AI Operators · Use cases
Track and Trace
AI Operators run scheduled shipment checks by email and supported phone workflows, capture carrier updates, sync milestones to your TMS and escalate exceptions.
Explore your workflowYour SOPs. Your systems. Your team in control.
- Starts with
- A booked shipment, expected milestone schedule and approved carrier contacts.
- Works with
- Your follow-up cadence, email and phone workflows, exception rules and TMS.
- Completes with
- A current confirmed milestone in the TMS, or an exception package ready for action.
The operational opportunity
Keep shipment milestones current—without manual chasing.
Track and Trace often depends on repetitive follow-up. Operators check whether a driver is ready, confirm pickup, request an updated ETA, verify delivery and copy each answer into the TMS. When a carrier does not respond, the team repeats the same sequence across calls, email and internal chat until someone can establish what is happening.
Shipflow’s Track and Trace Operator runs the milestone cadence defined by your SOP. It can contact approved carrier or driver recipients through email and supported phone workflows, connect each response to the right load or shipment, capture the operational status and update the permitted TMS fields. The workflow continues across pre-pickup, pickup, in-transit and delivery milestones.
A routine response can move the shipment record forward. A missed checkpoint, contradictory update or defined operational exception follows the escalation path with the load ID, issue, actions already taken and the next decision required. Your team controls the contact schedule, channels, source-of-truth rules and customer-notification permissions.
The cadence and timing shown below are configurable examples. A carrier-reported ETA, confirmed pickup, confirmed delivery and customer-facing update are separate milestones; the workflow records each according to your SOP.
How it works
Follow the milestone cadence. Escalate the exceptions.
Check the shipment at the moments that matter.
A configurable schedule keeps the carrier, shipment record and operations team aligned from pre-pickup through delivery.
Pre-pickup readiness
Contact the agreed carrier or driver recipient before pickup to confirm readiness, equipment, appointment context or other required information. The timing—such as the afternoon before pickup—is defined by your operating procedure.
Pickup-day checkpoints
Run the configured checks around dispatch, arrival and loaded or departed status. Capture the response against the correct load and distinguish an expected event from an event the carrier has confirmed.
In-transit status
Request progress and ETA updates at the agreed interval, such as a daily checkpoint for an active Road shipment. Increase, reduce or suppress outreach based on mode, duration, risk and the visibility data already available.
Delivery-day checkpoints
Confirm arrival, unloading and delivery milestones according to the workflow. Record the reported time and supporting context, then route document collection or delivery exceptions to the relevant next process.
Output: The latest confirmed milestone and source context are reflected in the operational record.
Keep following up—then escalate with context.
When the first contact does not produce an answer, the operator follows a defined multi-channel sequence rather than leaving the shipment status unknown.
Call the driver
Place the supported phone call with the relevant load and milestone context. If the driver answers, capture the response; if not, record the attempt and continue according to the configured protocol.
Email the dispatcher
Send the approved status request to the dispatcher with the shipment reference and information needed. Keep the phone attempt and email in one workflow so the next person can see what has already happened.
Wait for the configured response window
Monitor for a reply during the agreed interval—for example, 60 minutes in an illustrative Road workflow. Urgent exception triggers bypass the wait and go directly to the responsible team.
Call the dispatcher and notify the representative
Make the final configured contact attempt and notify the carrier or operations representative when the status remains unresolved. Include the load ID, issue, actions taken and next step instead of sending a context-free alert.
Output: The shipment has a current status, or the responsible person receives a complete no-response escalation.
Human control
Automate the routine. Keep judgment with your team.
Execute within agreed rules
- Run scheduled checks across pre-pickup, pickup, in-transit and delivery.
- Contact approved recipients through email and supported phone workflows.
- Capture ETA, pickup, delivery and other configured milestone responses.
- Write confirmed status information to permitted TMS fields.
- Follow the agreed no-response sequence and assemble escalation context.
Escalate when needed
- Mechanical issues, TONU or another defined immediate operational exception.
- Late arrival, detention or a change that affects the shipment plan.
- A driver or dispatcher requests a supervisor or human decision.
- No response after the final configured contact attempt.
Customer result
AI execution at ColliCare.
- Of Track & Trace automated with Shipflow
- 100%
The AI Operator automatically collects shipment milestone data and updates it directly in ColliCare’s internal TMS.
This result relates to the customer workflow described. Results depend on workflow scope, input quality and deployment configuration.
Read the customer storyGetting started
Build around the way your operation works.
Define milestones and the contact cadence
Choose the modes, lanes and shipment stages for the first workflow. Specify the checkpoints, contact times, approved recipients and suppression rules so the operator does not ask for information already available from an authoritative source.
Map status fields and sources of truth
Identify the TMS shipment record and permitted milestone fields. Define how carrier-reported forecasts, confirmed actual events, tracking feeds and supporting documents should be represented when they disagree or arrive out of order.
Design no-response and exception paths
Agree the phone, email and waiting sequence and list the events that require immediate escalation. Name the people or teams who receive each issue and include the load ID, issue, actions taken and expected next step in every handoff.
Measure completed work, not just AI activity.
Measure whether the agreed shipment milestones stay current and actionable, not simply how many calls or emails the operator sends. Track coverage, freshness, response time and exception resolution together.
- Manual track-and-trace touches per shipment
- Milestones confirmed within the expected window
- Time from carrier response to TMS update
- No-response and operational exceptions requiring human action
Common questions
Before you put an AI Operator to work.
Can Shipflow contact drivers and dispatchers by phone and email?
Yes, through the email and supported phone workflows configured for the deployment. Your team defines the approved recipients, contact hours, message content, calling rules and which shipment information may be shared.
Can we configure different tracking cadences?
Yes. The cadence can vary by mode, customer, lane, shipment duration, milestone and risk. The pre-pickup, pickup-day, daily in-transit and delivery-day timing shown on this page is an illustrative Road workflow, not a universal default.
What happens when nobody responds?
The operator follows your no-response protocol across the approved channels and waiting periods. If the final attempt fails, it escalates with the shipment reference, contact history, issue and next action instead of leaving an empty status.
Which events can trigger immediate escalation?
Your SOP defines the triggers. Examples can include a mechanical issue, TONU, late arrival, detention, a supervisor request or no response after the final attempt. The operator can bypass the normal waiting period when an immediate trigger is detected.
Does Shipflow update our TMS automatically?
It can update the fields and milestones permitted by the connected system and deployment scope. The workflow should preserve the source and distinguish a carrier-reported forecast from a confirmed actual event. Unclear or conflicting information goes to review.
Can Shipflow send status updates to customers?
Customer communication can be included when the message, milestone source, recipients and release rules are defined. A carrier-reported ETA should not automatically become a customer commitment unless your workflow explicitly authorizes that action.
How is Track and Trace different from carrier coordination?
Carrier coordination obtains rates before booking and supports carrier communication after booking. Track and Trace focuses on the milestone plan across the shipment lifecycle, including scheduled checks, no-response handling, TMS freshness and operational exception escalation.
Start with one workflow
Start with the shipment milestones your team keeps chasing.
Map the inputs, decisions and systems with Shipflow. Define a useful first deployment with clear boundaries and measurable outcomes.
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