A major logistics brokerage is harnessing artificial intelligence to tackle one of the most persistent inefficiencies in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping — missed pickups — and in doing so is boosting overall freight flow and operational performance. The move highlights how AI is being used beyond back-office tasks to drive tangible supply chain improvements.
The company has deployed a suite of AI agents that automatically identify, investigate and help resolve missed LTL pickups. These agents — digital tools that can work concurrently on many tasks — now automate about 95 % of missed pickup checks, freeing up more than 350 hours of manual work per day previously spent chasing down pickup statuses.
By resolving many missed pickups more quickly, the AI system helps freight get moving up to a day faster, while also cutting unnecessary return trips to pick up previously missed shipments by around 42 % — a reduction that improves carrier productivity and reduces congestion in busy networks.
The AI solution uses multiple coordinated agents: one contacts carriers for real-time status information, while another determines the next best action to keep freight on schedule. Working together, the agents can handle dozens of calls and decisions in parallel, dramatically speeding up problem resolution compared with traditional manual approaches.
Currently deployed across thousands of shippers, the initiative also feeds performance data back to carriers, helping reveal patterns that can improve scheduling and communications over time. Logistics leaders say this kind of AI-driven automation is moving the industry closer to real-time responsiveness and fewer costly disruptions in LTL operations.
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