Ryan Transportation, a leading freight brokerage and logistics management firm, has gone live with Qued Inc.’s automated load appointment scheduling software, joining a growing list of top 50 third-party logistics providers leveraging Qued’s tools to significantly increase staff productivity and reduce errors and delays in scheduling and securing truck pickup appointments for shippers.

Earlier this year, Qued launched its SaaS-based smart AI workflow management software platform that transforms load appointment scheduling for 3PLs and carriers. Following an initial test period, Ryan Transportation last month fully implemented the automation tools within its McLeod transportation management system. Qued is a certified integration partner with McLeod Software.

“We are proud and excited to have Ryan Transportation join this third wave of leading 3PLs to adopt Qued’s AI-driven appointment scheduling platform,” said Prasad Gollapalli, Qued’s chief executive. “We welcome their confidence and support, and their continued feedback to improve and refine the platform’s functionality and value by eliminating error-prone and time-wasting manual tasks.”

For nationally-recognized Ryan, implementing Qued’s automation tools means far less manual data entry, faster, more accurate scheduling and appointment confirmation, increased customer confidence, improved carrier engagement and productivity gains for its team of brokers on the floor, noted Jeff Henderson, senior vice president, Ryan Transportation.

“Prior to having the automated system, it was pretty much a tedious manual task, where our brokers, for example, would have to log into a portal, access a third-party app, or even send an email to request an appointment, and then wait for a return,” he said.

Qued’s application replaces those manual steps, using AI-enabled software to streamline and accelerate the appointment scheduling process, added Connor Jumps, Ryan Transportation’s director of sales.

“Once the load is built in our system, a message is generated in Qued, which reaches out to the shipper’s or other party’s system,” he explained. “It then secures the appointment and returns a confirmation, which is automatically captured in our system.” That information is then circulated to Ryan’s carrier base for them to accept the load.

And with Qued already integrated with Ryan’s McLeod TMS, training was minimal and user adoption rapid. “Our team already knew their way around the screens in our operating system; using Qued required nothing more from a process perspective then clicking on a few extra boxes or doing something slightly different in screens they were already familiar with,” he noted.

Henderson added that “best of breed” third-party automation tools like Qued “absolutely fit into our larger technology strategy. We want our people focused on tasks and duties that are more complex and require intuitive skill, experience and response unique to the customer. So, we want to automate as much of the more manual, tedious workflow as we can. In that way they are more productive and have more time to focus on what drives the most value for our customers and carrier partners.”

“Ryan Transportation is demonstrating a strategic approach to technology that first and foremost is focused on customers and improving the quality and efficiency of its interactions with them,” observed Tom Curee, Qued’s president. “At the same time, it is helping its operations team be more productive and responsive. That’s a proven recipe for success and service differentiation in a highly competitive market.”