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Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way since its widespread integration in the early 1980s. Today, technology is changing well-known industries like finance, healthcare, and marketing. So it’s no surprise that it has been doing its fair share of leg work in the freight industry too.
From protecting sensitive information to identifying alternative road maps, here are some ways that AI is transforming the freight industry.
2019 was one of the worst years for cybercrime…and it affected all industries. In fact, according to last year’s Fleet Data Management and Cybersecurity Conference, the number of cyber-attacks against fleet businesses is continuously growing, with each attack becoming potentially more crippling than the ones before it. Fortunately, AI has the capacity to connect seemingly unrelated cases, like mishaps in finances or suspicious backlogs, to help detect potential (or incoming) attacks.
AI gives managers and team leaders a way to monitor their mobile workforce as they would in a traditional workspace. In other words, it’s useful for keeping field operations open and transparent. Plus, with productivity data being collected at all times, it becomes easier to identify strong and weak points in real-time.
Identifying Efficient Routes
A critical component of any fleet business is finding ways to save on fuel costs. One of the most efficient ways to do this is by optimizing your delivery routes. This includes avoiding traffic jams, closed roads, and other roadblocks to provide quicker services and waste less fuel. Transflo has its own GPS navigation, powered by CoPilot Truck, which offers real-time traffic and route analytics. This way, fleets can determine the shortest and most fuel-efficient paths for every delivery.
The freight industry has always dabbled in the nuances of predictive analysis, and the latest innovation is one that would help keep one of the most valued assets in the company. Analytics experts from Maryville University underline the rise of forecasting, which is typically used to predict trends in businesses and fields like manufacturing and government services. But in the same way that analytics gives us a deeper look into customer behavior, the tool also provides insights into driver moods. This is what PS Logistics has developed—a program that could analyze and predict driver activity. The system is designed to read patterns “that typically precedes a driver’s decision to quit the company.” For example, if a driver’s chances of leaving are relatively high, the system automatically informs management. The email would include possible reasons, such as family matters and health, which could give supervisors possible solutions such as paid days off.
Every vehicle requires regular maintenance and inspection to ensure that it’s always in optimal condition. AI has the potential to leverage smart devices and sensors to gather data from a variety of vehicles—which can help identify maintenance issues before they happen.
AI has, and will always be, present in many industries—it’s all a matter of whether you’re going to use the resources or not. In fact, a company’s willingness and ability to incorporate may determine who succeeds and who is left in the dust.
