Guided AI agents tracked more than 5,500 shipments with an 80% carrier response rate, cutting Ace Trans's tracking workload from two people to less than one and freeing time for their customers.
Ace Trans is a French freight forwarder founded in 2012 and based in Le Havre. Its team of 5 freight brokers organizes more than 700 shipments a month in France and abroad. Their success is built on exceptional customer service: each customer has one dedicated contact, responsible for their transport from start to finish.
Personal service takes time
Providing that level of service requires considerable work behind the scenes. Before pickup, the team checks that the carrier has planned a truck. They then chase pickup and delivery ETAs while handling cancellations or last-minute changes. Once the shipment is delivered, they still need to collect the proof of delivery (POD) and upload it to the TMS.
Before Guided, two people at Ace Trans chased carriers for updates full time. Even then, the team missed updates during peak periods.
For Léo Navarro, part of Ace Trans' operations team, the goal is clear:
"We want to keep growing without putting the team constantly working under pressure. Staying responsive and keeping the human side of our work is what matters."
Léo Navarro, operations team, Ace Trans
An agent that gives the team time back
The Guided team spent several days in Ace Trans' office, observing how they managed shipments and contacted carriers. The agent was configured to follow their existing processes, connect to their TMS and email accounts, and use the team's emails as examples of how to communicate. The rollout started with a sample of shipments before progressively expanding coverage.
The agent gets shipment details directly from the TMS, contacts carriers to check pickup and delivery progress, and updates statuses as replies arrive. Follow-ups are timed based on appointments and the latest information received, so the team doesn't have to manage each reminder.
When plans change, the agent adjusts its follow-ups. It also remembers carrier instructions, such as where to send POD requests, and applies them to future shipments.
On one cross-border shipment, the carrier reported that pickup moved by one day due to a mechanical issue. Over the following days, the agent handled more than ten email interactions, checking revised pickup and delivery times. It kept the TMS up to date throughout the shipment and collected the POD after delivery.
More time for customers
- +5,500 shipments followed up automatically
- 80% received a carrier reply
The team now spends less than one person's time on shipment follow-up, compared with two people before.
Ace Trans team members get an alert when a shipment needs attention. Daily recaps show how shipments are progressing and which carriers still need to reply. As Jean-Philippe Deroulez, CEO of Ace Trans, puts it:
"What matters is getting the alert when there is a problem. Then we take over, call the customer and keep the human side of the relationship."
Jean-Philippe Deroulez, CEO, Ace Trans
Instead of chasing every update, Ace Trans can spend more time solving problems, talking to customers, building relationships with carriers and finding new business. This helps the team maintain its service standards as the business grows.
What's next: using tracking data to improve service
Ace Trans is working with Guided to better understand carrier and customer performance through tracking data.
Together, we are developing custom reports on carrier responses and delays by carrier or customer. The goal is to identify recurring problems, understand where improvements are needed and work with transport partners to deliver more reliable service.
Talk to Guided to see how automated tracking can help improve your quality of service
