Customers get load updates before they ask, without check calls
A done-for-you shipment status automation is an AI agent that tracks every active load from ELD, GPS, project44 or carrier replies, texts or emails drivers and dispatchers when tracking goes dark, updates milestones in your TMS, and answers shippers' where-is-my-load emails with the latest position and ETA. It flags loads that will miss an appointment so your team can act early. BufferSol builds and runs it in your TMS and inbox, live in 3 to 6 weeks.
- Live in 3 to 6 weeks
- Works with McLeod LoadMaster, McLeod PowerBroker and more
- People approve what matters
Is this you?
Freight brokers, 3PLs and asset carriers moving hundreds to thousands of loads a month whose track-and-trace staff spend the day on check calls and status emails.
- Your track-and-trace team calls drivers several times per load to get a location.
- Shippers email or call for updates on loads that are running fine.
- Tracking links break when a driver declines the app or the ELD feed drops.
- You learn a load is late when the receiver calls, not before.
- Milestones in McLeod, Aljex or Turvo are entered by hand at the end of the day.
Today vs done for you
The current way, and the new way
What your team does by hand today, and what the automation does instead, step by step.
How it works today
- A load is booked and the carrier is asked to accept a tracking link from Macropoint, Trucker Tools or similar.
- Track-and-trace reps open each load, check the map and call drivers or dispatchers when there is no ping.
- They type the location, ETA and any problem into the TMS as a check call.
- They answer shippers' emails and calls one by one, copying the same details again.
- When a load is going to be late, they find out late and scramble to call the receiver and the shipper.
What it quietly costs you
- · Staff hours spent on repetitive calls and emails rather than on problem loads.
- · Shipper scorecards and lost freight when visibility and on-time numbers slip.
- · Strained carrier relationships because drivers are interrupted while driving.
How it works done for you
- When a load is dispatched, the agent pulls tracking from the carrier's ELD, Samsara or Motive integration, project44, Macropoint or the driver's app.
- It checks each load against its pickup and delivery appointments and the driver's remaining hours.
- When tracking is missing or stale, it texts or emails the driver or carrier dispatcher with a short question and reads the reply.
- It writes check calls and milestones into McLeod, Aljex, Turvo or your TMS with the source of each update.
- It sends shippers scheduled updates and answers their status emails with the current position, ETA and any delay reason.
- It alerts a rep in Teams or Slack when a load is at risk, with options such as rescheduling the appointment, and the rep decides.
- Every message, reply and TMS update is logged by load for shipper audits.
Your people
What changes for your team
| Role | Today | Done for you |
|---|---|---|
| Track-and-trace rep | Makes check calls all day and copies updates into the TMS and emails. | Works only the loads the agent flags as at risk or unreachable. |
| Customer or account rep | Answers repeated status requests from shippers. | Talks to shippers about problems and new freight, while routine status goes out automatically. |
| Carrier dispatcher or driver | Takes several broker calls per load while on the road. | Gets one short text when needed and replies in a few words. |
The numbers
What it's worth to you
Estimate the time and cost you get back with your own numbers. We baseline the real figures in week 1 and track these KPIs from day one.
Example inputs · change them to yours
The automated share covers routine tracking, check calls and status replies; breakdowns, claims and re-powers stay with your team.
Staff time back
250 hours a month
About 1.6 full-time people freed for higher-value work
Capacity reclaimed a month
$7,000
A year
$84,000
An estimate from your inputs only. In week 1 we measure your real baseline, so results are tracked against your own numbers.
Tracking compliance
Share of loads with a location update inside each shipper's required interval, baselined from the TMS.
Manual check calls per load
Phone calls logged per load before and after launch.
Inbound status requests
Shipper emails and calls asking for load status, counted weekly.
Late loads flagged in advance
Late deliveries that were flagged before the appointment time, against all late deliveries.
Loads per track-and-trace rep
Active loads handled per rep per day, compared with the prior quarter.
70 Percent
Sixty percent
Works with the tools you already use
- McLeod LoadMaster
- McLeod PowerBroker
- Aljex
- Turvo
- project44
- Macropoint
- Samsara
- Motive
- Microsoft Outlook
- Twilio
Guardrails built in
- The agent never changes appointments, rates or carriers on its own; it proposes and a rep approves.
