The next wave of ELD innovation is here and its artificial intelligence

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves

Over the past 20 and even 10 years, there has been a huge shift in how the transportation industry has used technology both in and out of the truck.

For evidence, one needn’t look too far beyond the CJ Karman story. Karman is the founder and CEO of Ezlogz, but he spent years behind the wheel at a time when technology was being used very differently than it was in 2023.

When I started in the business as a driver in 2007, we didn’t use navigation systems like we do today. We had bills of lading with directions on them, atlases and payphones, Karman said.

Seeing that the logistics industry was 25 years behind in software development, Karman decided to do something about it. He traded his time in the truck to work in an office as a broker, and then became an entrepreneur.

In 2014, Karman started working on a side project that would launch as an app called Ezlogz two years later. Originally, Ezlogz was not an ELD. It was a digital logbook that drivers could use instead of paper logs, featuring a filing system for bills of lading and reporting capabilities for the International Fuel Tax Agreement.

As the industry transitioned to requiring ELD on all trucks, Ezlogz also transitioned to full-fledged ELD in 2019.

Today, Ezlogz is something more. Providing both hardware and software as a solution, Ezlogz is an all-in-one fleet management, ELD and asset tracking solution. It also offers dashcams with real-time monitoring alerts of risky events and driver behaviors, and even a load card that also allows businesses to access volume reliably and securely.

Things have changed drastically and you have to keep up with things by constantly adapting, Karman said.

Now, Ezlogz has taken it one step further, becoming the first company to integrate EzChatAI machine learning into an ELD.

Artificial intelligence drives the next wave of innovation

Meet Stacy, your new co-pilot.

Stacy speaks all languages, reminds you of your appointments, tells you the best routes and the weather, and can answer any of your questions about operating hours, regulations and company policies. And be careful, she can issue warnings when you break the rules.

Stacy is the name of EzChatAI’s artificial intelligence solution. EzChatAI, also founded by Karman, has the potential to integrate with all ELDs, but Ezlogz is the first. Karman also said it could integrate with TMSs, opening the door to AI delivery.

Through the type of incoming data, the system will understand driver behavior and even emotions, Karman said. He takes in parameters like how the driver reacts, what time of day and how the driver communicates with the system. The system will be able to learn the behavior pattern of drivers.

Stacy acts as a safety assistant and can offer different interactions based on the driver’s experience. These levels include:

• Basic: This is suitable for trainee drivers who do not know the working hours. The system helps drivers every step of the way and teaches based on data collected by the engine control module and dashcam. It provides recommendations, for example, where to stop for an upcoming rest break and explains why the driver needs to take a rest break.
• Intermediate: This level of interaction is suitable for an individual who understands hours of service and has a better understanding of how to use an ELD. The AI ​​Assistant offers tips, tricks, and troubleshooting assistance.
• Advanced: The advanced setting allows drivers to ask the system higher-level questions related to hours of service, safety compliance, pre- and post-trip inspections, and more.

As AI continues to advance every day, Karman sees it becoming more and more relevant in logistics and transportation. He believes embracing it, just as he has embraced technological innovations in recent years, will help companies continue to optimize and remain resilient in the rapidly changing pace of technology.

I believe AI will be bigger than dot-coms and the logistics industry will change dramatically in the next 12 months, Karman said. People who are integrating with AI will be able to save significantly and get ahead of others who don’t see AI as a promising tool for the industry.

To learn more about Ezlogz, click here.

Explore the possibilities of integrating AI with ELDs on the EzChatAI website.