A Fleet Enable first: AI comes to final-mile shipment loading

Logistics tech innovator Fleet Enable has introduced artificial intelligence (AI) tool that loads final-mile delivery trucks to eliminate shipment failures. The software, called Capacity Optimization, calculates cargo size and truck capacity, then dictates how orders are stowed in vehicles. Fleet Enable debuted Capacity Optimization for an audience of 1800 last week at a logistics conference in Chattanooga.

Fleet Enable said its new technology would ensure that all final-mile orders are on-time and underweight. It added that its AI technology is a first in the sector.

“Fleet Enable’s primary mission is to automate every aspect of the final-mile delivery, and we determined a void in the market for auto-optimization of delivery routes that included capacity management,” said CEO Krishna Vattipalli. “We believe we have created a first-of-its-kind capacity management AI exclusively for final-mile carriers.”

Capacity Optimization is the second feature in two months added to Fleet Enable’s proprietary final-mile automation platform. In October, the company rolled out Fleet Enable Intelligence software that predicts volume shifts, on time deliveries, revenue and driver performance.

Fleet Enable said Capacity Optimization replaces manual calculations that determine if deliveries fit on trucks and meet weight limits. Here’s how it works:

• Capacity Optimization takes electronic requests from shipping customers to auto-generate orders.
• A dispatch scheduling tool calculates variables from appointment windows and truck availability to truck floor space, and maximum weight.
• The tool auto-generates delivery routes that adhere to delivery constraints.

“There is a lot of complexity in determining what freight will fit onto a truck that ends up increasing the odds of a delivery failure,” said Mr. Vattipalli. “Capacity Optimization ensures we are creating the most profitable routes that can be scheduled, loaded, unloaded and delivered at the appropriate time.”

Final-mile carriers run the risk of missed deliveries when shipments are overweight or won’t fit on trucks. Fleet Enable said its tool can help carriers avoid costly delivery exceptions or emergency deliveries. That’s important as the final-mile market softens and margins compress midst a U.S consumer spending slowdown.

Capacity Optimization provides the warehouse with truck loading instructions to ensure proper shipment delivery, Fleet Enable said. It also eases the stress of loading/unloading for drivers, the company added.

“Our technology is smart enough to consider all of a shipment’s dimensions and weight and create a dispatch plan that will be successfully executed by the driver,” said Mr. Vattipalli. ‘In a market driven by high customer expectations, tight delivery windows and low margins, Capacity Optimization can strengthen a final-mile carrier’s reputation and protect its bottom line.”

Fleet Enable rolled out its final-mile automation software a year ago. Its platform digitizes everything from scheduling to invoicing and driver pay settlement. Fleet Enable said its goal is to eliminate manual processes that slow down operations and back office performance.