LTL Leaders Zero In on AI Tools and Fraud Prevention
More than 500 less-than-truckload professionals descended on Atlanta this week for SMC³ JumpStart26, the annual supply chain education event that's become the industry's pulse-check on where freight is heading. The three-day conference at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly ran January 26-28, with artificial intelligence applications and industry fraud dominating conversations.
While economist Keith Prather of Armada Corporate Intelligence painted a mixed picture of the freight economy—citing consumer spending shifts toward services and tariff volatility as headwinds—he pointed to potential bright spots including anticipated tax refunds that could boost goods spending and slowly improving residential construction that may spur freight movement.
C.H. Robinson Puts AI Agents to Work on Missed Pickups
The conference's AI focus got concrete when C.H. Robinson's Mark Albrecht, vice president of artificial intelligence and enterprise strategy, detailed how the 3PL is deploying AI agents to solve one of LTL's persistent headaches: missed pickups. The company announced it has automated 95% of checks on missed LTL pickups, cutting more than 350 hours of manual work per day.
The results go beyond efficiency gains. C.H. Robinson says the AI agents are helping shippers' freight move up to a day faster and have reduced unnecessary return trips to pick up missed freight by 42%. The tools use advanced reasoning to track down missed pickups and determine how to keep freight moving. They're part of a fleet of more than 30 AI agents the company has developed in-house to streamline LTL processes.
FMCSA Chief Tackles Industry Fraud Problem
Derek Barrs, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, sat for an interview addressing the fraud issues plaguing the trucking industry. Barrs discussed how FMCSA is coordinating with states and other federal agencies to combat safety problems arising from multiple sources, including fraudulent licensing practices.
The fraud discussion resonated with attendees who've seen the issue escalate across the industry, creating safety concerns and operational challenges for legitimate carriers and 3PLs alike. The combination of AI innovation and regulatory enforcement signals an industry working multiple angles to clean up operations and boost efficiency heading into 2026.
