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Workers at Echo Global Logistics. (Echo Global Logistics)

Freight brokers and third-party logistics providers generally have been embracing the latest advances in artificial intelligence while continuing to emphasize the value of human expertise and connections with customers in an industry built on trust.

As part of Transport Topics’ 2026 Top 100 Logistics Companies survey, many of the largest 3PLs in North America outlined how they are incorporating AI into their operations and shared their perspectives on this technology’s impact on the freight business.

Nearly all the companies that participated in this portion of the questionnaire have already integrated some form of AI into their business processes, but respondents were at different stages of implementing capabilities ranging from classical machine learning to generative and agentic AI.

The most frequently cited AI tools that 3PLs are using today include systems to enhance shipment visibility, freight pricing intelligence, data analytics, document processing, workflow automation, route optimization and automated communications.

While acknowledging the efficiency gains that AI can unlock, many respondents reiterated the enduring importance of human judgment and the central role of customer relationships in the freight transportation business.

The following comments are excerpts from survey responses provided by a diverse set of large and midsized 3PL operators:

“Things that happen thousands of times a day can be totally automated and done flawlessly. We’ve made significant investments in our system and look forward to integrating new AI capabilities as our industry advances.” — Echo Global Logistics

“Our focus remains on augmenting human expertise with better insights and automation so our teams can deliver greater value at scale. AI will continue to shift freight transportation from reactive execution to predictive and automated network coordination. Advances in disruption prediction, pricing intelligence and capacity matching will improve efficiency and reliability across the ecosystem. Equally important, intelligent communication automation will reduce friction by accelerating information flow and improving transparency between shippers, brokers and carriers. As routine interactions become automated, transportation professionals will be better positioned to focus on relationship management, exception resolution and strategic decision-making. The organizations that succeed will be those that combine AI-driven efficiency with human expertise and trust — the foundation of this industry.” — Jason Roberts, senior vice president of digital enablement, Mode Global

See the 2026 Top 100 rankings

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►Top 100 3PLs Adapt to Market
►How AI Is Transforming Logistics
►Map: Where the Top 100 Are
►Armstrong: 3PLs Navigated Volatility in 2025
►Logistics Firms Embrace AI
►3PLs Hopeful for Market Recovery
►Tariffs Continue to Drive Volatility
►Logistics Results Mixed in 2025

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Sector Rankings
Freight Brokerage | Dedicated
Dry Storage Warehousing
Refrigerated Warehousing
Ocean Freight | Airfreight

“We expect AI to materially change freight transportation over the coming years across several dimensions. … Overall, we view AI as a force multiplier for our people rather than a replacement, enabling our teams to spend more time on strategic problem-solving and customer collaboration while routine, repetitive tasks are increasingly automated.” — PLS Logistics Services

“We are seeing a mad rush to implement AI across all verticals, often poorly. It is obvious that everyone knows they need AI, but few understand how to use it well. … At Atlantic Logistics, we do not believe machines will ever replace humans. When the dust settles, companies that use AI to enhance the human experience will be chosen over those who make the ‘KPI the target,’ simply because we are doing business the right way. We will continue prioritizing our customers’ needs, and we are excited to use tools like AI to better interpret and anticipate them. Operational efficiency is just the icing on the cake.” — Rad Ekkawi, business analyst, Atlantic Logistics

“In the freight transportation industry, AI is separating two classes of logistics operators: those managing freight through dashboards, and those deploying autonomous workflow orchestration where AI absorbs the volume and humans focus on relationships, exceptions and strategy.” — Dave Kiesling, group vice president of transportation, Kenco

“Artificial intelligence has become difficult to ignore in freight transportation, but its value depends entirely on how intentionally it is applied. … Our philosophy is simple. Technology must operate in service of people. AI is a tool, not a decision-maker. It should enhance clarity, not replace accountability.” — RGL Logistics

“This is a road we have to venture down to stay competitive in the market and increase productivity. I think AI functionality will continue to assist in handling repetitive, non-value-added tasks in the future and allow people to focus on exceptions and relationships with customers and carriers. I think some will go too far with AI automation and eventually have to scale back as our business does seem to flourish with a certain degree of human interaction.” — Don Kolczak, CFO, M2 Logistics

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“Looking ahead, AI will meaningfully change freight transportation by making operations more proactive instead of reactive by surfacing risks earlier, accelerating decisions and improving coordination across carriers, facilities and shippers. The leaders will be the organizations that pair AI with strong operators, clear standards and a people-first culture. That’s how you get measurable performance, at scale.” — Adam Newsome, CEO, Lazer Logistics

“There is no doubt that a lower cost to serve for transportation providers needs to have a significant AI component, as traditional employee bases and burden costs preclude many from lowering those costs materially without the use of AI automation tools.” — Shannon Breen, CEO, FreightVana

“With margin erosion continuing to be a trend, the focus is on lower cost to serve. We plan on improving and deploying [AI for] more tasks once proven in a sandbox environment. Long term, we expect AI to be woven into every aspect of the business.” — Transportation One

“In 2026, we are focused on ‘closing the loop’ — enabling our AI agents not just to recommend actions (like rescheduling a late load) but to execute them autonomously within pre-set guardrails. We believe the future of logistics is not just about visibility, but about automated resolution.” — Loadsmart

“We will not use AI to replace current members of our team, however, we will carefully continue to build an integrated AI stack that positions us to grow revenue per employee without linear head count increases.” — Kingsgate Logistics

“We’ve made AI a floor-level tool, not a back-office experiment. In our warehouses, vision systems monitor busy zones like docks and case pick aisles and send risk rated clips when policies are breached, which helps us reduce high-risk behaviors and coach teams faster. At the same time, temperature analytics run continuously in the background; when patterns suggest early drift, we address it before product quality is challenged. We’re now expanding AI into predictive maintenance for refrigeration — targeting fewer unplanned outages — as well as labor and slotting support for the high-volume store support work our retail and food service customers rely on. In short, AI that prevents problems and preserves product is the AI we scale.” — Mike Spires, chief information officer, Americold

“The goal is not to replace people but to remove repetitive friction so teams can focus on higher value judgment.” — Sage Freight

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A logistics broker at Sage Freight. (Sage Freight)

“Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool across the freight and logistics industry. At Transervice Logistics and Lily Transportation, our approach to AI is practical, disciplined and purpose-driven — focused on improving execution, visibility and decision-making, not replacing people or relationships.” — Transervice Logistics/Lily Transportation

“In 2025, our focus was on data aggregation and building the infrastructure to support future AI initiatives and also in support of internal stakeholder teams. In 2026 and beyond, our strategy involves reviewing where it makes sense to partner or build our own technology.” — Chris Haarmeyer, chief technology officer, FreightWise and Kuebix

“Across the freight transportation industry, AI will not replace human expertise but will augment it, enabling faster responses to disruption, more efficient asset utilization, and smarter network design.” — Thyssenkrupp Supply Chain Services

“With people being at the core of who we are, any AI adoption we seek in the future will aim to enhance our people’s performance rather than replace it.” — Total Distribution Solutions

“Over time, we expect AI to play a significant role in improving visibility, efficiency and operational performance across the freight transportation industry.” — AJC Logistics

“AI is here to stay, and we’re actively exploring ways to incorporate it into our business to help operate more safely and efficiently. … The most successful companies in our industry will be the ones that use AI to augment human expertise rather than replace it. Transportation is still fundamentally a relationship-driven business that requires judgment, experience and problem solving. AI will make the industry smarter and more efficient, but the human element will remain critical to delivering service and building trusted partnerships with customers.” — Russell Thorp, vice president of sales, TA Dedicated