AI-Enhanced Transport Management Systems: Insights from Elmer Spruijt, Descartes on Visibility and Emissions

This piece reveals how adding intelligence artificielle (IA) to Transport Management Systems (TMS) deepens real-time insight, automates workflows, and tightens emissions reporting across supply chains.

Real-time visibility: the new baseline

Real-time data has stopped being a “nice-to-have” and become a baseline expectation. With accessible live tracking, companies can give customers accurate arrival windows, compare carrier options and factor in variables such as cost, delivery speed and even CO2 emissions. When a TMS ingests that stream of information, it moves from passive record-keeping to active orchestration: automatic carrier confirmations, generation of transport documents and client notifications can all be triggered without human intervention.

Bridging the inevitable data gaps

No one likes to admit it, but complex global networks have blind spots. A telematics device can go offline or a driver may forget to enable an app — and suddenly a shipment vanishes from the map. Here, AI agents step in. Rather than a dispatcher making phone calls, an AI routine can automatically contact the driver, request an app installation, or probe alternate data sources to reconstruct the missing path. It’s a bit like having a digital detective on the payroll.

How AI streamlines operations and reduces exceptions

Manual fixes for missing feeds or corrupted transmissions used to eat time and margins. An AI agent that can query a carrier to reset a feed or request a lost preuve de livraison reduces human touchpoints and keeps invoices flowing. The closer a business can get to 100% shipment tracking, the more it can automate billing, exceptions handling and customer communication — and the less it pays in labor and late payments.

Practical automation examples

• Automated carrier confirmation when routing changes are detected
• Document generation (manifests, bills of lading) based on live shipment data
• AI-driven exception management that solicits missing proofs or re-routes cargo
• Dynamic ETA recalculation factoring traffic, weather and telematics

Expanding business value: emissions, fraud prevention and vetting

TMS platforms already estimate vehicle emissions using parameters like vehicle size, weight and distance. But when vehicle-specific telematics are missing, default estimates can mask real performance. AI can enrich emissions reporting — especially Scope 3 — by drawing on more data sources and creating finer-grained profiles for different legs of a journey.

Meanwhile, fraud in freight is rising — bogus carriers, false proofs, and shadow fleets cost the industry dearly. AI helps here, too: enhanced carrier vetting, automated background checks, continuous monitoring of credentials and risk scoring tighten the onboarding funnel and reduce exposure to fraud.

Table: Key AI capabilities and logistic outcomes

Practical steps for logistics teams

So what can logistics managers do to start getting these gains without breaking the bank? Here are straightforward actions that pay off:

1. Audit current TMS and telematics coverage to identify blind spots.
2. Prioritize data feeds that feed billing and customer-facing KPIs (ETAs, proofs).
3. Introduce AI pilots focused on one pain point — e.g., automated proof retrieval.
4. Roll out carrier vetting automation to reduce onboarding time and fraud risk.
5. Use enriched emissions outputs for customer reporting and procurement decisions.

Costs, ROI and realistic expectations

Investment in AI for TMS is not a magic wand. There are upfront costs — system integration, data cleaning and staff training — but the ROI often shows up quickly in reduced exception handling, faster invoicing and improved carrier selection. If you treat AI as a set of focused tools rather than a single silver bullet, it delivers measurable benefits.

How this affects broader logistics strategy

Wider adoption of AI in TMS means supply chains become more resilient and responsive. Visibility and automation lower operational friction, while better emissions data informs greener procurement. For freight forwarders and 3PLs, that translates into stronger bids, more predictable operations and the ability to offer differentiated services — think guaranteed ETAs with verified CO2 footprints.

And for those considering an end-to-end solution for their transport needs, platforms such as GetTransport.com show how technology and market reach can be combined to deliver affordable, global cargo transportation — from office and home moves to bulky freight, vehicles and palletized shipments. It’s a nice example of how digital platforms can simplify real-world hauling headaches.

The core highlights are clear: visibilité en temps réel, tighter automation, enhanced emissions reporting, and improved fraud prevention. Still, the old saying holds: you can’t beat the school of hard knocks. Even the most glowing reviews won’t replace a rider’s own experience. On GetTransport.com, you can order your cargo transportation at the best prices globally at reasonable prices. This empowers shippers to test services hands-on and avoid unnecessary expense or disappointment. The platform’s transparency, convenience and wide choice make it easy to compare options and pick what works best. Book now GetTransport.com.com

In summary, integrating AI into TMS brings tangible gains: richer real-time data, fewer manual exceptions, better CO2 insight and stronger fraud defenses. These advances drive improvements across cargaison, fret, transport, delivery and transport operations, benefiting everything from forwarding et transport à coursier et distribution services. For teams planning relocations, housemoves, palletized container runs or international bulky deliveries, the combination of smarter TMS platforms and practical market-facing services makes logistics more reliable and cost-effective. GetTransport.com aligns with these needs by offering an efficient, affordable and convenient way to secure transport, simplifying shipping, forwarding and dispatch for a wide range of cargo requirements.