LONG BEACH, Calif. — BATCH Freight (BATCH) has announced “Smart Jobbing”, a core AI functionality for intelligent load planning and management as a part of its Advanced Trucking & Logistics Automation System (ATLAS) solution.
According to a company press release, with an emphasis on maximizing capacity utilization and minimizing operational inefficiencies, ATLAS is transforming how carriers move freight, significantly benefiting both truck drivers and shippers.
“In today’s competitive freight industry, managing multiple loaded and empty container shipments can lead to unwanted accessorial fees such as detention or bobtails for shippers,” BATCH said. “Recognizing this challenge, BATCH developed ‘Smart Jobbing’ advanced planning functionality that enables the batching of multiple loads into a single job, maximizing routing efficiency while allowing truck drivers to complete more loads and earn more money per day, driving accelerated on-time deliveries and excellent service to shippers.”
Harnessing Technology for Enhanced Operational Efficiency
ATLAS is integrated with marine terminals, rail ramps, warehouses, distribution centers, and yard management systems across the US. As an orchestration engine, ATLAS considers various restrictions at these locations as well as their operating hours, employing sophisticated algorithms to manage appointments and facilitate matches between outbound and inbound loads. This ensures that shipments move quickly and efficiently with maximum throughput at these facilities with minimal human interaction.
To further streamline drayage and truckload operations, ATLAS automates the scheduling of appointments at marine terminals, rail ramps, and warehouses, utilizing smart route matching AI to efficiently batch loads for all import and export shippers. After batching dual transaction and roundtrip loads into high-quality ‘Smart Jobs’, ATLAS’ intelligence matches these jobs with the most qualified carriers based on their scorecard and personal preferences, optimizing earning potential for truck drivers and improving service quality for BATCH’s shippers. This enhances operational efficiency and significantly reduces carbon emissions by minimizing empty miles, aligning with BATCH’s commitment to sustainability.
“Our proprietary Smart Jobbing AI processes large amounts of data real time to analyze patterns and spot trends,” said Mirna Kusalovic, BATCH CTO. “It focuses on optimizing the resource allocation, ensuring the containers are matched and stitched efficiently into a single Smart Job that reduces idle-time and maximizes utilization.”
Benefits of ATLAS for the Freight Industry
According to the release, the implementation of ATLAS brings a host of benefits for carriers, shippers, and the environment:
- Increased Load Capacity: By enabling truck drivers to complete more loads each day, BATCH enhances the overall capacity of the carrier network, reducing the risk of additional fees such as demurrage and per diem charges.
- Cost Reduction: With mid-size bundles exhibiting lower cancellation and rescheduling rates, carriers can fill their schedules more efficiently. This leads to higher margins per load as carriers are willing to accept slightly lower costs when they have enough loads to fill their day.
- Enhanced Satisfaction: By minimizing unproductive time and ensuring timely deliveries, BATCH boosts satisfaction among carriers and shippers alike. This fosters strong, long-lasting partnerships and loyalty to the platform.
- Sustainability: Reducing unproductive miles translates to fewer CO2 emissions, reinforcing BATCH’s commitment to environmentally responsible logistics.
A Vision for the Future
The release noted that BATCH is dedicated to positioning itself as a leader in the freight technology industry through the innovative application of automated AI solutions. By utilizing machine learning to make complex, holistic decisions for load bundling, ATLAS sets a new standard in operational efficacy that is years ahead of other freight tech and TMS software companies. BATCH plans to launch ATLAS as a public subscription solution in early 2025.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
