{"id":50291,"date":"2026-05-25T11:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/50291\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T11:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:24:09","slug":"how-tms-vendors-are-bringing-ai-to-truckings-back-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/50291\/","title":{"rendered":"How TMS Vendors Are Bringing AI to Trucking\u2019s Back Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

TMS vendors are implementing AI to shift platforms from passive systems of record into systems that actively support decisions and workflows. (Debra Devine\/Transport Topics and Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n May 25, 2026 7:00 AM, EDT<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways:\"Toggle
\nTMS providers are embedding AI to automate data capture and execution tasks, shifting platforms from passive systems of record into systems that actively support decisions and workflows.AI improves speed and profitability by enabling real-time data extraction, predictive pricing and automated dispatching, with companies reporting higher win rates, fewer errors and better margins.Execution-focused AI agents are expected to expand further, automating routine tasks and reshaping roles toward decision-making and relationships while enabling fleets to scale without adding back-office staff. <\/p>\n

Back-office functions in trucking and freight brokerage have historically involved numerous manual processes, fragmented data and time-intensive workflows, but that is changing as artificial intelligence moves deeper into transportation management software.<\/p>\n

TMS providers are embedding AI capabilities directly into their platforms to create systems that not only capture data but also act on it.\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cClassic TMSs are systems of record. They\u2019re not systems of action,\u201d said Hans Galland<\/a>, CEO of BeyondTrucks.<\/p>\n

That distinction is narrowing as AI enables faster, more complete data capture and earlier strategic decision-making that improve profitability, such as what freight to accept at what margin.\n \t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cThe back office has been running on gut instinct and spreadsheets for too long,\u201d said Mark Hill<\/a>, CEO of PCS Software. \u201cMost fleets aren\u2019t suffering from a lack of data. They\u2019re suffering from data that shows up too late or in the wrong place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across the industry, several core AI use cases are emerging within TMS platforms, starting with data extraction and extending into execution.<\/p>\n

On the extraction side, AI-powered document processing tools can read bills of lading, invoices and proof-of-delivery documents, pull the information into the TMS and automatically populate data fields, reducing manual entry.<\/p>\n

McLeod Software has developed tools to ingest and automatically process emails and other written text that sit outside the TMS while keeping humans in the loop to validate the information, said Doug Schrier<\/a>, McLeod\u2019s vice president of growth and special projects.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The AI Summit at TMC<\/p>\n

The Technology & Maintenance Council and Transport Topics will co-host a new event at\u00a0TMC\u2019s 2026 Fall Meeting, Sept. 20-24, to advance the conversation about artificial intelligence implementation in the trucking industry. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Carrier Logistics uses AI to extract data from BOLs to automatically create shipments. That speed has downstream benefits, especially in less-than-truckload operations that have multiple pickups and deliveries, said Ben Wiesen<\/a>, the company\u2019s president.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout AI\u2019s processing speed, sometimes the data was arriving too late to allow the optimization to run,\u201d Wiesen said. \u201cNow the data is captured much sooner, allowing operational workflows to start sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Cain<\/a>, director of product management for TMW.Suite at Trimble, said AI can also ingest telematics data, hours-of-service information, traffic conditions and historical performance to recommend or automate dispatch decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDispatchers and planners are making hundreds of micro-decisions every day \u2014 which driver, which load, what route and how to handle exceptions when something changes,\u201d Cain said.<\/p>\n

PCS Software\u2019s Cortex AI engine embeds intelligence directly into dispatch and planning workflows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a dispatcher is assigning a load, the recommendation is right there: profitability score, driver match, backhaul potential,\u201d Hill said. \u201cThat\u2019s the difference between AI that\u2019s theoretical and AI that actually changes behavior at 5 a.m. on a Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before a dispatcher ever touches a load, Cortex has already scored it by margin potential, backhaul fit and lane history.<\/p>\n

With the added insight, margins go up because fleets stop accepting bad freight, dispatcher productivity improves because decisions are faster and backed by data, and operational costs drop because automation handles the repetitive work, including data entry and status updates, Hill said.<\/p>\n

BeyondTrucks embedded coding agents into its software so users can customize the system to their needs. In the route optimization engine, for example, dispatchers can enter natural-language exceptions, such as avoiding certain metropolitan areas during a snowstorm. The system translates that into updated optimization constraints.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t manage by plan. You manage by exception,\u201d Galland said, adding that capturing those exceptions also builds a dataset for predictive modeling.<\/p>\n

