CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at [email protected] or 800-633-5953.
Load information, a truck’s maintenance status, and more are all available via an app for drivers under the PS Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 21) umbrella, but they would have to pull to the side of the road to retrieve it. Instead, most drivers call their managers, who may be on another call, away from their desks, or even off the clock.
That’s why Birmingham, Alabama-based flatbed operator PS Logistics has partnered with a tech company to co-design an AI agent called VIC (Virtual Information Coordinator), which can handle complex conversations in real time—and it’s all done by phone.
“The phone number is the new app,” said Oliver Song, co-founder of VIC creator Hyperscale Systems. It’s incredibly helpful to have a hands-free interface in the trucking industry, added Hyperscale Co-founder Bo DellaMaria.
Drivers under the PS Logistics umbrella—which includes 2,250 company drivers and 2,300 independent contractors—can call VIC to retrieve information from back-office systems or be transferred to a person without having to go through PS Logistics’ regular phone menu, though drivers still have that option.
“What we've been able to do is get drivers information without being on hold and without having to wait for a specific person. They're basically querying the systems independently,” said PS Logistics Vice President of IT Mauricio Paredes.
He noted that while this type of technology is popular on the broker side for negotiating rates and loads, there were no carrier-specific options on the market for PS Logistics. Consequently, Paredes has been working alongside Hyperscale to develop this carrier-focused solution.
A smart phone system
DellaMaria said VIC integrates with all the systems that dispatchers access: TMS, telematics, maintenance management systems, and more. This gives drivers 24/7 access to information when their managers are unavailable.
When a driver calls VIC for the first time, the AI agent provides a brief introduction. The system identifies the driver based on caller ID and establishes context for the conversation. It knows the driver’s name, which of the 16 companies under the PS Logistics umbrella the driver works for, and which tractor and trailer the driver is using. It also recognizes the work orders associated with the driver’s equipment and their assigned loads.
Paredes demonstrated several driver calls. When VIC answers, a driver might say, “I was trying to get the phone number for the delivery place.” The AI—using a human-like voice—provides the delivery company’s name, location, and phone number. The agent then offers to send the details through the Samsara app for easy access. If the driver prefers, as in one demonstration, VIC can send the info via text message instead. In this instance, VIC pulls information directly from PS Logistics’ McLeod transportation management system.
In another interaction, VIC shared the status of a truck repair via the company’s fleet management system, Fleetio.
“I can check on that for you right now,” VIC tells the driver. “I can see your truck, 100291, is still at Peach State Truck Centers in Norcross for front-end work. The latest update from this morning shows that the parts are in and they've assigned a tech to work on it. Would you like me to give you the full update, or did you want to call them directly?”
What started as a smart IVR—an AI-powered phone system that uses natural language understanding and contextual awareness to offer personalized self-service—has now transformed into a well-rounded information system, Paredes said.
“We're constantly adding features to it,” he added. “We're going to go after other use cases. One of the things we wanted to pursue was answering calls, but I think it's very easy to switch to making calls, which opens up a whole other range of use cases.”
Paredes mentioned that pay estimates were another recently added feature. Because PS Logistics pays drivers mostly by percentage, drivers can now call VIC to help them understand their earnings.
Waiting eliminated
VIC has been live at PS Logistics for roughly three months. During one 30-day period, VIC logged approximately 1,700 minutes across 900 calls. The system successfully addressed or resolved 73% of driver queries without human intervention.
“Today, drivers often reach out to their manager... those interactions really add up,” DellaMaria said. “Sometimes the driver can't get ahold of someone and they're stuck waiting, which is frustrating. If a driver is waiting, it means they're not picking up their next load and not getting paid.”
Paredes said it is too early to determine how the system will impact driver retention, but it has already contributed to driver satisfaction, as evidenced by the high number of repeat callers. These drivers are retrieving information that Paredes describes as "busy work" for driver managers.
“What we're allowing our driver managers to do is spend more time on the issues that actually matter to the driver—the ones that contribute to their well-being,” he said.
The CCJ Innovators program is sponsored by Comdata, Mack Trucks, and Shell Rotella.
