AI Fatigue in Freight: What Brokers Actually Want

76% of freight brokers say they’re betting on tech and automation to scale in 2025, but when it comes to how they feel about AI? That’s a whole different story.

We ran a poll to check the temperature. And let’s just say brokers have commitment issues:

Combining the totals across the two platforms, here are the final results:

Total votes: 821

Some comments delivered the real story: 

• “Married, but definitely in a toxic relationship.” – Anna Bubnova, CtrlChain
• “I’ll never use it to write something another human will read.” – Rob Clemmons, Priority Transportation, Inc. 
• “Before AI, I looked at Excel like a foreign language.” – Avery Stanton, TQL

The vibe is definitely mixed, but underneath it all is a serious question: What role should AI play in freight, and how can brokers use it without feeling like they’re giving up control?

The Real Issue: Trust and Practicality

The hype around AI has been deafening; ChatGPT, predictive analytics, autonomous dispatching, you name it. But a lot of brokers have learned the hard way that not all AI is created equal. Some tools promise to streamline your workflow and end up giving you another inbox to manage.

So it’s not that brokers are anti-tech. They’re just done being burned by tools that don’t fit their real-world processes.

Here’s what brokers are actually asking for:

• ✅ Automation that actually works and doesn’t require a multi-month onboarding process.
• ✅ Tech that integrates with their TMS and accounting stack.
• ✅ More time focused on customer relationships, less on sifting through emails.

That’s where things like document auditing, payment reconciliation, and carrier invoicing become prime targets for AI-driven tools.

The Tech Brokers Are Embracing in 2025

In another FreightCaviar poll, we asked over 170 freight professionals how they plan to scale operations this year. The answer? 76% said tech and automation.

Let’s break it down:

• 38% are investing in new technology (TMS, load boards, CRM platforms).
• 38% are improving existing automation (invoicing, auditing, carrier portals).
• 18% are hiring more people.
• 6% said they’re trying other tactics (diversifying freight mix, entering new markets).

Why this shift? Because the market is tough right now. Volumes are down, margins are tight, and everyone’s being asked to do more with less. If AI or automation can save just a few hours a week per team member, that can make the difference between growth and stagnation.

Brokers need smart tools that work with their teams, not tools that require full-scale transformations or major retraining. 

AI Can’t Replace You. But It Can Help You Scale.

Let’s stop pretending this is a battle between brokers and machines.

The brokers who are winning in 2025 are the ones using AI to reclaim their time, reduce costs, and scale operations without burning out their teams. If your inbox is drowning in paperwork, disputes, and POD follow-ups, maybe it’s time to stop ghosting AI and try something that actually works.

Let’s talk about AI that actually delivers. Epay Manager, powered by OTR Solutions, has one of the most practical AI tools we’ve seen in the back-office space.

Their AI Audit feature uses machine learning to review and classify carrier documents as soon as a load is marked as delivered. That means brokers no longer have to:

• Wait for the carrier to send an invoice.
• Manually verify PODs.
• Email back and forth to fix paperwork issues.

Instead, the system generates a pre-built invoice and flags anything that needs attention. Brokers can review at a glance or trust the system to approve what checks out.

The Results Speak for Themselves:

• 98% reduction in billing inaccuracies.
• 3x to 5x increase in invoices processed per team member.
• 50% cut in back-office costs for brokerages using Epay Manager.

It’s practical. It’s freight-specific. And best of all? It doesn’t require brokers to change everything to get the benefit.

Humans Still Run the Show

Epay isn’t selling a future where bots run brokerages; quite the opposite.

Their whole approach is: Let AI handle the repeatable tasks so your team can handle the relationships, problem-solving, and growth.

They’re not trying to take humans out of the picture. They’re trying to get humans out of email chains, manual verifications, and invoice disputes.

Coming Soon: Something Big at TIA

If you’re attending TIA 2025, make sure you catch Epay Manager’s announcement at Media Day on April 9.

We can’t say much yet, but we can say this: It’s built for brokers and carriers who want automation that just works. No major tech investments. No heavy integrations. No massive changes to your current process.

FreightCaviar will be covering it in an upcoming podcast episode. So, if you’re curious about what’s next in freight tech, keep an ear out.