AI-Driven Automated Transportation Management System for a US-based Automation Company
The Challenge
Despite the number of truck drivers continuing to wane by the day, the driver shortage is attributable mainly to the mismanagement of the available trucking resources. Wholesalers cannot furnish the goods for transportation, creating idle time for the driver, but also for goods at a different location that would benefit from a carrier. This means the drivers’ efforts go down the drain in an entirely unfruitful attempt, leading to their unwillingness to take on the job in the future, setting up a vicious circle currently on a troubling downward spiral.
Though the client’s focus lay in T&L’s AI integration, they were looking to revolutionize the industry with a platform that consolidates trucks and drivers under one roof, touted as the answer to the trucking crisis rampant in the US today. Yet, be that as it may, we can see here that the lack of drivers is only half the problem; a metamorphosis was needed to create a truly modular solution. One cannot discuss the challenges that the client and the driver encounter without seeing the bigger picture.
The client needed a solid IT partner to build their all-encompassing, flagship mobile application. It would be a digital portal that enabled businesses to identify the best shifts for drivers and increase their earnings by completing maximum loads per shift.
Our Solution
While the client wanted to build an app for the on-demand leasing of trucks and their drivers, team blackrock saw an opportunity to revolutionize the trucking industry by creating a driver-focused platform, recognizing them as the most crucial industry element. The app that ensued was the brainchild of great introspection and planning, as the developers envisioned the product with the focus being on improved driver efficiency. The application’s architecture allowed the drivers to see alternate wholesalers/sites for loading without goods for transport. They would also be visible to other potential customers, sorted and listed to the drivers by proximity and load compatibility with the vehicle type. This means the Best Matching Shifts are recommended to drivers, and they can book shifts based on predicted earnings, location, time, etc. In addition, the driver can assess their performance and get recommendations on how to improve their earnings in subsequent shifts.
Due to the precarious nature of this industry, one can say that a win for drivers is a win for the entire clientele. And yet, our team of experienced architects ensured that the mobile app had tailormade features that directly benefitted the benefactors as well. While the app enables the avoidance of brokerage fees and facilitates direct dealing with drivers, it also helps identify the best-performing drivers and provides incentives, thus retaining them as a bonus. It also makes the enforcement of HSE regulations easier and practical in monitoring, ensuring the safety and standards of transportation.
Business Impact
- Revolutionary driver onboarding process through the app.
- Improvement in logistics lifecycle through auto-allocation of loads to drivers resulting in optimized load movements reducing idle times of drivers as well as load.
- Incentives management for drivers.
- New drivers hired.
- High adoption rates within the driver community.