Freight, AI Agent & 3PL Glossary

Accessorial charges are fees for services beyond standard pickup and delivery, such as liftgate, detention, layover, or residential delivery.

After-hours freight brokerage call answering keeps a broker desk available outside staffed hours so carrier, shipper, status, and exception calls are captured and routed instead of going to voicemail.

An agentic workflow is a coordinated sequence in which one or more AI agents interpret events, use connected systems, make bounded decisions, take actions, and involve people at defined control points.

An AI agent is software that observes operational context, chooses actions, and uses connected tools to complete a defined goal within rules, authority limits, and human approval requirements.

An AI answering service for trucking handles freight-specific phone intake. Brokers evaluating one should verify that it identifies carrier and shipper callers, captures structured details, and routes each summary to the right broker.

An AI receptionist for owner-operators answers business calls while the driver is on the road. Freight brokers should understand this carrier-side workflow when setting callback expectations and exchanging load details.

Demurrage is a charge for keeping a container or railcar at a port or terminal beyond the allotted free time.

Detention is the charge a carrier bills when a driver is held at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time allowed for loading or unloading.

A dispatch answering service receives calls for a carrier or dispatch office, records operational details, and routes urgent opportunities or exceptions to the right person.

Double brokering is the unauthorized re-brokering of a freight load by a carrier or fraudulent intermediary, exposing the original broker and shipper to theft, unpaid carriers, and insurance gaps.

Drayage is the short-haul movement of containerized freight between a port or rail terminal and a nearby destination.

Freight orchestration is the coordination of people, AI agents, data, and transportation systems across the load lifecycle so work moves between dispatch, carriers, brokers, and customers without losing context.

A freight voice agent is an AI phone agent that answers carrier and shipper calls for a freight brokerage, collects structured load or shipment information, follows brokerage rules, and routes the conversation or summary to the responsible broker.

Human-in-the-loop is a control pattern that requires a person to review, approve, correct, or take over an AI agent’s work at defined points in a workflow.

A load tender is a formal offer of a shipment from a shipper or broker to a carrier, including the lane, dates, equipment, rate, and operating requirements.

An MC (Motor Carrier) number is a federal operating authority number issued by the FMCSA that identifies a carrier or broker.

Missed load-call cost is the revenue and utilization opportunity a carrier loses when a time-sensitive broker call is unanswered and the load is offered to another truck.

A proof of delivery (POD) is the signed document confirming a shipment was received, and is typically required before a broker can invoice the customer.

A workflow guardrail is an explicit rule that limits what an AI agent may decide or do, defines required evidence, and determines when work must pause or escalate to a person.