CLI Newsletter, May 2021

Short Hauls

New Client: Best Yet Express

California-based Best Yet Express Incorporated (BYX) is a TL and LTL freight company that recently chose CLI and FACTS as their transportation and freight management system. They have provided reliable local freight transportation services to Los Angeles and the surrounding areas since 1978. We are happy to have them on board. Welcome Best Yet Express.

Congrats to Dohrn Transfer and JA Frate

Long-time CLI clients Dohrn Transfer and JA Frate were recently recognized for their exceptional LTL work. Dohrn received both the ECHO Global Logistics outstanding regional LTL Carrier of the Year and the Transplace regional LTL Carrier of the Year. At the same time, JA Frate was named ULINE’s Illinois Carrier of the Year. Hard work pays off! Congratulations to both teams!

Schedule Your FACTS Upgrade

If you haven’t already scheduled your upgrade to the latest version of FACTS, we urge you to do so today. With literally hundreds of enhancements and augmentations, 11.4 is one of CLI’s most impactful versions yet. Take advantage of the software to reap even greater benefits. Contact us today.

AMA in the News

In case you missed it, CLI client AMA Transportation was featured in Fleet Owner magazine. We also appreciate the shout-out to CLI. Please find the article here.

Featured Articles

Meet CARL
CLI’s Newest AI Module

Are your customer service reps overwhelmed? Do you wish you could boost productivity? Interested in landing more freight sales?

Then meet CARL™ (CLI’s Automated Response Logic) who can help answer all of these questions.

CARL uses artificial intelligence technology to work seamlessly with CLI’s FACTS™ freight and transportation management software to accelerate response times for quotes by automating replies to inquiries.

Research repeatedly shows more than 75% of customers buy from the company that responds first.

CARL is on top of incoming requests 24/7/365, giving your company an edge, while saving time and resources

“CARL eases the pressure on staff by reducing the time they need to spend answering email inquiries and handling increases and fluctuations in email volumes,” said Ben Wiesen, president of CLI. “CARL boosts productivity and lets key staff members focus on developing new business strategies and personalizing customer experiences.

When CARL is fully maximized, requests for quotes from your customers are provided within seconds without human intervention.”

CARL is designed to automate the connection between email inquiries and the FACTS transportation and freight management system. It streamlines internal quote response processes. It provides direct, nonstop customer support and scales as your business volumes grow.

Automatic Rate Quote Response is the first of four features that encompass CARL. Automatic POD Retrieval, Automatic Shipment Tracking Response and Automatic Charges Retrieval will be implemented over time. Contact Craig Lis today for more information.

by Barb Wester, Director of Marketing, EBE Technologies

But not all mobile capture solutions are the same. Here are four things that should be in every mobile capture solution you’re considering:

1. AI-Driven Workflows
   Carriers using AI-driven workflows can work by exception, processing over 70% of their transactions without billing staff intervention. This capability is based on comparing data points within the dispatch system, delivery data from drivers through the mobile solution, and the delivery documents created by the indexing process.By comparing the data and ensuring that a minimum number of data points match, the dispatch information is updated, and transactions are processed.Granted, some mobile capture solutions provide the ability for drivers to select exceptions within a given delivery. However, these solutions are difficult to modify, requiring drivers to type the exception data, which updates the dispatch system without the review of the billing team. This process creates extra work for drivers, reduces a company’s ability to work by exception and increases the chance that an incorrect invoice will be presented to a client. This is where AI can help.Creating these data points typically requires effort from both drivers and indexers, which delays the process and often impacts a drivers’ job satisfaction.Some transportation industry segments have more potential for exceptions than others. For example, fuel hauling carriers may have product, gallons, origin, destination and load around exceptions. A dry van carrier may have detention, lumpers and OS&D as possible exceptions. By allowing drivers to easily identify exceptions to deliveries or enter shipper-specific special instructions directly into the workflow, carriers experience more efficient and accurate billing processes – and drivers’ responsibilities are simplified.
2. Intuitive Interface A simplified and intuitive interface for drivers and billing staff improves productivity, accuracy, and staff satisfaction. Drivers can select specific delivery exceptions that update billing workflows. Billers identify and correct delivery information directly through their workflow interface. Through integrations into the dispatch system, billers can work in a single interface, which eliminates data entry errors, reduces the time to process the transaction, and minimizes the need to learn multiple systems.
3. Visibility to Exceptions
   Exceptions entered by drivers through their mobile solution allow carriers to react to situations in near real-time. Through BI reporting, those exceptions can be delivered immediately to dispatchers and load planners, offering insight to the delivery exceptions. By receiving this information quicker, carriers can respond to exceptions faster as well and, if required, inform their customers, creating more positive experiences.
4. Exception-Based Processing
   Exception-based processing begins at the point of document capture with the integration between an AI-based workflow solution and the dispatch system. To improve accuracy in the invoicing and settlement process, it’s imperative to select a mobile capture solution with the capability to easily provide data to critical systems. With these applications in place, your company will be able to improve operations, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction and driver retention.For more information on EBE, click here.

TIP OF THE MONTH:
Understanding when LOC-AI Adds an Accessorial

Ever wonder if LOC-AI has added an accessorial charge to shipment? There’s a subtle but important way to find out.

When the artificial intelligence module LOC-AI automatically adds an accessorial to a shipment, you can tell because the description field will have a period added to the end of the description.

Questions? Want to learn more about LOC-AI? Click here.

Staff Spotlight

Chris Morgan has been manager of Web Technologies for Carrier Logistics since 2007.

Prior to joining CLI, Chris worked as an application developer and database administrator for several technology companies, where he developed a specialty in integrating websites and APIs with back office applications.

At CLI, Chris has worked to keep the FACTS web application up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.

Although he grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college in Michigan, Chris has made his home in sunny Florida for the last 21 years with his wife and two sons. Chris spends a lot of time volunteering with the Boy Scouts, and is an active hiker and cyclist. This summer, Chris is looking forward to leading a group of scouts on a two-week backpacking trip in New Mexico.

CLI Sponsors SMC3 Meeting

CLI is pleased to once again be a sponsor for the upcoming SMC3 Connections event. Being held virtually June 28 – 30, the theme this year is Collaborative Supply Chain Intelligence.

For more information or to register click here.