Circle Logistics: Real-Time Freight Visibility Enhances Customer Service and Boosts Productivity

Using the Descartes MacroPoint™ solution, Circle Logistics provides shipper customers with real-time shipment visibility with over 90% carrier compliance, which enhances customer service and boosts productivity. Leveraging the unsurpassed Descartes MacroPoint network of connected carriers helps increase visibility compliance and ensure the best tracking results for Circle Logistics and its customers.

With 100 trucks and a freight brokerage business that was doubling year over year, Circle Logistics was trying to keep pace with exponential growth. Customer demand for real-time status of freight was also increasing. Plus, without real-time visibility, employees were spending too much time on the phone checking load status. The company realized that, in order to meet rising customer expectations and its commitment of providing no fail service, personalized communication and innovative solutions to upgrade its shipment tracking and monitoring practices were critical. 

"With the Descartes MacroPoint solution, we’ve eliminated check calls thanks to real-time tracking and automated alerts. Now we can keep customers informed about the exact location of their freight at any given moment, and free up our staff to focus on booking more loads. The result is more satisfied customers, more productive employees and continued growth for our company.”

-- Andrew Smith, VP Sales and Operations, Circle Logistics

To address growing customer demand for real-time freight status, Circle Logistics implemented the cloud-based Descartes MacroPoint freight tracking software, which enables the company to view the real-time location, status and updated ETA of every shipment simultaneously.

By closely monitoring and evaluating the real-time movement of all loads via one platform, Circle Logistics can identify potential supply chain disruptions before they occur and make corrections quickly to maintain excellent service. Automated departure, arrival and pre-arrival notifications keep customers apprised of the status of their freight and proactively alert them to any exceptions.

Circle leveraged the extensive Descartes MacroPoint network of connected carriers to accelerate carrier compliance, achieving close to 50% compliance quickly after the solution was implemented. Subsequently, by tying compliance to carrier rep compensation in conjunction with driver training on the solution, the percentage jumped to over 80%. To boost this even further, Circle moved to initiate tracking on the day prior to the shipment date, instead of on the shipment date—pre-planning 12+ hours in advance drove compliance to over 90%. Today, Circle is close to achieving 100% tracking success with a focus on ELD integrations.

Descartes MacroPoint provides multiple ways for carriers to provide tracking data, including using their TMS or telematics connections, or via MacroPoint for Truckers, the most downloaded tracking app of any visibility provider in the market.

Given the pace of Circle’s growth, the solution has also driven important higher value productive time for employees by reducing time-consuming manual check calls with carriers and customers. In addition, optimizing transportation operations with real-time visibility has helped Circle to manage significant volume surges and successfully serve customers by shipping critical medical supplies and groceries across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maximized Carrier Compliance:  By leveraging the Descartes MacroPoint network, business intelligence tools and support, Circle Logistics improved carrier compliance to more than 90% of its loads.

Improved Customer Service: The ability to view, analyze, predict and proactively communicate the status of every shipment in real-time helped the company better manage delivery exceptions and customer expectations.

Increased Productivity:  Real-time monitoring and tracking allowed employees to spend less time on check calls to get updates and more time booking new loads to generate revenue.

Enhanced Agility: During the COVID-19 crisis, Circle Logistics was able to shift its transportation network to manage a 700% increase in volume from customers moving critical freight. Employees tracked the movement of all goods using the Descartes MacroPoint platform while working from home.