Answer "where is my load" requests from shippers
An agent answers shipper check calls and emails with the latest tracking status from your TMS and carrier updates, and escalates late or exception loads to a person. Customers get an answer in minutes and dispatchers get fewer interruptions. For brokers handling many repeat status requests every day.
Function: Operations · Industry: Logistics
Answer "where is my load" requests from shippers
6 steps
At a glance
- Trigger
- A shipper asks for a status update by phone, email or portal message.
- Typical inputs
- Load status and check calls in the TMS
- Carrier tracking feeds or driver app pings
- Appointment times and delivery windows
- Customer contact list and escalation rules
- Systems it usually connects to
- McLeod
- Turvo
- Outlook
- Slack
- How the work splits
3 rules, 2 model, 1 person steps
How it runs, step by step
6 steps, each tagged by what does the work. Rules are fixed logic, a model reads or drafts, and a person decides.
- Rules Fixed logic in code
- Model AI reads or drafts, with a confidence score
- Person A named person decides
- 1
Understand the request
ModelA model identifies the load or loads being asked about from a reference, a PO, a pickup city or earlier messages in the thread.
- 2
Verify the sender
RulesThe sender's email or phone number is matched to a customer contact for that load, and unknown senders are not given details.
- 3
Pull the latest status
RulesCurrent location, last check call, appointment and estimated arrival are read from the TMS and tracking feed.
- 4
Compose the reply
ModelA model writes a short answer in plain language, with the time of the last update, and says so when the data is stale.
- 5
Take over on exceptions
PersonA dispatcher handles late loads, breakdowns, refused deliveries and any customer who asks for something beyond status.
- 6
Log the interaction
RulesThe question and answer are logged against the load so the next person sees what the customer was told.
Where people approve
The decisions that stay with your team, whatever the confidence score says.
- Replies about late or at-risk loads go to a dispatcher first.
- Anything involving charges or claims is handled by a person.
- New contact details are verified before access is granted.
KPIs to track
What to measure, before and after. Targets come from your own baseline.
- 01Status requests answered without a dispatcher
- 02Median time to first answer
- 03Share of answers that cited data older than your freshness limit
- 04Dispatcher hours spent on status calls
Questions about this workflow
What does it do when tracking data is old or missing?
It says when the last update arrived and does not invent an estimate. For loads with no recent update it triggers a check call task for the carrier rep and tells the shipper that a person is following up.
Can it answer phone calls?
Yes, through a voice agent that uses the same lookup and the same limits. Calls about exceptions are transferred to a dispatcher with a summary so the shipper does not repeat themselves.
Which steps use rules, a model and a person?
Rules: verify the sender; pull the latest status; log the interaction. Model: understand the request; compose the reply. Person: take over on exceptions. Rules are fixed logic in code. A model reads or drafts and reports its confidence. A named person decides.
What do we need to start?
Typically: load status and check calls in the TMS; carrier tracking feeds or driver app pings; appointment times and delivery windows; customer contact list and escalation rules. You also need read access to McLeod, Turvo, Outlook and Slack, or the equivalents you use. A workflow audit measures your volumes and past cases first, then gives a fixed price for the build, so you can decide with real numbers.