IN THE NEWS: 5 Ways Truck Brokers Are Using AI To Boost Efficiency

Trucking Dive
March 5, 2025
Shefali Kapadia

FROM THE ARTICLE: Companies like C.H. Robinson and ITS Logistics are turning to the technology to improve freight matching, trailer management and more.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword in logistics. Stakeholders are applying AI in various parts of their operations, tapping into troves of data to automate processes and become more efficient. Truck brokers, especially large ones, are particularly well-suited to adopting AI because they already have large swaths of available data.

...

Before brokers start deploying AI, they have to ensure their data is accurate, said Peter Weis, CIO and SVP of Supply Chain Services at ITS Logistics. Cleaning data isn’t exactly “sexy work,” Weis said, but it’s crucial. Without that base, data could be stored in disparate systems, resulting in potentially inaccurate AI model results.

ITS has grown its trailer network from a few hundred vehicles a year ago to about 3,000 today, and AI has helped it manage its growing fleet. More specifically, the company uses AI models to pull data from shipper orders to determine where trailers should be located.

“We can’t pay for a bunch of empty trailers all spread out in the wrong locations,” Weis said. “AI is absolutely crucial.”

Weis said customer pricing is next on ITS’ agenda. Its AI platform already makes recommendations related to carrier costing but not shipper pricing. Tying AI into RFP responses could also be a future use case. The solutions, ultimately, have to meet brokers’ goals of providing the best customer service to clients.

“We want to be the broker of choice, both for our customers and for our carriers, because you never know in this business who has the leverage,” Weis said. “You’ve got to be nice to everybody.”

Read the full article.