Jim and Jourdan Hansen are embracing the future. The brothers behind Jimbo & Company Transport in Middlebury say they have decided to put AI to work for them.
Far from being swayed by recent trends and tech industry buzzwords, the pair are early adopters. They started using artificial intelligence, although in a smaller way, five years ago.
“It’s grown significantly since then,” said President & CEO Jim Hansen. “Initially it was just creating the load board for the drivers, and then we fed off that. Our whole company runs off that load board. So as you’ve got that data (the AI) starts to read it and put things together. Once you have the data, you can start issuing commands and then it pretty much knows what you’re doing.”
Hansen says the A.I. is taking care of small and tedious tasks formerly handled by office staff, such as calculating payroll or tracking driver habits. It also helps track driver safety.
“Before, we would have to check to make sure that the driver was legal to take [a shipment],” Hansen said. “Now, it’s telling us, ‘Hey, this guy is able to take this, or he’s not able to take this.’ It’s giving us red flags right away.”
Hansen says the newfound efficiency from the A.I. creates a trickle-down effect. Quicker order processing and quicker driver means quicker deliveries and an expanding business with more opportunities for growth.
“Getting the order placed with us, to picking it up from the factory to put I our yard, to getting the paperwork done on our end, to getting a driver used to be a two-day process,” Hansen said. “Now you can get it done in half a day, and that guy’s on the road.”
The next frontier for the A.I. has to do with optimizing a driver’s time and earning potential.
“A lot of stuff that we’re currently working on is trying to figure out where you’re at and then what do we have available,” Hansen said. “Say a guy delivers in Missouri, there might be something in Missouri and it’s letting him know, ‘Hey, there’s a unit in Missouri if you want it.’”
While some are concerned about A.I. and the disruption it’s already causing, Hansen has a more optimistic view.
“A.I. doesn’t have to be a scary tool,” Hansen said. “It actually can be helpful… Don’t be afraid of it taking away jobs. I would say embrace it – learn it. You can utilize it. It’s a tool to use. You’re not going to get away from having a human anytime soon.”
Jimbo & Company Transport hired outside experts to build a custom A.I. for the processes they need. To maintain a competitive edge, Hansen did not disclose the name of the programs used.
James says using A.I. has helped the company save on overhead, allowing them to put resources into expansion. Jimbo & Company Transport plans to add 100 contractors during the second quarter.
James is sharing credit with his younger brother, Jourdan, who serves as the company’s Vice President and COO. Jourdan’s future-focused approach to tech has helped the brothers’ business stay ahead of the curve.
“He has a lot of the creativity. He wants us to be on that [A.I.] bandwagon,” Jim said. “Some people can’t grow out of the old school ways, but eventually we do get rid of the pay phone. If you don’t grow with it, eventually it won’t be there for you.”
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