“Oops.”
“My bad.”
“I have no idea how that happened.”
“Sorry, man.”
Excuses and apologies really have no place in logistics, as any errors can be absolute business killers. For freight brokerages handling LTL shipments, mistakes amount to more than missed opportunities. Misquotes, misclassified freight, or missed accessorial charges all can erode profits. In an industry in which everyone is fighting for market share, running an error-free operation can be a matter of survival.
Accuracy in LTL shipping is absolutely essential — and achievable with AI-powered freight broker software.
Why LTL Is More Prone to Errors
LTL shipping is more prone to errors simply because there are more opportunities for mistakes — more appointments, more pickups, more deliveries, more customers. Freight classification, accessorials, and multi-stop routing add to the complexities.
BHX Logistics reminds us that “LTL freight shipping remains one of the most flexible and cost-effective ways for businesses to move moderate-sized goods. By paying only for the space you need, you can efficiently deliver products to customers without the overhead of a full truckload. However, the same factors that make LTL economical — multiple pickup points, shared trailer space, and variable routes — also pave the way for mistakes.”
Five common errors in LTL shipping are:
- Incorrect freight classification.
- Improper packaging and palletizing.
- Overlooked accessorials.
- Ignoring the importance of carrier selection and route optimization.
- Lack of proper labeling and documentation.
LTL freight brokers also may be dealing with fragmented data from a multitude of sources, as well as manual processes. A simple error can snowball into a big problem.
The True Cost of LTL Errors
Go-to-market strategist Ryan Vanshur asked on LinkedIn: “What’s the deal with LTL shipping? It kind of feels like the black hole of the freight industry, especially when you stack it up against FTL and parcel shipping. I mean, where does all the visibility go? Why does everything take so long? And don’t get me started on the pricing …”
Vanshur wrote that at first glance, LTL appeared stuck in the past, but he had found “some promising solutions” that could make less-than-truckload shipping more streamlined.
“It’s become clear that a bit of process automation and API integrations could be the key to making LTL less of a black hole and more of a well-lit highway.”
Without technology-enabled solutions, LTL errors can deliver several whammies, both financially and operationally, and result in hard-to-overcome reputational damage — and business disappearing into a black hole.
- Financial Impacts
- Reclassification fees.
- Accessorial disputes.
- Lost margins due to misquotes.
- Lost business.
- Operational Disruptions
- Delays in pickups and deliveries.
- Administrative overhead.
- Strained carrier relationships.
- Lost business.
- Reputation Damage
- Customer dissatisfaction.
- Reduced shipper trust.
- Negative reviews and lost referrals.
- Lost business.
Why Accuracy Is a Profit Multiplier
You don’t have to take our word for it. Do the math for yourself to figure out the value of deploying AI-powered freight broker software to eliminate errors and boost profitability.
- Accurate quoting = competitive pricing + protected margins.
- Fewer disputes = faster billing cycles + better cash flow.
- Reliable data = stronger carrier partnerships + better service levels.
How Drumkit Solves the Accuracy Problem
With Drumkit’s AI-powered software, LTL freight brokers no longer have an accuracy problem. Drumkit tools pull data directly from your TMS, send communications through your own inbox and portals, update details and statuses automatically, work inside your workflow, not beside it, and eliminate all those profit-killing manual errors.
We ensure accuracy with our superior tools, which include:
- Quick Quotes right from your inbox or browser.
- Automated load building which eliminates manual data entry errors.
- Appointment scheduling, pickup confirmation, and delivery changes.
- Intelligent Sidebar to see all load information across platforms in one place.
- Smart Autoreplies that dramatically reduce response time.
- Real-Time Shipment Updates to avoid constant time-eating check-ins.
- Instant integration with carriers and TMS platforms.
The ROI of Getting It Right
Roadrunner recently hailed AI for helping the LTL carrier drop its missed pickup rate from about 30% five years ago to .5% today.
“AI-powered technology turns uncertainty into clarity and unpredictability into certainty,” Roadrunner Chief Transformation Officer Nathalie de Champlain told the Commercial Carrier Journal.
LTL freight brokers can get that clarity with Drumkit’s industry-leading AI-powered software. Our tools are freight brokers’ strategic assets, eliminating errors and revenue drains and dramatically increasing efficiency and business scalability.
With Drumkit, LTL freight brokers are no longer issuing excuses and apologies. Instead, they’re saying:
“Great working with you.”
“Thanks for your business.”
“What else can I move for you?”
