Alvys Unveils AI Agents for Freight TMS Workflows

Freight software provider Alvys is stepping into the burgeoning field of generative AI with the launch of Alvys Foundry, a platform designed to empower carriers and brokers by automating a wide array of operational tasks directly within their existing transportation management system (TMS). This innovative platform supports both pre-built and custom AI agents that seamlessly integrate with freight data and workflows already housed within the TMS, promising a significant shift from AI as a mere analytical tool to AI as an active executor of critical business functions.

Alvys Foundry boasts an impressive library of over 20 pre-built AI agent templates, covering a spectrum of essential logistics operations. However, the platform’s true power lies in its extensibility. Customers are not limited to these templates; they can develop their own bespoke agents or collaborate with Alvys engineers to craft and configure agents tailored to their unique operating procedures and specific pain points.

From AI Assistance to Autonomous Execution

The core promise of Alvys Foundry is to transform AI from a supportive function into an autonomous force capable of executing defined steps within complex freight workflows. This includes a comprehensive suite of operational areas such as detention processing, meticulous document handling, rigorous rate audits, proactive shipment tracking, essential asset compliance management, and efficient claims resolution. By automating these functions, Alvys aims to free up human capital to focus on higher-value strategic decision-making and customer engagement.

To illustrate, the Alvys Detention Agent is engineered to proactively identify instances where detention time has been exceeded and subsequently initiate the necessary filing process. The Document Intelligence agent streamlines the laborious task of reading and filing crucial documents like rate confirmations, bills of lading, and proofs of delivery. Meanwhile, the Track & Trace Agent automates routine check calls and disseminates shipment status updates, keeping all stakeholders informed in real-time.

Beyond these specific examples, other pre-built templates address critical functions like invoice verification through a Rate Audit Agent, ensuring regulatory adherence with an Asset Compliance agent that manages authority, insurance, and safety records, and expediting the claims process with a dedicated Claims Agent for opening and documenting cases.

A significant innovation within Foundry is its ability to democratize workflow automation. Customers are not necessarily required to possess deep programming expertise. Alvys enables operators to upload existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or simply describe a desired task in plain language. Foundry then intelligently generates a corresponding workflow for review and approval, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for AI-driven automation.

Before full deployment on live freight operations, these AI agents undergo rigorous testing against simulated data, ensuring accuracy and reliability. Once deployed, operators maintain granular control through the Foundry platform, with capabilities to build, deploy, monitor, and even pause agents as needed, offering a robust management layer.

Alvys CEO Nick Darman elaborated on the strategic rationale behind Foundry’s development, stating that the company observed a trend of customers adopting AI tools across their freight operations. He noted that some implementations, however, introduced additional, disparate tools and login credentials, failing to integrate effectively into existing operational frameworks. Foundry seeks to rectify this by embedding AI execution directly within the existing TMS ecosystem.

It’s important to note that Alvys already leverages AI across its TMS. Features like “Insights” provide critical data on loads, lanes, and margins, while “Intel” proactively issues alerts for potential disruptions like weather events or cargo theft. Another existing AI feature automates load creation from uploaded rate confirmations. Foundry builds upon this foundation by introducing agents capable of executing approved tasks within configured, AI-driven workflows.

Foundry’s operational efficiency is rooted in its integration with the existing Alvys TMS infrastructure. This infrastructure boasts over 120 integrations and native electronic data interchange (EDI) connections with hundreds of shippers, granting the AI agents immediate access to a rich operational context. This includes vital information such as historical lane performance, customer-specific rules, crucial documents, margin data, appointment schedules, and exception reporting.

“We possess the deep freight context, and we understand your lanes intrinsically,” Darman emphasized, highlighting the platform’s advantage. He further underscored the operational and economic benefits of keeping agents within the existing platform, thereby eliminating the need for maintaining separate integrations and managing multiple login credentials.

In terms of security and compliance, Alvys assures that Foundry operates on a SOC 2-compliant security foundation. Furthermore, their agreements with model providers are specifically designed to prevent customer data from being utilized for training public AI models, thereby safeguarding proprietary information.

The Foundry platform also incorporates an advanced Agent Shield governance layer. This feature empowers operators to establish specific approval and spending thresholds for individual agents. For actions with higher potential impact, the system can be configured to require human sign-off. Critically, all agent decisions, executed actions, and any manual overrides are meticulously recorded within an immutable audit trail, ensuring transparency and accountability.

To optimize resource utilization and avoid vendor lock-in, Foundry includes a sophisticated model-selection system. This system intelligently routes tasks between various large language models (LLMs) based on dynamic factors such as cost, processing speed, and the required quality of output. This approach is designed to actively manage computing costs and ensure workflow resilience by not tying operations to a single AI model provider.

AI Agents Expand Across Freight Workflows

The adoption of agentic AI for operational freight tasks is not unique to Alvys. Industry leaders like C.H. Robinson have been actively deploying similar technologies. In a recent disclosure, the prominent freight broker revealed the deployment of over 30 AI agents that collectively have executed millions of tasks previously handled manually.

Mark Albrecht, vice president of artificial intelligence at C.H. Robinson, succinctly defined the paradigm shift: “Agentic AI doesn’t just analyze or generate content; it acts autonomously to achieve goals like a human would.” This statement encapsulates the move from passive AI capabilities to active, goal-oriented automation.

Illustrative examples from C.H. Robinson include an agent capable of processing more than 10,000 emailed pricing requests daily. This agent autonomously reads incoming requests, retrieves pricing information from the company’s internal system, and dispatches a response. Another agent is tasked with ingesting load tenders and their associated attachments, systematically converting this information into actionable orders within the TMS.

Similarly, Uber Freight has embedded AI agents into its transportation management software. The company announced that as of May 2025, it had deployed over 30 agents automating a broad range of work across procurement, shipment execution, tracking, payments, and analytics. This indicates a comprehensive embrace of AI-driven automation across their logistics operations.

Uber Freight’s stated objective is to elevate its TMS beyond a mere system of record, transforming it into a proactive platform. Their vision involves automating repetitive operational tasks and providing intelligent guidance to users throughout transportation processes. The long-term goal is to transition the TMS from simply recording logistics data to actively orchestrating and optimizing workflows.

Alvys’ strategic decision to embed agentic AI directly within its TMS, rather than through a separate automation layer, aligns with this trend. This approach simplifies deployment and enhances the seamless integration of AI into daily operations. Customers can initiate their AI journey with pre-built agents, leverage Alvys engineers for custom configurations, or develop their own sophisticated workflows on the Foundry platform.

Spartan Carrier Group is among the early adopters of Alvys Foundry. Founder and CEO Carlos M. Llanes Jr. highlighted the platform’s impact, stating that it is instrumental in reducing manual freight work, thereby allowing employees to concentrate on critical judgment calls and delivering superior customer service.

The launch of Alvys Foundry follows a significant $40 million Series B funding round in September 2023, led by RTP Global. Reports indicate that the company has now raised a total of $77 million. Alvys also disclosed that its platform currently manages over $9 billion in freight annually, underscoring its significant market presence and the scale of operations it supports.

Alvys is employing a phased rollout strategy for Foundry, introducing it through carefully selected customer cohorts rather than an immediate, unrestricted general release. This approach allows for focused implementation, feedback collection, and continuous refinement. Reports suggest that the initial cohort was filled rapidly after Alvys presented the platform at a customer advisory board meeting on June 17, and a waitlist is now open for the second cohort.