Navigating the AI Hype: Optimal Dynamics’ Takeaways from the First McLeod AI Conference

Artificial intelligence has become inescapable in recent years, but there have been more AI-related headlines than practical applications in the trucking and transportation space.

As one of the firms that has successfully leveraged AI to solve complex logistics challenges, Optimal Dynamics was a guest at the first McLeod AI Conference, an invitation-only event designed to help harness AI ideas and provide direction for the industry. 

The event took place on Feb. 28 in Birmingham, Ala., and our team was energized by the conversations. See below for a recap of what our team members experienced at McLeod’s AI Conference, plus a gallery of images from the event. If you want to be a part of continuing the conversation from our time together in Birmingham, register to join our webinar (co-hosted with McLeod) on Industrial AI in Trucking.

Moving Beyond AI as Just a Buzzword

The event featured a small but focused group of representatives from across the trucking and transportation landscape. Invitees included mostly carriers, but there was also a select group of invitees from technology providers like Optimal Dynamics.

While the industry remains in a stage of defining practical applications for AI, there was a collective focus on moving beyond AI as simply a buzzword and painting a clearer picture of what AI in trucking and transportation could look like in the years to come.

Impressions From the Event

This event served as a launch point for an ongoing dialogue that will take place in the coming months and years. AI has been such a prominent topic recently that skepticism and fatigue are already setting in among those who may not fully understand what it is — or how it can transform their work.

At Optimal Dynamics, our platform is one of few that is already leveraging AI to automate processes and empower users to do more with their time. Our early success with AI for decisioning within truckload operations earned our platform a showcase during a presentation on effective applications that are using AI. This mention underscores our leadership in applying decision intelligence to the trucking and transportation field. Examples of AI in technology already on the market were the exception rather than the rule at the event, which meant that many of the sessions focused on understanding AI basics like generative AI, ChatGPT, and other large language models (LLMs). Having been at this for 40 years, we promise to keep providing materials to further educate the industry.

Shout out to Jesse Buckingham, co-founder of Vooma, not only for their use of AI in automated order entry, but for understanding where the industry is on the AI learning curve and simply breaking it into understandable categories and applications like decisions and tasks. This session highlighted the need for effective messaging around the practical applications of AI so that dispatchers, fleet managers, and other transportation professionals fully understand how AI can supercharge their day-to-day productivity and effectiveness. 

Looking Forward: The Road Ahead for AI in Trucking

There’s much to be excited about regarding the future of AI in the trucking industry, particularly in dispatch operations. This field has long relied on manual processes, experience, and intuition to drive decision-making. As users of Optimal Dynamics are discovering, AI-powered Decision Intelligence gives them the ability to supplement valuable experience with data-driven insights that help them make fast, confident decisions that positively impact the bottom line.

The Optimal Dynamics team looks forward to the next McLeod AI Conference, when we can gather again to reflect on the progress that’s been made over the course of the year — while also discussing the next steps in using AI to streamline operations across the trucking and transportation landscape.

In the meantime, Optimal Dynamics is committed to answering AI-related questions and clearing up confusion. One conference attendee asked, “Isn’t AI just math?” We’re looking forward to diving into this provocative question and many others in our upcoming McLeod & Optimal Dynamics webinar. Join Doug Schrier, VP of Growth & Special Projects at McLeod, and Daniel Powell, CEO at Optimal Dynamics, as they continue the conversation that started in Birmingham. Register now for: Industrial AI in Trucking: Answers to Your Industry Questions.