Empowering Small Carriers: Harnessing AI for Fleet Growth and Optimization

At FreightWaves’ 3PL Summit on Wednesday, a fireside chat took place discussing the topic of using technology to drive fleet growth. Casey Monahan, the vice president of digital sales at LoadSmart, spoke with FreightWaves’ Grace Sharkey about what his company’s TMS systems can offer and what today’s growing fleets need as technology advances.

Monahan emphasized the importance of smaller carriers in the industry, stating that AI is being used to help read trucks as they come into yards and gates, making small carriers especially critical for LoadSmart. He expressed the need to keep these carriers happy by providing them with brokerage and technology partnerships.

A key aspect of LoadSmart’s approach is to take feedback from carrier partners seriously. They have created a community where carriers can chat with each other and share insights and suggestions. Monahan mentioned that they use this feedback to inform their team and make improvements to better serve their carriers.

Load matching was discussed as a challenging aspect of the industry. While it is a goal to match loads efficiently, Monahan acknowledged that it can be difficult to narrow down the perfect freight for carriers. LoadSmart aims to help carriers grow their fleets, taking them from a small number of trucks to larger operations.

Monahan also mentioned the rollout of new AI products that simplify interactions with data. One of these products, Copilot, allows users to ask system questions and receive insights, such as identifying the best-performing driver or lane for a given period. This focus on leveraging technology to support carrier growth is central to LoadSmart’s mission.

Overall, Monahan highlighted how smaller carriers are critical in today’s industry and how AI is being used to support their growth by streamlining processes such as load matching and providing accessibility through new products like Copilot.