- Messages to drivers follow quiet rules so drivers are not texted repeatedly while moving.
- Shipper updates show only that shipper's loads and the fields you choose to share.
- Each status entry records its source, such as ELD, app, carrier reply or rep, for audit.
- Location data is kept under your retention policy and used only for the load.
Why it hurts today
What teams say about this work
Common complaints from operators, reviewers and industry research.
A broker on a trucking forum described the job as calling again and again to find out where a truck is and when it will arrive, because customers want updates constantly; drivers replied that repeated calls are a burden and some turn their phones off.
Repeated status calls take up broker staff time and strain the carrier relationship, and drivers see them as a dangerous distraction while they are trying to deliver safely.
Coordinators without automated tracking can spend hours a day phoning carriers, brokers and drivers to locate loads, crowding out exception handling and planning.
Most brokers in a technology survey said they struggle to provide real-time digital visibility without falling back on check calls.
Done for you
Live in 3 to 6 weeks
We do the build, the integrations and the rollout. Your team gives us access, reviews the pilot and approves go-live.
- 1
Week 1
Discovery and access
We map the workflow with your team, agree the outcomes and KPIs, measure today's baseline and get secure access to your tools.
- 2
Weeks 2–3
Build and connect
We build the agents and connect your systems, with your rules, approval steps, permissions and logging.
- 3
Weeks 3–5
Test and pilot
We test on your real history, then run a pilot on live work while your team reviews what the agent does.
- 4
Weeks 4–6
Go live and hand over
We roll out in stages, train your team, hand over dashboards and runbooks, and keep improving it with you.
Executive Ask: ask your business anything
One plain-English assistant connected to every system you run: CRM, helpdesk, ERP and accounting, HR, inbox and docs. Leaders get sourced answers in seconds and can trigger actions with approval. It respects everyone's existing permissions and logs every answer.
See Executive AskAsk it, for example
- Which loads are at risk of missing delivery appointments today?
- Which shippers asked us for status most often this week, and were those loads actually late?
- Which carriers go dark on tracking most often?
How long before it is live?
Most brokers and carriers are live in 3 to 6 weeks. We connect your TMS, tracking providers and the track-and-trace inbox, and agree update rules for each major shipper. The agent then runs on a subset of loads with a rep checking its work. Once the rep is happy, we widen it to all loads.
What does this cost?
We do not publish prices. Cost depends on load volume, the TMS and tracking tools to connect, and how many shipper reporting formats you need. It is quoted after a short scoping call where we look at your current track-and-trace process and a sample of loads. You get a fixed scope before any work begins.
We already use Macropoint or project44. Why do we need this?
Those tools supply location data when a carrier is connected. The agent works on the gaps: loads with no tracking, stale pings, drivers who need to be asked a question, shippers who want an email instead of a portal, and TMS milestones that someone still types in. It uses your existing feeds rather than replacing them.
Will it call drivers?
By default it texts or emails, because drivers can answer a short message when they stop. Voice calls can be added for carriers that prefer them, using a clear automated voice and passing to a rep on request. Either way, contact is limited to when tracking is missing or there is a real question.
Can shippers get updates in their own format?
Yes. Some shippers want an email per milestone, some want a daily spreadsheet, some want updates posted to their portal or sent as EDI 214. The agent can send each shipper what they ask for from the same data, so your team does not build separate reports.
Pairs well with
Logistics & Transport
Load Booking & Carrier Email Handling
Carrier emails answered and loads booked in minutes, not hours
See the outcomeLogistics & Transport
Proof of Delivery & Freight Billing
PODs collected, checked and billed the day freight delivers
See the outcomeOperations & Supply Chain
Scheduling & Dispatch
Jobs, deliveries and dock slots scheduled and rebooked without phone tag
See the outcomeSources
- From a broker- tracking your truck?, TheTruckersReport.com forum
- How can freight brokers reduce driver check calls?, FreightWaves Ratings
- The Freight Status Call Problem: Why Your Team Is Spending All Day on the Phone (2026 Guide), Nuvocargo
- Four Key Takeaways from Trucker Tools' Broker Technology Survey, Trucker Tools
Get Shipment Status Updates done for you
Tell us about your volumes and tools. A senior engineer replies within one business day with scope, timeline and cost.
Live in 3 to 6 weeks · Priced after a short call · Company emails only