Innovators: U.S. Xpress technology propels success through driver satisfaction

CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Editor Jason Cannon at jasoncannon@randallreilly.com or 800-633-5953.

Since IBM’s Deep Blue computer defeated renowned chess player Garry Kasparov over 20 years ago, it stands to reason that artificial intelligence one day might gain enough ground to master the sometimes hair-pulling unpredictable twists and turns of daily truck driving.

According to Variant President Cameron Ramsdell, it has. For the past year, Variant, an Atlanta-based subsidiary of U.S. Xpress (CCJ Top 250, No. 15), has enjoyed a reduction in driver turnover and an uptick in freight efficiency thanks to a route planning program the company developed called Optimizer.

Ramsdell credits Optimizer for more effectively scheduling loads while providing drivers with more miles on the road and more on-time arrivals at home.

“I look at the Optimizer as a significant enabler of our strategy and our success,” said Ramsdell, who was chief technology officer at Coyote Logistics before joining Variant last year to head Optimizer’s development. “Variant, at its core, is really technologically-centric, a digitally native fleet.”

The homepage of Variant’s website makes it clear that the company is focusing on driver satisfaction through technology. New Freightliner Cascadias are paired up with auxiliary power units (APUs) and virtual dashboards that connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Photos and descriptions of its home office in Atlanta recall a creative Silicon Valley think tank in design and culture. But it’s Variant Optimizer that gets top billing on the site, as it courts prospective drivers with a system that “only makes plans that make sense. And it’s always updating to get you more miles and better loads.”

When compared to industry averages, Variant reports that its drivers get 20% more miles per week and 10% more pay.