Ryan Transportation Joins Top 3PLs Adopting Qued’s AI-driven Automated Load Appointment Scheduling
Leading freight brokerage and logistics management firm employs new AI-enabled software to automate, streamline load appointment scheduling with thousands of trucking providers. Leverages Qued’s integration with McLeod TMS for fast ramp-up.
BROADLANDS, VA – May 16, 2024 – Ryan Transportation, a leading freight brokerage and logistics management firm, has gone live with Qued Inc.’s automated load appointment scheduling software, joining a growing list of top 50 third-party logistics providers leveraging Qued’s tools to significantly increase staff productivity and reduce errors and delays in scheduling and securing truck pickup appointments for shippers.
Earlier this year, Qued launched its SaaS-based smart AI workflow management software platform that transforms load appointment scheduling for 3PLs and carriers. Following an initial test period, Ryan Transportation last month fully implemented the automation tools within its McLeod transportation management system. Qued is a certified integration partner with McLeod Software.
“We are proud and excited to have Ryan Transportation join this third wave of leading 3PLs to adopt Qued’s AI-driven appointment scheduling platform,” said Prasad Gollapalli, Qued’s chief executive. “We welcome their confidence and support, and their continued feedback to improve and refine the platform’s functionality and value by eliminating error-prone and time-wasting manual tasks.”
For nationally-recognized Ryan, who this year was ranked No. 25 on the Transport Topics list of the top 100 freight brokerage firms, implementing Qued’s automation tools means far less manual data entry, faster, more accurate scheduling and appointment confirmation, increased customer confidence, improved carrier engagement and productivity gains for its team of brokers on the floor, noted Jeff Henderson, senior vice president, Ryan Transportation.
“Prior to having the automated system, it was pretty much a tedious manual task, where our brokers, for example, would have to log into a portal, access a third-party app, or even send an email to request an appointment, and then wait for a return,” he said.
Qued’s application replaces those manual steps, using AI-enabled software to streamline and accelerate the appointment scheduling process, added Connor Jumps, Ryan Transportation’s director of sales.
“Once the load is built in our system, a message is generated in Qued, which reaches out to the shipper’s or other party’s system,” he explained. “It then secures the appointment and returns a confirmation, which is automatically captured in our system.” That information is then circulated to Ryan’s carrier base for them to accept the load.
And with Qued already integrated with Ryan’s McLeod TMS, training was minimal and user adoption rapid. “Our team already knew their way around the screens in our operating system; using Qued required nothing more from a process perspective then clicking on a few extra boxes or doing something slightly different in screens they were already familiar with,” he noted.
Henderson added that “best of breed” third-party automation tools like Qued “absolutely fit into our larger technology strategy. We want our people focused on tasks and duties that are more complex and require intuitive skill, experience and response unique to the customer. So, we want to automate as much of the more manual, tedious workflow as we can. In that way they are more productive and have more time to focus on what drives the most value for our customers and carrier partners.”
“Ryan Transportation is demonstrating a strategic approach to technology that first and foremost is focused on customers and improving the quality and efficiency of its interactions with them,” observed Tom Curee, Qued’s president. “At the same time, it is helping its operations team be more productive and responsive. That’s a proven recipe for success and service differentiation in a highly competitive market.”
Ryan Transportation is a third-party logistics company specializing in freight brokerage services and managed transportation. Since 1986, Ryan Transportation has helped companies throughout North America take control of their shipping and improve their supply chains. Ryan Transportation is part of Shamrock Trading Corporation, the parent company for a family of brands in transportation services, finance and technology. Headquartered in Overland Park, KS, we have offices in multiple locations throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.ryantrans.com.
ABOUT QUED -- Qued is a cloud-based AI enabled smart workflow automation platform that transforms load appointment scheduling for brokers, 3PLs and carriers into the future. It automates the entire process seamlessly, securing the ideal time slot to schedule loads - all types of loads; even multi-stop loads. No more juggling spreadsheets, a high volume of email, and a variety of portal logins. Carriers enjoy a smoother workflow, shippers gain increased visibility, and brokers build trust with on-time deliveries. Qued strengthens relationships by improving communications and transparency. No more missed appointments and frustrated customers – Qued’s intelligent platform delivers the efficiency and reliability you need, helping your business thrive. Let Qued’s real-time AI platform streamline your workflow and help build your business. Qued is a certified integration partner of McLeod Software. For more information about Qued, visit us at www.qued.com, or send us an email to contact.us@qued.com.
Media Contact: Gary Frantz, Qued, gary@qued.com, (925) 594-1434.
Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders working on transformation efforts are focused on two major high-impact technology trends, including composite AI and supply chain data governance, according to a study from Gartner, Inc.
"SCP leaders are in the process of developing transformation roadmaps that will prioritize delivering on advanced decision intelligence and automated decision making," Eva Dawkins, Director Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, said in a release. "Composite AI, which is the combined application of different AI techniques to improve learning efficiency, will drive the optimization and automation of many planning activities at scale, while supply chain data governance is the foundational key for digital transformation.”
