The economy of the invisible hand. How automation in logistics creates a market no one controls
In the shadow of everyday transactions on European transport routes operates a mechanism that resembles a stock exchange more than traditional freight forwarding. Twenty-five thousand spot carriers on the Trans.eu platform form an ecosystem in which algorithms match thousands of load–vehicle combinations within seconds, and prices are set automatically through the forces of supply and demand. It is a living example of what Adam Smith—the father of classical and modern economics—called the invisible hand of the market, only in a 4.0 version, powered by artificial intelligence and real-time data processing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The invisible hand, upgraded
Automation in logistics creates a self-regulating freight market in which prices and availability emerge from real-time supply and demand.
From freight forwarding to “freight exchange” logic
- Digital transport platforms operate like stock exchanges: automatically matching loads with carriers and significantly reducing order handling times.
- Algorithms take over the role of intermediaries: limiting manual negotiations and increasing transparency in the transport market.
- Platformization reshapes market structures: shifting decision-making power from individual companies to digital ecosystems.
- The freight market increasingly resembles financial markets: where data, transparency, and speed of response play a decisive role.
Typically, on stock exchanges, a computer system automatically matches buy and sell orders for shares according to strictly defined rules—price priority, time priority, and the pursuit of maximum trading volume. Investors submit orders, and the price is set through a fixing process—determining a single price at which the greatest number of transactions is executed. No one decides what a share should cost; the price results from the equilibrium among thousands of decisions made by buyers and sellers.
A similar mechanism is beginning to operate in European logistics. The Trans.eu platform, providing access to 25,000 active spot carriers across the European Union, functions like a digital freight exchange. Algorithms analyze thousands of load–carrier combinations, taking into account criteria such as certifications, location, body type, or cooperation history. Freight forwarders no longer call carrier after carrier—the system automatically proposes the best matches, while price negotiations take place within the platform’s messenger, creating a digital record of every transaction.
Fixing-like automation on regular routes
The similarities to a stock exchange go even further. Just as exchanges use fixings at two points during a trading session to determine a single market price, Trans.eu applies a similar mechanism to automate regular routes. A load appears in the system and is automatically sent to a group of carriers with a request for price and availability.
The freight forwarder does not need to manually contact dozens of companies—the algorithm handles it in seconds, saving up to 75% of the time required to manage repetitive orders.
The conditions for allocative efficiency
The conditions for achieving allocative efficiency are, however, demanding:
- Perfect competition – no participant has sufficient power to influence prices; many small firms act as price takers.
- Full market transparency – equal access to information on products, prices, and availability.
- No barriers to entry and exit – firms can freely enter/exit, allowing resources to flow to where they’re most valuable.
The traditional transport market—with long chains of phone-based negotiations, opaque pricing, and high entry costs (licenses, insurance, certifications)—was far removed from these ideals. The Trans.eu platform is changing this situation. How?
How platforms move the market closer to the ideal
Perfect competition.
A database of active, verified spot carriers means that no single carrier has price-setting power. The Trans.eu platform serves approximately 44,000 users in 44 countries across Europe and Asia. This scale is comparable to that of large commodity exchanges—large enough to ensure that no single company can dictate market conditions.
Full transparency.
The carrier verification module on the Trans.eu platform aggregates data from official registries (transport licenses, insurance policies) as well as information available within Trans.eu (ratings, comments, length of activity, activity status). The verification process is shortened by half because, instead of checking each criterion sequentially, the system shows which data are already up to date and which are missing.
In a carrier’s profile, the freight forwarder sees not only certificates but also cooperation history and reviews from other users. This mechanism is similar to rating systems used by e-commerce marketplaces—it increases transparency and builds reputation.
No barriers to entry.
Trans.eu provides flexible access to 25,000 carriers without the need to build one’s own contact network from scratch. For carriers, platforms of this type significantly reduce customer acquisition costs. There is no need to employ a sales department or purchase advertising—it is enough to create an account, complete verification, and start receiving orders. Thanks to the built-in rating and review system, a new carrier can quickly build a reputation and compete with companies that have been present on the market for years.
Allocative efficiency in practice
As a result, transport resources are allocated where they are most needed. A carrier with an available vehicle in Germany receives an offer for transport to Poland within seconds of publication. A freight forwarder facing a sudden customer request during peak season finds a price alternative because they have access to thousands of carriers, not just a closed network of contacts.
This is allocative efficiency in practice.
Summary
Automation in logistics is increasingly functioning as a self-regulating market in which prices, availability, and partner selection result from the aggregation of thousands of individual decisions rather than from central planning. Digital platforms are transforming the allocation of transport resources, increasing transparency and efficiency, while at the same time transferring part of market control to algorithms. This represents a new stage in the development of the freight market—closer to a stock exchange than to traditional freight forwarding. It brings tangible business benefits, but also raises questions about the limits of platformization and responsibility within a digital ecosystem.
Sources
- Ziębiec, J., Principles of Exchange Trading. A Guide for Investors, Warsaw Stock Exchange SA, Warsaw 2009 (accessed 20.12.2025)
- Smith, A., An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Book IV, Chapter II
- Stamatoska, B., The Invisible Hand of the Market: Adam Smith’s Theory, Rankia Poland 2025 (accessed 20.12.2025)
- Szuba, T., Skrzyński, P., An Attempt to Explain Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand of the Market” Paradigm Based on a Computational Model of Collective Intelligence, Automatyka / AGH University of Science and Technology, Vol. 12, No. 3, Kraków 2008 (accessed 20.12.2025)
- Pajonk, M., Allocative Efficiency: When the Market Works Best, Potrafi.eu (accessed 20.12.2025)
- Wajszczak, P., 9 Best European Freight Exchanges to Use in 2024, TSL Biznes 2024 (accessed 20.12.2025)