AI Logistics (Part 3)

How AI agents will replace annoying truck tracking apps and redundant dispatch calls

At PackageX we’re developing an API called “Threads” that uses artificial intelligence and generative AI (GPT) to help suppliers, logistics service providers (LSPs), retailers, and consumers communicate more effectively through 1-to-1 and multi-party conversations.

Traditionally, these parties communicate through phone calls and redundant questions such as:

“What’s your location?”

“What’s your ETA?”

“Which shipments do you have?”

“Where’s my stuff?”

With Threads, AI agents are tasked with asking these questions rather than people. And instead of downloading yet another tracking app, all LSP drivers have to do is answer the questions.

For example, a truck driver can have a natural conversation with an AI agent that discusses their location, estimated arrival time, and other relevant details. The data extracted from these quick conversations is logged in a “thread” that all parties can see and replaces the need for a tracking app. It's also structured in computer readable format, similar to our Scans API.

It’s difficult to share shipping updates in a single “thread” without tracking apps that many truck drivers dislike.

Tracking trucks without a tracking app

As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, many truck drivers prefer not to be constantly tracked with tracking apps. However, middle-mile recipients such as retail giants like Walmart require accurate information on truck arrival times for efficient docking operations. For this reason, they will have employees in a dispatch center regularly call drivers.

I’m aware that call centers have the highest attrition rate among any other job type and I wouldn’t be surprised if dispatch centers for logistics followed as a close second. The work is repetitive and robotic, making it a perfect use for AI.

AI agents can replace traditional dispatch centers and function as a bridge between drivers and recipients. With periodic calls to drivers about their location, AI can determine a truck’s ETA based on previous arrival times, traffic, and other data points… in seconds.

Dispatch centers and call centers can be replaced with AI agents.

Communicating with drivers and building rapport

With Threads, AI agents generate prompts or questions through generative AI models that are converted into voice using text-to-speech AI. These prompts are delivered to the driver through a phone call initiated by Twilio, a suite of communication APIs.

When the driver responds, their voice is converted back into text using speech-to-text AI, enabling the AI agent to comprehend and generate suitable responses. This conversation loop continues until the desired information is obtained.

With AI technology and APIs, drivers perceive interactions with AI agents as regular conversations.

After each conversation, we analyze the sentiment of the entire interaction using sentiment analysis AI. This analysis helps PackageX determine if the conversation was positive or negative and enables recipients to retain or replace the AI agent accordingly as each agent can have a different “personality”.

Over time, drivers build rapport with an AI agent that has a compatible “personality”.

With our AI-powered Threads API, we plan on revolutionizing logistics communication with conversational AI agents that bridge communication gaps between suppliers, drivers, and recipients in an unobtrusive way.

The scope of the Threads API cuts across the logistics mile working as a communication and collaboration layer across systems, including post-transaction communication with consumers via email, text, and other notification types with the ability to respond to a specific logistics activity or event.

This adoption of consumer-grade tech for B2B use cases is at the heart of PackageX.

If you’re interested in beta testing Threads, we’d love to hear from you.