Their pursuit of those roadmaps is often complicated by frequent disruptions and the rapid pace of technological innovation. But Gartner says those leaders can accelerate the realized value of technology investments by facilitating a shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, with SCP leaders taking ownership of multidisciplinary teams to advance business operations, channels and products.
“A sound data governance strategy supports advanced technologies, such as composite AI, while also facilitating collaboration throughout the supply chain technology ecosystem,” said Dawkins. “Without attention to data governance, SCP leaders will likely struggle to achieve their expected ROI on key technology investments.”
The U.S. manufacturing sector has become an engine of new job creation over the past four years, thanks to a combination of federal incentives and mega-trends like nearshoring and the clean energy boom, according to the industrial real estate firm Savills.
While those manufacturing announcements have softened slightly from their 2022 high point, they remain historically elevated. And the sector’s growth outlook remains strong, regardless of the results of the November U.S. presidential election, the company said in its September “Savills Manufacturing Report.”
From 2021 to 2024, over 995,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs were announced, with two thirds in advanced sectors like electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries, semiconductors, clean energy, and biomanufacturing. After peaking at 350,000 news jobs in 2022, the growth pace has slowed, with 2024 expected to see just over half that number.
But the ingredients are in place to sustain the hot temperature of American manufacturing expansion in 2025 and beyond, the company said. According to Savills, that’s because the U.S. manufacturing revival is fueled by $910 billion in federal incentives—including the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—much of which has not yet been spent. Domestic production is also expected to be boosted by new tariffs, including a planned rise in semiconductor tariffs to 50% in 2025 and an increase in tariffs on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%.
Certain geographical regions will see greater manufacturing growth than others, since just eight states account for 47% of new manufacturing jobs and over 6.3 billion square feet of industrial space, with 197 million more square feet under development. They are: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee.
Across the border, Mexico’s manufacturing sector has also seen “revolutionary” growth driven by nearshoring strategies targeting U.S. markets and offering lower-cost labor, with a workforce that is now even cheaper than in China. Over the past four years, that country has launched 27 new plants, each creating over 500 jobs. Unlike the U.S. focus on tech manufacturing, Mexico focuses on traditional sectors such as automative parts, appliances, and consumer goods.
Looking at the future, the U.S. manufacturing sector’s growth outlook remains strong, regardless of the results of November’s presidential election, Savills said. That’s because both candidates favor protectionist trade policies, and since significant change to federal incentives would require a single party to control both the legislative and executive branches. Rather than relying on changes in political leadership, future growth of U.S. manufacturing now hinges on finding affordable, reliable power amid increasing competition between manufacturing sites and data centers, Savills said.
The British logistics robot vendor Dexory this week said it has raised $80 million in venture funding to support an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) powered features, grow its global team, and accelerate the deployment of its autonomous robots.
A “significant focus” continues to be on expanding across the U.S. market, where Dexory is live with customers in seven states and last month opened a U.S. headquarters in Nashville. The Series B will also enhance development and production facilities at its UK headquarters, the firm said.
The “series B” funding round was led by DTCP, with participation from Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and Bootstrap Europe, along with existing investors Atomico, Lakestar, Capnamic, and several angels from the logistics industry. With the close of the round, Dexory has now raised $120 million over the past three years.
Dexory says its product, DexoryView, provides real-time visibility across warehouses of any size through its autonomous mobile robots and AI. The rolling bots use sensor and image data and continuous data collection to perform rapid warehouse scans and create digital twins of warehouse spaces, allowing for optimized performance and future scenario simulations.
Originally announced in September, the move will allow Deutsche Bahn to “fully focus on restructuring the rail infrastructure in Germany and providing climate-friendly passenger and freight transport operations in Germany and Europe,” Werner Gatzer, Chairman of the DB Supervisory Board, said in a release.
For its purchase price, DSV gains an organization with around 72,700 employees at over 1,850 locations. The new owner says it plans to investment around one billion euros in coming years to promote additional growth in German operations. Together, DSV and Schenker will have a combined workforce of approximately 147,000 employees in more than 90 countries, earning pro forma revenue of approximately $43.3 billion (based on 2023 numbers), DSV said.
After removing that unit, Deutsche Bahn retains its core business called the “Systemverbund Bahn,” which includes passenger transport activities in Germany, rail freight activities, operational service units, and railroad infrastructure companies. The DB Group, headquartered in Berlin, employs around 340,000 people.
“We have set clear goals to structurally modernize Deutsche Bahn in the areas of infrastructure, operations and profitability and focus on the core business. The proceeds from the sale will significantly reduce DB’s debt and thus make an important contribution to the financial stability of the DB Group. At the same time, DB Schenker will gain a strong strategic owner in DSV,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said in a release.
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.