Descartes unveils AI agents to automate freight tracking

Descartes has added a suite of AI agents to its Global Logistics Network to support freight-visibility workflows and reduce the manual work involved in tracking shipments across supply chains.

The new product, Descartes MacroPoint OpsForce, automates driver engagement, exception management and documentation tasks. It runs within the Global Logistics Network, a data-sharing platform used by shippers, brokers, carriers and logistics service providers.

Descartes reported more than 720,000 AI-powered driver engagements tied to the rollout, connecting more than 435,000 additional drivers to the network in a period of months.

The move reflects a broader push by logistics technology providers to close gaps in shipment visibility. Many supply chains still rely on manual "check calls" when digital tracking signals are incomplete or inconsistent, particularly in multimodal movements that cross organisations and systems.

OpsForce targets these breakpoints. The AI agents trigger when tracking fails to start, stops unexpectedly, location confirmation is uncertain, or documentation is missing. Descartes positions the automation as a way to keep updates flowing without ongoing manual intervention by tracking teams.

Tracking exceptions

OpsForce can guide drivers through mobile app onboarding to expand tracking coverage and attempt to restore continuity when data stops arriving. It can also confirm arrival and departure milestones when geofence data is uncertain.

The documentation element focuses on proof of delivery. The AI agents can collect missing proof-of-delivery documentation as part of settlement processes between trading partners.

Even where carriers use electronic logging devices, transportation management system connections and geofencing, visibility can still degrade as shipments move through different networks. In those cases, brokers and shippers often revert to manual follow-ups, adding cost and delaying customer updates and back-office processing.

Descartes said OpsForce has helped customers "eliminate up to 100% of manual check calls" since its initial launch. It also reported an average 30% increase in "no-touch tracking automation", 1.5x productivity gains for tracking teams, and 15% faster settlement through automated proof-of-delivery capture.

Dan Cicerchi, General Manager, Transportation Management at Descartes, said the company's real-time visibility work is focused on accuracy and responsiveness in freight execution.

"AI innovations in our real-time visibility solution are designed to improve accuracy and responsiveness across freight execution," said Dan Cicerchi, General Manager, Transportation Management, Descartes. "Even with electronic logging devices (ELD), transportation management system (TMS) connections, and geofencing, brokers and shippers still face manual follow-ups, tracking drops, uncertain arrival events and missing documentation. By applying intelligent agents to these exception workflows, OpsForce eliminates repetitive tasks while connecting brokers and shippers to more carriers, improving data accuracy, strengthening customer satisfaction and accelerating order to cash cycles with no action required from their people."

Network data

OpsForce is delivered through Descartes MacroPoint, Descartes' real-time visibility product. MacroPoint connects to hundreds of thousands of carriers and logistics service providers, along with millions of individual drivers.

The Global Logistics Network provides the underlying infrastructure. Descartes describes it as a source of "trusted, clean and formatted network intelligence" processed in real time as shipments move. In practice, the value of AI-driven workflow tools in this area often depends on the quality and consistency of event data across many parties.

Ken Wood, EVP Product Management at Descartes, said demand is growing for trusted, real-time data as organisations expand their AI strategies.

"As customers expand their own AI strategies, the need for large volumes of trusted, real-time inter-enterprise data becomes even more critical," said Wood. "The GLN delivers that data at scale, connecting hundreds of thousands of trading partners and continuously processing real-world transactions to keep goods moving efficiently and securely. By combining agentic AI with the reach and collective intelligence of the GLN, we're helping customers automate execution while strengthening the data foundation that powers smarter supply chain decisions."

Descartes said OpsForce is aimed at organisations managing complex supply chains across multiple parties and transport modes, where tracking compliance and customer visibility requirements often vary by shipper and lane. It also pointed to automated workflows as a way to improve compliance with visibility mandates and reduce time spent chasing updates and paperwork.

Further updates are expected to expand the range of exceptions handled automatically and increase the number of carriers and drivers connected through MacroPoint as Descartes grows usage of the Global Logistics Network.