FreightConnect

Agents / Tracking Agent

Tracking Agent

The tracking agent monitors every shipment in real-time, flags exceptions, and keeps shippers informed.

Core Functions

  1. Queries telematics data — every 1-2 minutes from ELDs (Samsara, Motive, etc.)
  2. Compares against expectations — is the truck on schedule?
  3. Detects exceptions — late pickup, unscheduled stops, route deviations
  4. Triggers notifications — alerts to you and shipper
  5. Logs everything — audit trail for disputes

Exception Detection

The agent flags:

Time-Based

  • Late pickup — pickup time exceeded scheduled window (auto-escalates after 30 min late)
  • Late ETA — revised delivery time exceeds shipper requirement
  • Extended dwell — truck stationary for 2+ hours (breakdown? traffic jam?)
  • Slow progress — truck moving slower than expected based on distance/time remaining

Location-Based

  • Route deviation — truck left planned route by >5 miles (customizable)
  • Off-hours activity — truck moving outside expected operating hours
  • Wrong region — truck is in the wrong state (major error)

Safety-Based

  • Harsh events — speeding, harsh braking (if telematics available)
  • Idling excessive — truck idling too long (fuel waste, fatigue risk)
  • Hours of service — driver approaching legal driving limits

Alert Escalation

When an exception is detected:

Minor (e.g., 30 min late):

  • Notify you via dashboard
  • Update shipper ETA automatically
  • Log the event

Major (e.g., 2+ hours late):

  • Alert you immediately (email/push)
  • Notify shipper with updated ETA
  • Log with "needs attention" flag

Critical (e.g., 4+ hours late, wrong region):

  • Alert you immediately
  • Recommend actions: "Contact carrier," "Deploy recovery truck"
  • Notify shipper: "We're monitoring and coordinating with carrier"

Proactive Communication

The agent updates your shipper:

Pickup

  • "Your shipment picked up on time / 30 minutes late"
  • "Driver: John Smith, Truck: ABC-123, Tracking link: [URL]"

In-Transit

  • "Your shipment is on time, arriving [updated ETA]"
  • "Due to traffic in Memphis, revised ETA: 6pm instead of 4pm"
  • "Shipment is being expedited due to delay"

Delivery

  • "Truck arrived at destination at [time], preparing for delivery"
  • "Delivered at [time], signature: [name], photo: [attached]"

All messages include your company branding and logo.

Manual Interventions

When the agent detects a critical issue:

  1. System shows exception in your dashboard
  2. You can:
    • Message Driver — "Where are you? ETA still [time]?"
    • Contact Carrier — escalate to dispatcher directly
    • Deploy Recovery — authorize a second truck if this one fails
    • Update Shipper — send custom message with context

The agent logs your intervention and learns from it.

Recovery Triggers

Enterprise customers can auto-trigger recovery:

  1. Go to Settings → Agents → Tracking Agent
  2. Enable Auto-Deploy Recovery Truck
  3. Set threshold: "if ETA will miss by > 4 hours AND shipper is high-priority, deploy backup"

When triggered:

  • System queries fresh carriers for an expedited load (same destination, today)
  • If found, carrier is notified and compensated at premium rate
  • Shipper gets proactive notification: "We're deploying a backup carrier"

Performance Metrics

The agent tracks:

  • Accuracy — did the agent correctly predict late delivery? (goal: > 85%)
  • False positives — alerts that didn't materialize (goal: < 10%)
  • Shipper satisfaction — did the shipper find the alerts helpful? (goal: > 90%)

Go to Analytics → Agent Health to see these metrics.

Customization

Go to Settings → Agents → Tracking Agent:

  • Delay threshold — alert after X minutes late (default: 30)
  • ETA update frequency — how often to recalculate (default: every 2 min)
  • Route deviation radius — miles off-route before flagging (default: 5 miles)
  • Shipper notification — automatic / human-in-loop / off
  • Exception escalation — who to notify and how (email / SMS / in-app)

Limitations

The agent can't:

  • Reach a driver by phone (only message via app)
  • Authorize refunds or compensation
  • Force a carrier to speed up
  • Predict unexpected breakdowns (only reacts to delays once they happen)

Data Retention

After delivery, tracking data is retained:

  • For disputes — 1 year (if shipper claims they didn't get shipment)
  • For analytics — 2 years (to identify patterns)
  • Archived — > 2 years (accessible but not in live dashboard)

Troubleshooting

Agent didn't alert me on a late shipment: Check that the carrier has ELD/telematics enabled. If they don't, tracking is manual-only (relies on driver messages). For critical loads, use Preferred Carriers with confirmed telematics.

Too many alerts: Adjust the delay threshold in settings. If you don't care about 15-minute delays, set threshold to 30 minutes.

Shipper says they didn't get the update: Check that you have their email correct. Resend the tracking link from the load details.

Next Steps

Last updated: April 2026