Terminal Industries Brings Ryder Systems New AI Tech to Optimize Yards

Ryder and Terminal Industries Improve Yard Operations with AI

Terminal Industries Brings Big Improvement to Yard Operations

Ryder System, Inc., a leader in supply chain and transportation services, has partnered with Terminal Industries to improve how warehouse yards operate. Together, they have launched a pilot program that uses advanced technology to make yard management more efficient and accurate. This AI-powered technology has achieved a 99% accuracy rate in identifying trucks and trailers at a Ryder warehouse yard in City of Industry, California.

Why Yard Operations Need Better Technology

Many warehouse yards still use old methods to track important information like license plate numbers and trailer IDs. These manual processes can cause delays and increase costs. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) says that trucks move over 72% of all freight in the United States. This shows how important efficient yard management is. However, Terminal estimates that over 90% of yards don’t have the technology they need to run smoothly, costing the industry billions each year.

How Terminal Industries AI is Helping

The pilot program at Ryder’s California warehouse started in January 2024. It shows how effective Terminal’s AI technology can be. This technology automatically identifies trucks and trailers, replacing the old manual methods. So far, it has processed over 10,000 trucks with 99% accuracy in capturing important data like license plates and DOT numbers.

Karen Jones, Ryder’s CMO, explained the importance of this achievement. She said, “We have not seen this kind of accuracy with computer-vision technology previously. So this is a significant milestone in the race to modernize what is currently a very manual and inefficient process across the industry.”

AI Keeps Getting Better

Terminal’s AI technology doesn’t just work well; it also keeps improving. It uses machine learning to learn from real-world data and gets better over time. This means it can handle challenges like unclear license plates, handwritten DOT numbers, and bad weather, which often cause problems for older systems.

Max Constant, CEO of Terminal, talked about the value of their data: “Most people believe more data is the answer, but it’s really about having the right data – the noisy, real-world data. That’s a major key to developing our core technology, so we can leverage this powerful tool. Not just for one use case but across a broad range of applications to optimize yard operations in ways not yet evident in the industry.”

Expanding the Terminal Industries AI Program

After the success of the first pilot, Ryder and Terminal started another one in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This new pilot uses Terminal’s technology on mobile tablets to automatically track inventory at a Ryder truck rental and maintenance yard. This shows that Terminal’s AI technology can work in different types of yards.

Investing in the Future

Ryder is committed to innovation. This is shown by its venture capital fund, RyderVentures, which helped fund Terminal’s development. Last summer, Terminal raised $31 million in a seed funding round to keep improving its AI for yard management.

Looking Ahead

The logistics industry is changing, and AI will be crucial for companies to stay competitive. Ryder and Terminal’s partnership is a big step forward. By automating yard operations, companies can reduce inefficiencies, cut costs, and provide better service to their customers.

With the success of these programs, Ryder and Terminal are leading the way in transforming yard operations, setting new standards for accuracy, efficiency, and technology.