This isn't just an inconvenience. It's a usability barrier that's turning logistics professionals from strategic decision-makers into system operators. But with conversational AI starting to power logistics interfaces, soon a simple request for a container’s location will no longer involve a multi-platform goose chase, reliant on limited intelligence and outdated information.
The hidden cost of complex interfaces
Traditional logistics platforms were designed in an era when data access was a privilege, not an expectation. These systems prioritised functionality over usability, creating interfaces that require extensive training, institutional knowledge and technical proficiency.
This fragmentation doesn't just waste time. It creates information silos that prevent teams from collaborating effectively, increases the risk of errors, and limits the strategic value that logistics professionals can deliver.
From searching to asking
Rather than forcing users to work with rigid system architectures, Fluent Cargo’s AI tool Ask Fluent allows customers to get straight to the point.
Requests like, "where's my container?" which previously involved a multi-step research project, become one question. The AI can aggregate information across multiple systems, interpret context, and enable follow-up questions that mirror natural human dialogue.
After learning about a potential delay, a user can immediately ask, "What alternative routes are available?" or "How will this impact my delivery commitment?" without needing to navigate to different modules.
This streamlined approach to navigating cargo tracking is fast, accurate, and a reliable way to monitor shipping activity and respond to disruptions with confidence.
Live tracking with Fluent Cargo’s Vessel Finder
The biggest shift with this adoption of conversational AI in the logistics world is that the technology can provide real-time, contextual information. Using Fluent Cargo’s Vessel Finder tool, a customer can see the vessel location in real-time as it delivers your cargo to its destination. There are accurate schedule forecasts, vessel details, estimated times of arrival and global coverage with no blind spots.
This shift is particularly valuable in today's volatile logistics environment, where geopolitical tensions, regulatory changes, and market fluctuations require rapid responses. Having immediate access to real-time information allows teams to evaluate multiple scenarios quickly and make informed decisions under pressure.
Vessel Finder isn’t limited to specific carriers. If the carrier operated a container vessel, the search tool will be able to find it. This means the technology is not limited to a particular carrier or organisation, and that there is no guesswork involved on the user’s end.
The future doesn’t include a dashboard
The logistics industry has long accepted complex interfaces as inconvenient but necessary. As it continues to develop, AI will give logistics professionals more time to focus on bigger, strategic decisions as the technology takes care of multi-platform tracking. Soon this technology will be applied to all kinds of freight, and logistics professionals will be able to track cargo in real time as it moves across oceans, land and in the air.
This step forward in using AI to power tracking infrastructure is going to quickly become the normal, and is likely to create a ripple effect of changes in the day-to-day workflow of logistics operations.
