C.H. Robinson launched Lean AI agents that dramatically speed up ocean shipping, air freight, and customs brokerage operations. The AI reduces price quotes from days to just 2-3 minutes, automates thousands of booking requests, and streamlines complex customs documentation, enabling faster decision-making and competitive advantages in global supply chains.
- Quote Speed: Air freight quotes reduced from 1 day to 2-3 minutes; ocean shipping quotes reduced from 2-3 days to 2-3 minutes
- Automated Booking: AI agents manage thousands of ocean booking requests with customer-specific context and preferences
- Customs Processing: Lean AI handles dozens of detailed documents and complex international customs clearance requirements
- Multi-Modal Coverage: Single AI agent handles pricing for truckload, LTL, temp-controlled, flatbed, and hotshot shipments plus ocean and air cargo
- Business Impact: Faster quotes, consistent data, predictable processes, and quicker response to supply chain disruptions and routing changes
C.H. Robinson launched new AI agents that perform work in ocean shipping, air freight and customs brokerage.
“As we’ve brought our AI playbook to global forwarding, the benefits keep compounding,” says Mike Short, president of global forwarding. “Customers have information they need sooner. Data is more consistent. Processes are more predictable. When plans change or disruptions occur, customers can more quickly evaluate a new routing, mode of shipping, schedule or price. Not to mention speed-to-market is a real competitive advantage. The faster we get you a quote and handle your booking, the faster you get the ideal carrier and the ideal sailing or flight. For a vessel on the water 15-35 days, you don’t want to wait weeks for the next one. For an air shipment, life-saving medicines, perishable produce and critical automotive parts absolutely must arrive on time. Our Lean AI makes your supply chain a smarter, faster, better one.”
Key takeaways:
· Price quoting for ocean and air cargo: Quotes that used to take a day for an air shipment and 2-3 days for an ocean shipment now take 2-3 minutes.
· Ocean booking: AI manages the thousands of booking requests.
· Customs: AI helps with the dozens of documents and highly detailed processes required for an international shipment to clear U.S. customs.
· In trucking, a single C.H. Robinson AI agent handles price quotes for truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), temp-controlled, flatbed and hotshot shipments. Replicating the extensive manual process for pricing ocean freight meant building multiple AI agents and subagents. Together, they decipher what a shipper needs, seek information from external parties, consider variables at origin and destination, and make decisions like routing.
· For ocean bookings, these AI agents enhance booking requests with customer-specific context, ensuring the other agents operate with maximum efficiency while still taking into account individual customer preferences, requirements and procedures for their shipments.
