Over the past 20 and even 10 years, there has been a massive shift in the way the transportation industry has utilized technology both in and out of the truck.
For evidence, one doesn’t need to look too much further than CJ Karman’s story. Karman is the founder and CEO of Ezlogz, but he put in years behind the wheel during a time when technology was used very differently than in 2023.
“When I started in the industry as a driver in 2007, we didn’t use navigation systems like today. We had bills of lading that had directions on them, atlases and pay phones,” Karman said.
Observing 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 he became an entrepreneur.
In 2014, Karman began working on a side project that would launch as an app called Ezlogz two years later. Originally, Ezlogz wasn’t an ELD. It was a digital logbook that drivers could use instead of paper logs, equipped with a filing system for bills of lading and international fuel tax agreement reporting features.
As the industry shifted to require ELDs in all trucks, in 2019 Ezlogz, too, transitioned to full-fledged ELD.
Today, Ezlogz is something more. Providing both hardware and software as a solution, Ezlogz is an all-in-one fleet management system, ELD and asset-tracking solution. It also offers dashcams with real-time monitoring alerts of risky events and driver behaviors and even a load board that also allows companies to reliably and securely access volume.
“Things have drastically changed, and you have to stay on top of where things are headed by constantly adapting,” Karman said.
Now, Ezlogz has taken another step, becoming the first company to integrate EzChatAI machine learning into an ELD.
AI leading the next wave of innovation
Meet Stacy, your new co-pilot.
Stacy speaks every language, reminds you of your appointments, tells you the best routes as well as the weather, and can answer any one of your questions about hours of service, regulations and company policies. And — watch out — 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 for AI dispatching.
“Through the type of data coming in, the system will understand driver behavior and even emotions,” Karman said. “It takes in parameters like how the driver reacts, what time of the day and how the driver communicates with the system. The system will be able to learn the driver’s pattern of behavior.”
Stacy acts like a safety assistant and can offer different interactions based on the experience of the driver. These levels include:
- Basic: This is suitable for driver trainees who do not know about hours of service. The system helps drivers every step of the way and teaches based on data collected from 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 the rest break.
- Intermediate: This level of interaction is suitable for an individual who understands hours of service and has a better grasp of how to use an ELD. The AI assistant offers recommendations, tips 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 each day, Karman sees it becoming increasingly relevant in logistics and transportation. He believes embracing it, just as it has adopted technology innovations in recent years, will help businesses continue to optimize and remain resilient amid the rapidly changing pace of technology.
“I believe AI will be bigger than dot-com and the logistics industry will change drastically in the next 12 months,” Karman said. “People that are integrating with AI will be able to significantly save money and move ahead of others that are not looking at AI as a promising tool for the industry.”
To learn more about Ezlogz, click here.
Explore the possibilities of AI integration with ELDs on EzChatAI’s website.