Jeff Silver<\/a>, founder of Mastery Logistics Systems, said execution agents represent a newer category of AI innovation and are pushing automation further by completing tasks rather than assisting with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt allows you to automate basically every single mundane task that you never wanted to be doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mastery\u2019s voice-enabled AI agent, called Leo, is integrated directly into the company\u2019s MasterMind TMS and can handle carrier management, driver management, booking and tendering, asset management, tracking, rating and quoting, and lane and routing guides. The system is now in beta with customers.<\/p>\n

Dave Romanchuk<\/a>, vice president of product development for Revenova, said execution-focused AI is reshaping freight workflows, such as load building, quoting and carrier matching within the TMS.<\/p>\n

Revenova\u2019s Artimus is an AI-powered freight execution agent that acts on inbound requests, automatically turning unstructured data, such as emails, into structured loads and quotes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe primary benefit is speed as a competitive advantage,\u201d Romanchuk said. \u201cTasks that used to take minutes, like building a load or generating a quote, now happen in seconds, enabling brokers to respond faster and win more freight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahmed Ebrahim<\/a>, senior vice president of integrations and partnerships at McLeod, said AI is now automating much of the load-booking process for brokers by qualifying carriers, generating predictive pricing and automatically booking capacity. Carrier qualification is particularly important given the prevalence of cargo theft. On the pricing side, brokers can only accept capacity when they can make a healthy margin, making accurate predictive pricing essential.<\/p>\n

Because platforms can pull in disparate information, such as historical data and real-time market signals, they can generate rates more quickly and accurately.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen spot quoting rates, there wasn\u2019t enough time to look at a request for a load, go look up what the rates should be for that particular lane on that particular day and take the time to compose an email response,\u201d said Tom McLeod<\/a>, McLeod Software\u2019s founder and CEO. \u201cNow they can respond to a much larger percentage. They have an opportunity to grow their business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter Mitchell<\/a>, CEO of Tai Software, said customers using the company\u2019s AI tools are seeing measurable results. Customers using the company\u2019s email processing tool have seen load win rates increase by more than 30%, which Mitchell attributes to the time savings.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeed is a direct advantage,\u201d he said. \u201cBrokers who quote faster increase their chance to win loads and build better shipper relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI Use Cases Expand<\/p>\n

TMS vendors are introducing an ever-growing array of AI features and capabilities to help solve industry inefficiencies.<\/p>\n

PCS developed its Backhaul Booster product after hearing from customers that dispatchers often lacked the time to properly evaluate return-load opportunities and instead settled for less profitable freight or deadhead miles. The system combines real-time truck location data, routing information, driver preferences and historical business relationships to identify potential freight opportunities before a truck becomes available. AI agents can search load boards and reach out to brokers or shippers automatically based on specific operational and financial criteria, Hill explained.<\/p>\n

Cora, Cortex\u2019s AI voice agent, eliminates outbound backhaul outreach, which Hill said is one of the most labor-intensive workflows in trucking.<\/p>\n

\"TT<\/a><\/p>\n

TT Top 100 Logistics Companies<\/p>\n

The largest 3PLs in North America continued to face volatile business conditions last year, from compressed margins to tariff-driven supply chain upheaval. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cCora makes the calls, captures the conversation, creates the opportunity in PCS TMS and hands it to a dispatcher ready for one-click conversion to a load,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hill added that agents will become more powerful as they develop collective memory and reasoning capabilities, allowing them to share operational knowledge in much the same way human teams do.<\/p>\n

Other vendors also are offering AI agents to streamline routine interactions.<\/p>\n

Tai Software\u2019s track-and-trace voice agent contacts drivers, logs updates and adjusts shipment status without human intervention. The virtual agent operates around the clock, eliminating the need for manual check calls entirely. Brokers set frequency rules and receive full call summaries directly in the TMS.<\/p>\n

AI also can help resolve data quality problems in the back office. Many fleets lack structured, accessible data because legacy systems were not designed to capture it systematically.<\/p>\n

\u201cBilling errors, accessorial disputes, late invoicing \u2026 those originate at the point of load creation and quoting, when unstructured data gets manually re-keyed and errors enter the system,\u201d said Danielle Chaffin<\/a>, senior manager of industry relations for Revenova.<\/p>\n

Revenova\u2019s Artimus AI agent parses unstructured input and applies TMS logic, ensuring the data entering back-office workflows is clean from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result is a back office that spends far less time correcting errors that shouldn\u2019t have existed,\u201d Chaffin said.<\/p>\n

A BeyondTrucks survey found that 52% of fleet respondents said they lacked the data needed to make better decisions, even when the information existed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go to a fleet, they have a TMS, but they also have 100 spreadsheets, 20 paper forms and the dispatchers who\u2019ve been there for 40 years,\u201d Galland said. \u201cThe tribal knowledge walks out the door when the people walk out.\u201d<\/p>\n

