Convoy Launches Automated Reloads Nationwide

Enables Carriers to Spend More Time Hauling, Less Time Empty

In a trucking industry first, Convoy, a nationwide trucking network and platform, today launched Automated Reloads, a new program to book multiple loads at a time – helping drivers earn more, minimize empty miles, and eliminate time waiting between work. With Automated Reloads, Convoy algorithmically evaluates and continuously optimizes how loads can be grouped in real-time, all without human intervention. In Convoy’s app, carriers can bid their rates or instantly accept these pre-planned combinations of loads as a single job, ensuring they stay on the road doing what they do best – pulling loads and delivering a high quality of service.

With Automated Reloads, Convoy’s algorithms customize live as well as drop-and-hook packages in real time for each carrier, by understanding their unique preferences, hours-of-service and driver locations, wait times at facilities, and other considerations.

Today’s nationwide launch follows extensive testing of Automated Reloads in several markets across the country.

The American Transportation Research Institute estimates that more than 20% of driven miles are “non-revenue.” The cost of fuel and other expenses make such deadheading a losing proposition. So reaching out to multiple brokers becomes a necessity for most carriers. However, working across multiple brokers means trucks are not guaranteed to be full until bids on each load are individually confirmed.

Today’s launch extends Convoy’s efforts to address such inefficiencies hindering carriers. Time wasted running empty or hunting for freight can hinder any trucking company. Bidding on Automated Reloads empowers carriers to be home on their schedule and work at preferred rates, guaranteeing that they spend less time looking for work or driving empty.

“I like bidding on these offers with Convoy. They keep me on lanes I prefer to run, and get me home when I want,” said Jorge Ramos of El Poderoso Trucking. Jorge and his brother Nelson have worked with Convoy for 2 years, and now Automated Reloads make up a majority of their work. “By combining loads from different shippers, Convoy keeps us from driving empty trailers between jobs and we waste less time on load boards keeping our trucks busy.”

Convoy makes it easy for any carrier to increase their take-home earnings through Automated Reloads:

1. Create a one-time or recurring request for preferred lanes, or search for specific cities
2. Look for offers with reloads packaged together
3. Optionally, add more reloads to the suggested route
4. Tap to bid or accept

“Traditionally, brokers or dispatchers pair shipments that are obvious to spot. But they missed out on a large part of the opportunity,” said Ziad Ismail, Convoy Chief Product Officer. “Given the complexity and speed of the freight market, a real-time algorithmic optimization is ideally set up to minimize empty miles and help carriers.”

Convoy is creating technology and tools to simplify how carriers can find work, reduce empty miles, and put money quicker in their pockets. Less time wasted in haggling, waiting and paperwork means more time earning.

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