Drumkit wasn’t rolled out to make human freight brokers obsolete. Our freight broker software was developed to make operations more efficient while retaining the human touch. We know a freight broker’s reputation is built on communication, and everything we’ve created at Drumkit is designed to implement automation without eliminating humans.
Drumkit’s automation tools support freight brokers, not replace them.
The Problem: Inbox Overload and Manual Communication
The reality is that freight brokers’ inboxes can be a mess. Repetitive messages eat up huge chunks of time but add little or no value. In fact, that busywork can erode customer relationships. When a broker’s eyes are taken off the ball by mundane tasks, he or she can miss exceptions that demand immediate attention.
Automation essentially acts as an extra pair of eyes, so a freight broker isn’t in the dark when a shipment isn’t picked up or a delivery appointment is missed.
Why Customers Still Expect a Human
Forget about freight brokerage for a moment. Think about your experiences as an online shopper. One such shopper recently placed an order, only to receive an email a short time later stating that the transaction had been canceled. The shopper called the 800 number, heard a long list of options, and chose one, only to hear a bot report the order had been canceled. When the shopper asked why, the bot repeated that the order had been canceled. The shopper asked about the order status in five different ways but kept getting the same simple response. The frustrated shopper then asked to speak to a live customer service agent. The shopper was then on hold for 30 minutes before giving up and hanging up — and vowing not to do business with that company again.
The bot could state that the order had been canceled, but could not explain why. Imagine how differently that could have played out. As soon as the customer asked for details, the call should have immediately gone to a human who could have remedied the situation by reviewing the order details and determining what had gone wrong.
Fully automated communication is a risk that relationship-focused freight brokers shouldn’t take. There’s just too much at stake to leave crisis-aversion communication to a bot.
How Drumkit’s AI Supports Broker Communication
AI can be a wonderful tool, enabling quick responses, fast shipment updates, pickup and delivery confirmations, and routine status follow-ups. But the very best AI tools immediately route situations that require judgment or issue escalation to humans.
Let AI handle everyday actions. Leave higher-level decision-making to the humans.
Drumkit’s AI-powered freight broker software integrates into existing workflows, automatically drafting accurate, context-aware messages, sending timely updates without manual effort, and logging communications back into the TMS for visibility and accountability.
Timely automated communication helps improve customer confidence as there are fewer dropped balls and fewer “just checking in” emails. Those customer relationships are further deepened because, with the help of automation tools, freight brokers actually have time for proactive conversations and really understand shippers’ needs. The best AI-powered tools actually make freight brokers more human, not less.
Communication That Works at Broker Speed
Drumkit’s automation tools quickly handle repetitive tasks, allowing freight brokers to focus on customer relationships. We automate the noise while preserving the human touch.
Drumkit CEO Dhruv Gupta has learned through countless conversations that freight brokers “aren’t looking for infinite flexibility. They’re looking for systems that reflect how brokerage actually works: the same core workflows executed hundreds of ways, with consistency, speed, and reliability.
“Good software absorbs complexity instead of pushing it onto the user. It doesn’t require constant babysitting or deep technical knowledge to function. It fits naturally into existing workflows,” Gupta said. “Building that kind of product takes longer. It requires real infrastructure, clean data, and an understanding of brokerage operations at a granular level. It’s less flashy in a demo, but far more durable in practice.
“That tradeoff is intentional. Drumkit is consciously choosing durability over flash, reliability over speed to market, and real workflow fit over hype-driven promises.”
Book an introductory call so we can gain an understanding of your brokerage operations and arm your freight brokers with automation tools that allow them to retain the human touch.
