C.H. Robinson, a global leader in AI-driven supply chain solutions, has announced a major technological enhancement to its Drop Trailer Plus program with the introduction of the Asset Management System (AMS), which is now live.
In essence, AMS is a technology layer that exists inside Robinson’s Navisphere operating system to manage telematics data and analyze network performance in Robinson’s Drop Trailer Plus program. Not only can brokers see basic metrics like loaded and unloaded trailers at a site, but they can also analyze dwell and turns, providing insights into asset utilization.
Drop trailers, often referred to as “drop and hook,” play a crucial role in the freight ecosystem. These trailers allow carriers to leave them at shipper facilities, enabling flexible loading and unloading. This system offers significant advantages, such as reducing wait times for trucks and facilitating more strategic transportation planning. In fact, drop trailers constitute nearly 50% of the truckload market. However, they come with inherent challenges, including the complexity of managing assets, a shortage of real-time visibility, and the need for manual data entry.
C.H. Robinson’s AMS addresses these challenges head-on by integrating GPS technology and real-time operational and inventory data into a single platform. This innovative system effectively transforms the company’s trailers into “intelligent assets,” providing shippers with unprecedented control and clarity. According to Robinson’s release, “No other provider offers this combination of scale and the cutting-edge analytics and visibility added through the new AMS.”
Adam McDonough, C.H. Robinson’s vice president of Truckload and Intermodal, spoke to FreightWaves about AMS.
“When you think about dynamic trailer pool optimization, integration of telematics and maintenance and repair vendors—both roadside and onsite—creates an ecosystem that allows you to run a disciplined operation,” McDonough said.
Among the many benefits of AMS is its ability to improve utilization and efficiency. The system optimizes routing and planning through North America’s largest transportation network, ensuring that trailers are always in the right place, at the right time, and in optimal condition. The ability to track the location and status of each trailer in real-time—whether stationary or in transit—enables shippers to streamline operations, better manage trailer pools, maximize uptime, and minimize waste. For example, the system prevents the necessity of “yard-hunts” for missing trailers.
“The shipper can see trailer data via Navisphere, or it can be pushed to them,” McDonough explained. “Some shippers have item level visibility, purchase order management, SKU-level data, order-level data, the commodity in the trailer and the quantity, as well as the value of the product in the shipment.”
There are nuances across different verticals. Retailer DCs end up being more trailer intensive, with higher trailer ratios, and they all have different assessorials. From our standpoint, across the $1B we execute today, heavy in retail, food and beverage, cpg, automotive, servicing in both a one-way and dedicated contract environment.
AMS also enhances security and fraud prevention, offering shippers and carriers real-time visibility of both their trailers and inventory. By minimizing unnecessary dwell time and ensuring smooth throughput, the system’s proactive exception management capabilities keep operations running smoothly and reduce costs. With GPS updates every five seconds, trailers’ exact locations are always known, ensuring goods are secure from theft and accidents.
To achieve these efficiencies, AMS is linked with Navisphere
, C.H. Robinson’s AI-driven global shipper platform. This integration allows for faster, smarter decisions based on comprehensive, real-time data. The system’s performance tracking capabilities provide shippers with essential KPIs like utilization, dwell time, and operational scorecards, empowering them with actionable insights.
“The Drop Trailer Plus AMS is a game-changer,” McDonough said. “Real-time visibility across both our own and our strategic contract carriers’ fleets enables us to monitor each trailer exactly, whether at rest or in motion.”
In an industry where logistics challenges are numerous and complex, C.H. Robinson’s AMS offers a highly scalable, responsive solution that meets the evolving needs of modern shippers. Shippers looking to harness the power of C.H. Robinson’s AMS can now join the Drop Trailer Plus program, which is already operative across the company’s trailer pool and several contract carrier fleets, with expansion plans set for 2026. This latest advancement solidifies C.H. Robinson’s position as an industry leader in logistics technology and innovation, driving efficiency and cost savings across the supply chain continuum.
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