BeyondTrucks addresses the problem by using coding agents that enable dispatchers to easily enter information via natural language and by making the system configurable so that fleets can design exactly what they need. When dispatchers see the platform as something that makes their jobs easier rather than more complicated, Galland said they are more likely to encode their operational knowledge into it.<\/p>\n

Jimmy Coleman<\/a>, operations manager at motor carrier D.G. Coleman, uses AI coding agents within BeyondTrucks\u2019 system to manage fuel surcharge calculations and update fuel surcharge rates on the first of each month.<\/p>\n

Previously, fuel surcharge changes weren\u2019t always posted at the right time, forcing the accounting staff to manually adjust invoices at the Commerce City, Colo.-based fleet, which specializes in bulk and aggregate hauling.<\/p>\n

D.G. Coleman uses AI agents within BeyondTrucks\u2019 software to better manage fuel surcharges. (D.G. Coleman)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is really minimizing the clicks and minimizing the mistakes,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cIf you\u2019re billing hundreds of invoices at the wrong surcharge, the customer is calling and saying it isn\u2019t right, and it can build up to big issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workforce Implications<\/p>\n

Overall, industry leaders say the long-term impact of AI on the workforce remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a huge social experiment unfolding before our eyes,\u201d said Wiesen of Carrier Logistics. \u201cThe trend line show human intelligence is still important, but the routine and low-value-add work is going to the machines.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, AI does have its limits.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI isn\u2019t human, it\u2019s a machine, so if something truly requires a human touch, AI probably isn\u2019t the right solution,\u201d Wiesen said. \u201cIt\u2019s not here to replace social interaction. We\u2019re not going to build relationships with AI, marry it or invite it over for dinner, but a lot of supply chain, and trucking in particular, isn\u2019t emotional \u2014 it\u2019s functional.\u201d<\/p>\n

By increasing efficiency and reducing manual work, companies can grow without expanding back-office head count at the same rate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can increase size without growing back office, it unlocks economies of scale,\u201d said Galland of BeyondTrucks, adding that AI improves decision-making and utilization so that carriers can haul more loads with existing assets.<\/p>\n

Tasks that used to take minutes…now happen in seconds, enabling brokers to respond faster and win more freight.<\/p>\n

Dave Romanchuk, Revenova<\/p>\n

Revenova\u2019s Romanchuk said roles are evolving rather than disappearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs execution becomes automated, roles are shifting from task management to decision-making and relationship-building,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Deen Albert<\/a>, director of operations for refrigerated carrier Grand Island Express, said automation can free employees to focus on higher-value activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemoving the things that can be done with AI gives them more time to spend on the driver,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I can save my folks 30% of their day just by taking out the busywork, then I won on the people side.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nebraska-based carrier is using AI to automate order entry and uses an ETA agent that automatically contacts drivers when a load is running behind so that fleet managers can focus instead on decisions.<\/p>\n

Fleets historically scaled by adding people, but by improving efficiency with AI, they can now handle more freight without increasing head count, said Hill of PCS.<\/p>\n

\"RoadSigns\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Brian Antonellis of Fleet Advantage discusses how fleet leaders should be thinking about capital planning with the 2027 NOx emissions rules on the horizon.\u00a0Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He expects AI to significantly reshape dispatchers\u2019 roles, especially as midmarket fleets gain access to capabilities that were previously only available to large enterprise carriers. \u201cI think over the course of 2026 and early 2027, the job of the dispatcher will change pretty dramatically,\u201d Hill said. \u201cThey\u2019ll just have more information at their fingertips.\u201d<\/p>\n

While larger fleets have led AI adoption due to their resources and scale, embedding AI within the TMS is making it more accessible.<\/p>\n

Trimble\u2019s Cain said small and midsize fleets often see a return on investment first in use cases that reduce manual touches and speed up execution, such as automated order entry and workflow automation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdoption accelerates when AI is packaged into everyday workflows with measurable outcomes \u2014 time saved, fewer errors, improved utilization \u2014 rather than positioned as an analytics add-on,\u201d Cain said.<\/p>\n

Carrier Logistics\u2019 Wiesen said fleets of all sizes can benefit from AI adoption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere really is no such thing as \u2018I\u2019m too small to need better technology,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cA mile saved per truck is a mile saved per truck, whether there are five trucks or 5,000.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TMS vendors are implementing AI to shift platforms from passive systems of record into systems that actively support…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50292,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,25,29878,29879,3940,14589],"class_list":["post-50291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ai","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-itech","tag-mcleod-software","tag-tms","tag-trimble"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}