LiveQuote vs Spotboard APIs vs RPA Bots: What’s the Difference in Freight Tech?

Not all freight tech is created equal.

In the race to automate quoting and win more freight, logistics teams are flooded with buzzwords: real-time rating, API bidding, RPA bots, live quoting…

So let’s break it down.

If you’re trying to speed up your spot quoting workflow, these three tools might come up—but they’re not the same, and choosing the right one matters if you're aiming for scale, control, and performance.

Here’s a breakdown of the major differences between:

✅ LiveQuote with Real-Time Rating APIs
✅ Bidding on Spotboard APIs
✅ RPA Bots

🚀 1. LiveQuote + Real-Time Rating APIs

What it is:
LiveQuote connects your brokerage’s pricing strategy to real-time rating APIs—like those provided by your carriers or internal logic—inside your TMS or quoting workflow.

How it works:
When a shipper sends out a spot quote request, LiveQuote instantly pulls your rating logic (from your API), makes a recommendation, and allows a human to review, edit, or auto-submit it.

Best For:
Brokers looking to scale their quoting intelligently without giving up control.

Key Benefits:

• Real-time speed with human oversight

• #SemiAutomatedBidding: reps can review and adjust quotes before sending

• Logic-driven, explainable quoting that reflects your real pricing strategy

• Works inside your TMS or wherever you quote today

Bottom Line:
It’s the fastest way to quote with your brain still in the loop. Automation with accountability.

📡 2. Spotboard API Bidding

What it is:
Many large shippers now host API-based spotboards (think: Uber Freight, Convoy, etc.), where carriers and brokers can submit rates via API directly into their portals.

How it works:
You build or buy an integration that lets you send rates directly to the shipper’s spotboard via their API. No email. No manual upload.

Best For:
Teams bidding frequently into high-volume shipper portals.

Key Benefits:

• Speed: no more logging into portals manually

• Coverage: ensures you’re hitting every RFP/spot opportunity

• Fully automated if pricing logic is baked in

Trade-Offs:

• You must build logic around each shipper's format and process

• Full automation leaves little room for human review or judgment

• Often only works for specific shipper accounts, not general quoting

Bottom Line:
It’s fast and direct—but can feel like a black box if not connected to your quoting logic or reviewed by your reps.

🤖 3. RPA Bots (Robotic Process Automation)

What it is:
RPA bots simulate human actions—like clicking, copying, pasting—across systems. They're often used to log into portals and input quotes where no API exists.

How it works:
You “train” a bot to log into a shipper’s portal, read a load opportunity, and enter a rate based on rules or spreadsheets.

Best For:
Short-term patching of non-integrated workflows when no API is available.

Key Benefits:

• Can automate tedious portal work when APIs are unavailable

• Cheaper than custom integrations in the short term

• Mimics human behavior with no real IT integration needed

Major Risks:

• Brittle: one change to the UI and your bot breaks

• No real intelligence—it’s repeating clicks, not thinking

• No visibility or audit trail if things go wrong

• Maintenance overhead grows fast

Bottom Line:
RPA is a band-aid, not a strategy. Useful for gaps, but risky to rely on long-term.

🎯 So What Should You Use?

Use CaseBest FitYou want to scale quoting across multiple shippers, without sacrificing controlLiveQuote + Real-Time APIsYou’re bidding into a high-volume API-driven shipper portalSpotboard API BiddingYou need a quick fix for a portal with no integration optionsRPA Bots (short-term only)

💡 Final Thought: Don’t Just Automate. Optimize.

At Bitfreighter, we believe automation should be smart, not blind.

That’s why we built LiveQuote: to help brokerages move fast, stay in control, and win more freight without trading off what makes them great—their people and their pricing instincts.

Whether you're responding to 10 quotes a day or 1,000, the tech you choose matters. Don't just chase speed—chase strategy.

Want to see how LiveQuote stacks up in your workflow?
Let’s talk. We’ll help you build the right blend of automation, logic, and visibility for your freight team.