When 9 PM calls change everything: How the Appian Fleet Assistant maintains fleet operations anytime, anywhere

For dispatchers, the primary mission is clear: find loads, build driver relationships and ensure every team member has the tools to pick up freight safely and deliver it complete. However, while the office lights might go out at 5 PM, the job itself rarely stops.

Without remote access to a TMS or a portable workstation, late-night driver emergencies quickly escalate into personal emergencies for the dispatcher. It is a common industry frustration to find oneself back at the office at midnight simply because a pickup number, gate code or shipper ETA wasn't readily available in the palm of their hand.

To prevent midnight trips, dispatchers often resort to tedious, manual workarounds like printing physical copies of important information and spending countless hours inputting pickup numbers and special instructions into spreadsheets.

Does this sound familiar?

For fleet dispatchers and operations managers, there is no such thing as “after-hours”. A broken down truck or last minute customer request won’t wait for office hours to resume. Solving these has always meant either heading back to the office or spending significant time navigating complex systems from home – until now.

The hidden cost of after-hours operations

The traditional approach to handling fleet those situations carries costs that go beyond inconvenience:

• • • Response time: Every minute spent logging into systems and analyzing options is a minute closer to a missed delivery window

    • Decision quality: Making complex routing decisions under time pressure, without the right tools, increases the risk of costly mistakes

    • Work-life balance: Experienced dispatchers become prisoners of their expertise, always on call because of their knowledge in handling these situations. This is an immense risk for the organization as well. 

    • Knowledge barriers: When senior staff aren't available, junior team members struggle to make confident decisions

A different approach: Intelligence in your pocket

This is where Appian Fleet Assistant changes the game. Instead of a planner having to skip a wedding, put off a vacation or stay tied to their desk, they can pull out their phone, open Fleet Assistant, and simply ask: "Truck 23 broke down with 8 stops remaining. What's our best option?" 

Within seconds, Fleet Assistant analyzes the situation by checking driver assignments, customer requirements, special organizational rules and the response is clear:

"I've found two options:

Option 1: Driver Lisa Martinez is 12 minutes from Truck 23's location, has availability, and her truck has the lift gate needed for Brighton Foods. She can complete all 8 stops and still hit the 5 AM window.

Option 2: Split the route between Lisa (5 stops including Brighton) and James Wong (3 stops), saving 35 minutes total but requiring coordination between two drivers.

I recommend Option 1 for simplicity and reliability. Should I assign these stops to Lisa?"

The planner can then take action right from Fleet Assistant and be on their way. No scrambling for a laptop, no getting back into the car to trudge back to the office, the work is done where they are. 

Human intelligence meets artificial intelligence

We know every fleet isn’t ready for full automation, so Fleet Assistant is designed to be human in the loop. The AI never makes changes on its own, instead offering recommendations and the ability for the planner to review before taking action. The system;

1. 1. 1. Analyzes the situation using real-time data and your operational knowledge

      2. Recommends the best course of action with clear reasoning

      3. Waits for human approval before taking action

This means you get the speed and intelligence of AI with the safety and control of human oversight. You're not replacing dispatcher expertise, you're amplifying it.

What’s different about the Fleet Assistant is that through onboarding, your planners are able to add their own domain knowledge to the fold. If your planner knows something that’s not being represented in the data, the assistant uses that knowledge to ensure the recommendations are accurate moving forward. 

Built for real fleet operations

Appian Fleet Assistant is designed specifically for the challenges of mid-to-large private fleet operations. Key capabilities include:

Mobile-first design: Full functionality on any smartphone or tablet, no app download required. Make critical decisions from anywhere.

Voice commands: Hands-free operation when you're on the move. Just ask questions naturally, like talking to an experienced colleague.

Knowledge preservation: The system learns your operational preferences and customer requirements. Preserve the knowledge your team has gathered over the years and account for it in recommendations and conversations.

Seamless integration: Works alongside your existing Appian Daily Planner or Appian Resource Calendar, no need to replace your current systems.

Getting started

Appian Fleet Assistant is available now for Trimble Transportation & Logistics customers using Appian Daily Planner or Appian Resource Calendar. Implementation is designed to be fast and non-disruptive, with most teams seeing value within the first week.

The next time your phone rings at 9 PM with a fleet emergency, you'll be ready with intelligent assistance right in your pocket.

Want to see Appian Fleet Assistant in action? Contact your Trimble account manager to schedule a demo or learn more at trimble.com/transportation-logistics.