Digital freight network provider Convoy has improved its drop-and-hook service, Convoy Go. The new version will offer fleets predictive trailer routing, automated reloads with batched routes, and improved telematics in its smart trailers, the company said in a press announcement.

According to Convoy, the challenge with drop-and-hook service has been the complexity of matching, tracking, and routing decoupled tractors and trailers. Most carriers and brokers address this problem manually, which often results in stale data and inaccurate forecasting, which in turn limits their service to dense lanes with predictable shipments. These traditional drop-and-hook services are often unable to quickly scale to meet unexpected demand surges, Convoy contends, forcing shippers to rely on the spot market and live loads, which drive up transportation costs and introduce logistical complications.

Convoy said its latest technology addresses these pain points and delivers more flexible, reliable, and efficient drop capacity for shippers, with a nearly 100% equipment availability rate, trailers delivered 24 hours before load times, 48% lower dwell times vs. live shipments, deep visibility into every load, and reduced carbon emissions. These new features include:

• Predictive Trailer Routing: This enhancement proactively routes empty trailers to customers’ facilities while rebalancing Convoy Go’s trailer pool. To accomplish this, Convoy uses a machine learning model, predicting several weeks in advance how many trailers customers will need across hundreds of facilities nationwide. Convoy combines these forecasts daily with historical shipment data, GPS-based trailer locations, shipment assignments, inspection reports, and driver locations, feeding it all into an optimization model that analyzes billions of trailer route permutations, ultimately picking the most efficient solution.   

• Automated Reloads with Batched Routes: Convoy launched automated reloads last year, which combine headhauls with backhauls, improving asset utilization. Now, automated reloads support batched routes for drop, which combine three or more runs into a single multi-stop job, providing even greater efficiency for carriers and service quality for shippers. In addition, automated reloads can now combine multiple drop and live loads into a single trip, further reducing empty miles and improving asset utilization.

• Smarter Trailers, Powered by the Internet of Things: Every Convoy Go trailer is now equipped with advanced telematics, which, combined with Convoy data, provide unmatched visibility into every load, according to the company. Combinations of ultrasonic, optical laser, and radar sensors deliver real-time information to Convoy’s cloud-based data lake. A machine learning model then analyzes this data to ensure shipments are progressing as planned, automatically flagging issues that require Convoy to course-correct. As a result, Convoy and its customers know if trailers are loaded and ready for pickup, if they’re being hauled by the correct driver, if the shipment needs more time, if the trailer is available for another shipment, if a trailer needs preventive maintenance, and how many new trailers are headed inbound to each facility for loading. This automated workflow enables Convoy Go’s nationwide fleet of thousands of trailers to be remotely monitored and managed by a handful of specialists, who can make any necessary adjustments even minutes before preloading.

“Supply chain teams prefer drop for its speed and simplicity, but traditional drop programs are rigid and don't respond well to market volatility,” said Ziad Ismail, chief product officer at Convoy. “With recent enhancements to Convoy Go, we're addressing the biggest challenges of drop-and-hook freight, providing flexibility to scale up during demand surges and a level of trailer visibility never before possible.”

Convoy Go is available to shippers that move at least 250 full truckloads per year in the U.S.