Freight tech has seen huge leaps thanks to the adoption of new technology. These advances increase efficiency by automating the tasks that eat into your workday. Using AI as your digital assistant frees you up to focus on the big picture, big ticket items that grow your fleet.
Augmented intelligence and AI
Augmented intelligence joins AI and humans to improve decision-making, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.
AI and augmented intelligence analyze vast amounts of data, such as shipping routes, delivery times, and warehouse inventory to optimize operations. This leads to more efficient transportation, faster delivery times, and reduced costs. AI and augmented intelligence tools also make tracking shipments and monitoring inventory levels easier, improving supply chain management.
Taking advantage of advanced analytics and machine learning helps users predict and fix issues before they happen, improve route planning, and areas for efficiency improvements.
Increased visibility
Supply chain visibility is one of the great blind spots in the trucking industry. (Please forgive the pun—we couldn’t resist.) And it’s the foundation of improved decision-making.
You shouldn’t have to read detailed reports or call multiple people for status updates, locations, and ETAs. Time is precious, and that information changes every second. Seeing vital information in one place (and up-to-date) means you can understand the situation and start working on solutions faster.
Visibility didn’t seem so important when daily operations were predictable. But now—after a global pandemic, a European conflict, and a confusing labor market courtesy of trucking’s changing demographics—predictability is a luxury no one can depend on. In these challenging times, forecasting is nowhere near as valuable as adaptability.
And to adapt, we need visibility to see the problems ahead for us.
Examples of visibility in freight tech include:
- GPS tracking shows where drivers are at all times to enable shipment visibility.
- Real-time shipment monitoring uses sensors to track shipment conditions, including temperature, humidity, and light exposure.
- Digital document management provides shippers and carriers with a digital platform to manage and share documents to reduce the risk of errors and miscommunication. (Advances in digital document management have also made tax preparation for truck drivers less painful.)
Better access to load boards
Simply put, load boards equal options. So the more load boards you can connect to and browse, the more options you have for finding the best-paying loads.
Modern freight tech makes connecting with load boards like DAT, 123Loadboard, truckstop.com, and C.H. Robinson a breeze.
Predictive maintenance
Freight tech also enables predictive maintenance, which uses data analytics and machine learning to identify when a truck or trailer is likely to experience a mechanical problem before it occurs.
Predictive maintenance lets trucking companies schedule maintenance proactively instead of waiting until something goes wrong, reducing downtime and extending the life of their vehicles.
Automation
Automation speeds up many daily trucking tasks.
AI can create and optimize driver routes to save time and make you more money. Efficient routing also improves other areas of your operations, such as reducing fuel consumption to offset rising fuel costs.
Not only does automating paperwork save you time—It also reduces the number of human errors. This aspect is one of the parts of freight technology that makes it possible to dispatch trucks from home.
Automation in the form of safety alerts also helps drivers avoid accidents.
And automation helps shippers and carriers provide customers with more accurate and timely shipment information, leading to better communication, faster delivery times, and better customer experience.
Digital LTL Council standards
The Digital LTL Council —of which Optym is a proud member—is made up of industry-leading LTL transportation providers, logistics service providers, shippers, technology providers, and organizations.
The council’s purpose is to foster collaboration, automation, standardization, and digitalization across all LTL industry companies to elevate the industry together.
One way the council is improving the industry is by creating standards for templates the trucking industry uses daily.
The NMFTA Digital LTL Council has announced the first-of-its-kind eBOL (electronic bill of lading) API standard to improve efficiency for the industry. This standard reduces costs & errors and improves overall communication and service.
Sign the pledge to become one of the carriers to help create a new standard to simplify electronic bills of lading.
Freight tech lends a helping hand
Freight tech is transforming the trucking industry by making it more efficient, streamlined, and responsive to changing market conditions.
Powered by advancements in freight tech, the trucking industry is poised for continued growth and success.