What launched as just five trucks and a vision to fundamentally change our industry in June 2019 has recently grown to 1,200 seated tractors powered by the most advanced technology in trucking.
Variant’s fleet is digitally orchestrated by Vector, an ecosystem of interconnected algorithms and services that intake and analyze current and forecasted truck position, telematics data, drivers’ current and forecasted Hours of Service, shippers’ orders, and operational characteristics. It’s also increasingly connected to live freight markets via application programming interfaces (APIs) and other middleware. This tech helps position our Variant trucks strategically to satisfy demand and will also inform future order acceptance, along with each order’s relative impact on the broader network.
Vector automatically reorchestrates our Variant fleet and adapts dynamically to ever-changing events on the road. Speed to react is critical in trucking because you know factors like weather delays, mechanical issues, order changes and delays, and even our own drivers’ behaviors can dramatically impact route scheduling.
Vector also works to eliminate the hassle of idle dwell time and ensures our hard-working drivers get home on the date of their choice. With loads assigned farther out and routes optimized for maximum earning, our Variant drivers enjoy more mileage and paycheck predictability. That means they can count on their earnings, plan for their future, better support their families, and know they’re valued for the incredibly hard work they do.
At Variant, we’re also reengineering driver support and communication by substituting traditional fleet managers with a driver success service center. We’ve staffed this team with specialists who provide personalized, one-on-one, 24/7 support to drivers while they’re out on the road. This, combined with better route scheduling through Vector, leads to increased driver satisfaction and lower turnover rates than the industry average.
And what does all this mean to you? By optimizing your shipments, we can take on more freight and get it delivered accurately and on time. Manual touchpoints can be cumbersome and bog down your team, so through our API connections, freight is tracked from origin to destination resulting in a seamless shipping experience. Also, because we’re improving the driver experience, this means better operational interactions, on-time service, and greater capacity.
The success of Variant is complementary to Xpress Technologies, our freight brokerage segment, which utilizes acquired and purposefully developed technologies to build and scale a digital freight marketplace. Both Variant and Xpress Technologies blend seamlessly with our established U.S. Xpress Dedicated business unit, which services some of the nation’s largest shippers.
Want to learn more about Variant and other U.S. Xpress shipping solutions? Reach out to your sales representative or email us at sales@usxpress.com.
