Optimization solutions provider Optym has partnered with Estes Express Lines to provide the company with its full suite of products, aiming to generate “continuous improvement of both our systems and processes alike,” said Estes CIO Todd Florence in a release on Tuesday.

“Our solutions save over 10 million miles daily for our clients, creating efficiencies that lower transportation costs, minimize the risk of damage and claims, and improve sustainability, which benefits shippers, carriers, and consumers alike. This partnership will continue to push for new efficiencies in the LTL space,” Chris Torrence, chief strategy officer at Opytm, told FreightWaves.

Past work

This is not the companies’ first partnership. Over the past few years, Estes has adopted two other Optym LTL products — HaulPlan and DriverPlan — to improve the overall shipper experience. 

According to Estes, carrier planning solution HaulPlan decreased planning time, reduced empty miles by 5% and reduced linehaul miles by 2%, while fleet scheduling software DriverPlan produced a 75% time savings in scheduling operations, an additional 5% reduction in empty miles and a 3% reduction in total scheduled miles.

“Optym HaulPlan has enabled us to plan more efficiently and make adjustments to lanes quicker. As market fluctuations happen, the ability to model impacts to lane changes allows us to be flexible, provide even greater service to our customers and keep our linehaul costs under control,” Estes President and COO Webb Estes said.

Optym has also partnered with Saia to provide HaulPlan and DriverPlan to optimize the less-than-truckload carrier’s operations in the past.

New partnership

With its extended partnership, Estes will now implement three new features from Optym: pickup and delivery visibility solution RouteMax, linehaul scheduling optimization product LiveHaul, and dock management system DockAi.

“Optimizing the end-to-end movements of shipments has always been our focus,” Estes said. “Optym has impressed us in previous engagements, and we cannot think of a better partner in continuing to drive improvements to help our customers be successful every day. Through this partnership, our customers will receive higher quality of service and our internal team will gain access to modernized systems that are intuitive and equally fun to use.”

Developing AI tools internally is a challenging endeavor that requires specialized expertise.

As a result, Optym leadership believes this is only the beginning of LTL, a segment of the industry that traditionally relies on antiquated technology, reaching out to technology experts to provide the software for each company’s specific operational needs.

“As the underlying data continues to improve, carriers will continue looking for a way to leverage this information to improve their operations,” said Torrence. “Finding a partner, such as Optym, who can combine optimization and AI prowess with a deep understanding of operations will create a powerful combination that is able to improve the tools for the workforce, drive sustainable transportation cost savings, lower costs for consumers, all while being better stewards of the planet.”

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