A new software automates dispatch operations

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Every time Tony Harmon was around Jose Echeverria Ruiz, it was difficult not to notice how much Ruiz was on his phone.

Harmon, a software engineer that has created dispatch platforms for many years, said Ruiz was always dealing with something on the trucking side of his business, Young Guns Transportation, a Pine Mountain Club, California-based power-only carrier with eight trucks.

“We discovered a lot of pain points in their daily activities – things that constantly kept them on the phone or kept them busy,” Harmon said. “I told him, ‘I think we can solve a lot of these problems using software.’ At that time, they had tried other software and looked into other software, but none of them really fit the bill.”

That was the start of DispatchMVP, a new AI-powered dispatching and fleet management platform designed by brokers and carriers with the aim to simplify logistics, optimize routes and boost operational efficiency for carriers of all sizes. The platform launched in beta in November 2024 and now has about 1,500 users currently providing feedback to identify any gaps in the system before a full launch, planned for March or April.

“Our goal is to fully automate dispatch,” Harmon said. “It's not too difficult to build a dispatching program, but it's difficult to automate things in a way that take over the repeated tasks.”

Young Guns usually receives transport requests by way of PDF. The DispatchMVP platform uses AI like ChatGPT and AWS Textract to parse the document and populate the database automatically so the company doesn’t have to re-enter everything into their system.

However a request is received – text, email, PDF, etc. – the platform can scan it to start the transport process. It looks over all the criteria – type of load, pickup and appointment times, any special instructions, etc. – and automatically computes the best suited truck and trailer/container and driver based on their certifications.

“That saves probably 20 minutes for the dispatcher,” Harmon said.

The user can choose if they want to place the system on autopilot so it can manage everything for them each time, or they can set it where they are required to check the platform’s suggestions prior to approval.

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Once approved, all parties involved in the transport process – carrier, broker and customer – are notified every step of the way.

Ruiz’s wife, Alejandra Ramirez, said that’s what kept her and her husband on the phone all the time.

“The customers want to know where their shipment is all the time,” she said. “Usually the drivers tell the carriers where they're at, and then the carriers have to tell the broker. So by the time the drivers send us paperwork, we have to manually send it to the brokers, and then the brokers have to send it to the customers.

“What this app is meant to do is save time in connecting the paperwork directly. As soon as we get it, the broker gets it as well. They can give it to their customers, so they can have that ease of mind that everything is going smoothly.”

The system can also reassign loads if exceptions occur like if the truck breaks down to ensure minimal disruption to operations.

Harmon said the platform also simplifies document handling and load details. It includes a load board and a driver board that manages driver assignments based on their schedules. It also tracks the location and maintenance schedules of all trucks. If a truck were to break down, the platform app will allow a driver to request help from the closest available vendors like mechanics or tire shops.

Harmon said DispatchMVP will integrate with load boards and ELDs.

“I think our biggest unique differentiator between most everybody else out there is that we are fully automated dispatching,” he said.

He said the platform will help carriers alleviate staff from tedious, repetitive tasks so they can give focus to more important work.

Ramirez said one of the biggest benefits of using the platform is it eliminates the potential for double booking.

“It'll put up a notification so you won't be able to double book your drivers, because when you double book and you miss a load as a carrier, you're liable. As a broker, you lose money as well,” she said. “It's all the way around, losing time, losing money. So this helps not to double book.”

Angel Coker Jones is a senior editor of Commercial Carrier Journal, covering the technology, safety and business segments. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and kayaking, horseback riding, foraging for medicinal plants and napping. She also enjoys traveling to new places to try local food, beer and wine. Reach her at [email protected].

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