For decades, the trucking industry has relied on brokers, load boards, and manual processes to find and assign loads. These methods, while functional, come with a host of challenges. Carriers and owner-operators often face deadheading, where they drive without a load, leading to wasted fuel and unprofitable work. Or they face periods of dry spells where there aren't enough paying loads for their region. Freight brokers struggle to match the right loads with the right trucks efficiently, often resulting in delays and increased expenses. Neither side is particularly happy with the status quo.

How Load Finding Works Today

Finding loads today is an inefficient process. There are three main ways we have seen carriers and brokers match loads:

• Digital Load boards have become an immensely popular way to find loads. Brokers post loads to their proprietary load board or to third party aggregators so that carriers can find them. From C.H. Robinson to TrueNorth, the load board has been the most dominant way for brokers to carriers for capacity with the help of technology.
• Dedicated Routes provide a repeating set of routes and deliveries assigned to a set number of truckers or carriers. Dedicated routes are often negotiated in advance and are more suited towards larger fleets that have the capacity to consistently fill the demand on a recurring basis reliably.
• Informal Broker and Carrier Relationships are another old school way to finding loads. This approach relies on mutual trust and a stable relationship. The biggest pro to the mom and pop shop approach to loads is it cuts out an enormous amount of overhead and middleman. The challenge lies with securing these jobs.
• Email Blasts are, last but not least, another common way to loudly announce available loads as they become available. Unfortunately, there's typically no way to respond promptly to bid on these loads. The main drawback is email is a cluttered medium. Loads broadcasted through email are competing with other marketing emails, random spam, and pertinent business communication.

Of the four aforementioned approaches, only digital load boards effectively leverage technology to automate and streamline the load finding and booking experience. Even then, the amount of time wasted on switching between load boards, searching and filtering criteria, and then bidding can be a cumbersome, time-consuming process.

Email blasts are the equivalent of a local business flier that is often ignored. Dedicated routes and relationship based loads require even more work from building out brand trust, credibility, and extensive planning and coordination. All aspects that are difficult for small fleets and single owner-operators to juggle on a day to day basis.

What is Digital Dispatch?

The current landscape of load finding, therefore, leaves a lot to be desired and improved on. Digital Dispatch aims to fix those glaring inefficiencies.

Digital dispatch refers to the use of advanced software and technology to automate the process of finding, assigning, and managing loads. Unlike traditional manual methods, digital dispatch utilizes real-time data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to optimize every aspect of load finding.

At its core, digital dispatch systems integrate various data sources, including GPS tracking, freight databases, and market rates. By analyzing this data, the system can predict demand, identify available trucks, and match loads with carriers efficiently. This process not only reduces the time spent on load finding but also ensures that trucks are utilized optimally, reducing empty miles and improving profitability.

How Digital Dispatch Works

Digital dispatch is still in its nascent phase of development. In its most ideal form, digital dispatch relies on:

• Real-Time GPS Tracking which allows updates to where the truck is at any point and time. This allows for any unanticipated changes on the carriers part or the load itself.
• User Provided Parameters that provide future looking information such as where the truck plans to be or when they will be available for the next load. Ideally this include user preferences and favorite lanes.
• Automated Load Matching is done in the background to match currently available or upcoming loads to the best truckers. In today's world, most of the load matching is done based on rules-based matching, the code takes in some inputs and filters out results that don't match the given criteria. In the near future, the goal is to leverage advanced machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence which extrapolates based on what is known to provide best matches that even the trucker wouldn't anticipate.
• Booking Automation is the last step to allow carriers and owner-operators to book loads skipping past the bidding and negotiating the long plagues small operations.

The future of AI for digital dispatch may still be somewhere in the distant future, but we're already seeing the industry making strides towards that now. TrueNorth is a strong believer in the future potential of digital dispatching.

Meet Loadie: TrueNorth's Digital Dispatcher

Who is Loadie?

TrueNorth is excited to introduce you to Loadie, our virtual dispatcher. 

Our engineering team here at TrueNorth has been hard at work to create our first version of a digital dispatch solution. What started out as a far-fetched idea that felt impossible to deploy to thousands of users is now a reality. At TrueNorth, we believe digital dispatch should not just be another piece of software. The experience of digital dispatch should feel like working with a personalized assistant. 

With an AI-generated voice, Loadie provides personalized load recommendations based on the driver preferences and routes, making your job easier and more efficient. Loadie is now available on TrueNorth App. Both Loadie and the TrueNorth App are free with no credit card required to get started.

How Loadie Works

First off, you will need to have the latest version of the TrueNorth App. The latest version can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Get started on the TrueNorth App to access Loadie.

Once you have downloaded and created an account with the TrueNorth, then:

1. Open the TrueNorth App
2. Select "Call Me Now" from the home screen. You can also opt to schedule a call with Loadie at a later time that works for you.
3. Loadie will call you to get your load preferences
4. Customized load recommendations will be sent directly to you

Post a Truck

Tired of phone calls? You can also get personalized load recommendations with TrueNorth’s Post a Truck feature.

Post a Truck is TrueNorth App's new load-matching feature. For those not ready for digital dispatch, Post a Truck is a good place to start to get familiar with the experience of having loads find you instead of searching for them. With Post a Truck, owner-operators can post their upcoming availability and be noticed by thousands of brokers. From there, receive personalized load recommendations that suit their needs.

Getting started is as simple as inputting the requested information in the TrueNorth App, such as pick-up time and date and equipment. From there, start receiving your personalized load recommendations.

Building Towards the Future

The first version of Loadie is just the beginning. TrueNorth is excited about the future of digital dispatch and the advanced technology that can be tapped into. Running a business is hard, and running a trucking business is even harder. Leveraging technology to make dispatch digital, intelligent, and personalized enables more profits to remain in the pockets of owner-operators, who do the lion’s share of the work.