first in the voting for the FreightTech 25 in both 2019 and 2020.

Will it three-peat?

Nominations are now being accepted for the annual awards, which will be presented during FreightWaves LIVE@HOME, taking place Oct. 28-29. The virtual event will build on the FreightWaves LIVE@HOME event that took place in May. LIVE@HOME events have replaced FreightWaves’ traditional in-person events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.


The headline sponsor of FreightWaves LIVE@HOME is J.B. Hunt 360. Title sponsors are 8VC and K Ratio, while Daimler and TriumphPay are universal sponsors. Emerge and McLeod Software are regional sponsors.

The 2021 FreightTech 25 will be announced Oct. 29. The nomination form can be found here: https://www.freightwaves.com/awards/freighttech2021-nominate

The FreightTech awards have been a highlight of past FreightWaves LIVE events. Last year, Amazon bested project44, Convoy, J.B. Hunt and KeepTruckin to win the second annual FreightTech awards. Will any of those companies top Amazon this year, or will the e-commerce giant maintain its stranglehold?

The FreightTech awards, presented as the FreightTech 100 and the FreightTech 25, highlight the most innovative and disruptive companies across the freight industry, featuring both cutting-edge upstarts and top-notch traditional powers. Last year, the 2020 FreightTech 100 featured 70 companies that returned to the list from 2019, but nine of the final top 25 were newcomers.


To be included on the list, companies must be nominated. A panel chosen by FreightWaves will narrow down the initial hundreds of nominations to the FreightTech 100. At that point, an external peer group of CEOs, industry leaders, academics and freight-industry investors will take the FreightTech 100 list and rank those companies that they think are the 25 most innovative companies in freight. Voters can vote for their own company if it is on the FreightTech 100 list, but each company can only be ranked once per voter. Voting is conducted and overseen by accounting firm Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM).

A list of the voters can be seen here: https://www.freightwaves.com/awards/freighttech2021-voters

To be considered for the award, a company simply needs to be nominated. This is not a “pay-to-play” award, and each nominee is judged based on its role in changing the freight industry in dynamic ways.

“Companies that make the FreightTech 100 and ultimately the FreightTech 25 do so because they are innovative and forward-thinking,” FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller said. “With over 1,200 nominations representing nearly 300 companies last year, it is obvious that FreightTech 100 companies are highly thought of by their employees, customers and peers. We look forward to seeing the depth of companies nominated this year and some of the innovative technologies they are developing.”

The nomination deadline is Sept. 4. Companies can nominate themselves or other industry leaders that are making waves in the freight marketplace.

To nominate a company for the FreightTech 100, fill out this form: https://www.freightwaves.com/awards/freighttech2021-nominate

FreightWaves LIVE@HOME is streamed for free on FreightWavesTV and on freightwaves.com.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Brian Straight.


Related stories:

Amazon named FreightTech 25 champion two years running

FreightWaves announces 2020 FreightTech 100

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Brian Straight

Brian Straight leads FreightWaves' Modern Shipper brand as Managing Editor. A journalism graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he has covered everything from a presidential election, to professional sports and Little League baseball, and for more than 10 years has covered trucking and logistics. Before joining FreightWaves, he was previously responsible for the editorial quality and production of Fleet Owner magazine and fleetowner.com. Brian lives in Connecticut with his wife and two kids and spends his time coaching his son’s baseball team, golfing with his daughter, and pursuing his never-ending quest to become a professional bowler. You can reach him at [email protected].