AI’s Role In Freight Forwarding
The freight forwarding industry is constantly evolving as new technologies arise and adapt, the most important of which has been the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). AI seems to be everywhere at the moment and has been a hot topic of discussion for some time now. It has revolutionised the way some businesses work, automating and optimising their processes to make operations more efficient.
Whilst the use of AI in freight hasn’t quite taken off yet, it’s expected to play a significant role as it continues to develop, transforming and improving aspects of the industry. There are numerous ways AI is predicted to be used in the freight sector, from enhancing the customer experience to improving efficiencies and streamlining operations. Let’s take a look at the exact role AI is expected to play in freight forwarding.
Smart Route Planning
One of the most significant challenges in freight forwarding is planning efficient shipping routes. Using AI technology however, large amounts of historical and real-time data can be analysed, considering factors such as traffic patterns and weather conditions. This can then enable freight forwarders to optimise shipping routes therefore reducing transit times and reducing costs.
Demand Forecasting
This isn’t the only way data and analytics can be used by AI to provide updated insights in the freight industry. By using AI to analyse historical shipping data, market trends and other external factors, this can provide accurate forecasting and allow companies to plan for peak shipping seasons effectively. By taking a proactive approach and planning in advance, freight forwarders can ensure that resources are allocated efficiently, therefore preventing disruptions.
Documentation and Compliance
There is a lot of documentation and compliance requirements that come with freight forwarding no matter which transportation method you choose. Filling out these forms and ensuring you have the correct information can be a long and complex process. Using AI-powered tools can simplify the process however, all whilst maintaining accuracy and adhering to regulations. According to Medium, the capabilities of Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be used to sort through large amounts of information and pull the most relevant pieces out to streamline the documentation process.
Customer Service Chatbots
AI-powered chatbots have already begun springing up across various other industries, helping to transform their customer services and the customer experience. Utilising this tool in the freight industry can provide similar benefits as virtual assistants can be on hand to provide instant answers to customer queries. By automating this process, this allows employees time to be redirected to more complex tasks and issues, improving customer satisfaction overall.
By embracing the power of AI tools and technologies, the freight forwarding industry could be transformed to become better streamlined and more efficient. Using AI-powered data and analytics, freight forwarders can automate and improve processes across their business, leading to better decision-making, cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.
The future of freight has never been more exciting and we’re sure that as technology continues to develop, the integration of AI tools will become more advanced and unavoidable.
This does not mean however that AI technology will be taking over the freight industry and taking away everyone’s jobs. AI-powered tools will simply help freight forwarders improve operations and efficiencies but don’t worry, there will still be a team of people to help customers on the other side. Here at Jenkar, our experienced and intelligent team of friendly freight experts are always happy to help so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve got a query or are in need of a freight quote