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Botcadence
For freight brokers

AI Phone Agent for Freight Brokers and Carrier Calls

Your carrier reps spend half the day answering 'is this load still available?' An AI phone agent for freight brokers answers carrier calls about posted loads at any hour. Answer carrier calls about posted loads, run check-calls on loads in transit, and take shipper quote requests, all on the phone. Rate negotiation and booking stay with your brokers, who receive each call with lane, equipment, and MC number noted.

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  • Inbound calls first
  • Channel-specific routing
  • Human handoff when needed

Pricing and scope updated

2:14 AM5G

Freight Brokerage enquiry line

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Why this matters now

Phone volume, not freight volume, is what caps a broker's day.

Every posted load draws a wave of carrier calls, most of which end in 'already covered'. Check-calls repeat every few hours for each load in transit. Moving those calls to an agent lets each rep handle more loads without a second phone line.

The practical starting point

Start with load-availability calls on posted lanes, then add check-calls.

Pricing

$249 a month with 1,500 voice minutes

Availability calls and check-calls are short, usually under two minutes, so the base Voice AI plan covers hundreds of them. Brokerages with heavy posting volume add 200-minute packs or talk to us about Enterprise. Because check-calls and availability calls are so short, a brokerage moving a few hundred loads a month usually stays within the base allowance. Track minutes for the first month, then decide whether to add packs. Brokers often find the bigger saving is rep time: each covered-load call the agent answers is one fewer interruption for a rep who is negotiating a live load.

  • Inbound carrier calls on posted loads
  • Scheduled outbound check-calls to drivers
  • Shipper quote intake with lane and dates
  • Summaries sent to your TMS by webhook or to email

Where first response breaks

Why do carrier calls interrupt brokers all day?

Posting triggers a call flood

Most calls are for loads already covered.

Check-calls eat operations time

Every load needs updates several times a day.

After-hours capacity is missed

Carriers calling at night reach voicemail.

How does a brokerage set up the phone agent?

1

Share load data

Send open loads by webhook or a shared sheet.

2:14 AM5G

Freight Brokerage enquiry line

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Answer
2

Set call rules

What to share, what to capture, when to transfer.

2:14 AM5G
Enquiry captured00:12

Caller

I need help and would like to know the next step.

Agent

I can help start your freight brokerage request. What can I note for the team?

Caller

I need someone to follow up with me.

Agent

What is the best phone number and time to reach you?

3

Route summaries

Send call outcomes to your TMS or rep inbox.

2:14 AM5G

Calendar

Tuesday, 18

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8:00 AM

Freight Brokerage request

Customer follow-up

Team

10:00 AM

Which channels can carriers and shippers use?

Carrier line

Answers load availability calls with your load data.

Check-calls

Calls drivers for location and ETA on a schedule.

Shipper quote intake

Takes quote requests by phone or website chat.

High-intent workflows

What freight calls can the agent take?

Load availability calls

Tell carriers if a load is open and capture MC number and rate.

Reps call back only interested carriers

Driver check-calls

Call drivers at set intervals for location and ETA.

Fewer manual check-calls

Shipper quote requests

Capture origin, destination, dates, weight, and equipment.

Quote-ready requests

After-hours carrier calls

Answer evening calls and log them for the morning.

No lost carrier capacity

Channel playbook

What does a carrier availability call look like?

Inbound voice

Posted load calls

Answer availability and capture carrier details.

Outbound voice

Check-calls

Collect location and ETA updates.

Website chat

Shipper quotes

Capture lane and dates for a quote.

SMS

Driver follow-up

Text drivers who miss a check-call.

Who this is built for

Who at the brokerage gets each summary?

Small and mid-size brokerages

Teams with a handful of reps juggling dozens of loads.

Carrier sales teams

Reps flooded with availability calls after each posting.

Operations desks

Teams running check-calls on every load in transit.

Not for negotiating rates, tendering loads, carrier vetting decisions, or claims.

Before you buy

What do brokers ask before switching?

Will carriers hang up on an AI?
Carriers mainly want a fast answer on availability; they get it immediately.
Does it vet carriers?
It captures MC numbers; vetting stays with your process.
Which TMS do you support?
Summaries go out by webhook or email, which most TMS tools can receive.

How should a brokerage roll it out

1

Connect load data

A webhook or sheet of open loads.

2

Test carrier calls

Open, covered, and wrong-lane cases.

3

Add check-calls

Once inbound is trusted.

What does an AI phone agent for freight brokers cost per load call?

The Voice AI plan is $249 a month for 1,500 inbound and outbound minutes. At an average three-minute call, 1,500 minutes is about 500 calls a month, roughly 50 cents per call. Availability calls and check-calls often run under two minutes, so at two minutes the same plan covers about 750 calls, roughly 33 cents each.

If posting volume pushes you past 1,500 minutes, add 200-minute packs. Track usage for the first month before deciding.

Compare that with the rep time each call consumes today. A rep who takes dozens of availability calls a day loses focus on loads being negotiated, and every one of those calls is short, repetitive, and well suited to an agent.

How does an AI agent compare with an after-hours answering service or rep time?

An AI agent answers every call at once for a flat $249 a month, while an after-hours answering service usually bills per call or per minute and only takes messages. Rep time is the costliest option: each 'is this load still open' call pulls a broker off a live negotiation.

The agent answers from your live load list, so a carrier hears lane, equipment, and pickup window immediately, and the broker gets the MC number and target rate.

Outbound check-calls run on the schedule you set, so drivers are called for location and ETA without a rep dialing each one.

OptionHow cost movesAnswers load questionsCoverage
Botcadence Voice AI planFlat $249 a month for 1,500 minutesYes, from your load data24/7, inbound and outbound
After-hours answering servicePer call or per minuteUsually takes a message onlyNights and weekends
Carrier rep timePart of rep salaryYesBusiness hours, between other work

How does load data reach the agent?

You send open loads to the agent in 1 of 2 ways: a webhook from your TMS or load board export, or a Zapier step that updates the shared load list. When a load is covered, update the source and callers hear that it is no longer available.

Call outcomes go back the same way: a webhook to your TMS if it accepts one, or an email to the rep who owns the load.

Keep the load list current, because the agent can only be as accurate as the data you send it. Brokerages usually start with one desk or lane group and widen coverage once reps trust the summaries.

In short

What does an AI phone agent do for a freight broker?

It answers inbound carrier calls about posted loads and tells them whether the load is still open, the lane, pickup window, and equipment, using the load data you share. It captures the carrier's MC number and target rate for your rep, makes scheduled check-calls to drivers for location and ETA updates, and takes shipper quote requests with origin, destination, and dates. Brokers keep rate negotiation and tendering.

Common questions

AI phone agent for freight brokers FAQs

No. It shares the posted details you approve and records the carrier's target rate. Negotiation and tendering stay with your brokers.

You send open loads through a webhook or shared data source, and the agent answers from that. When a load is covered, update the source and callers hear it is no longer available.

Yes. Outbound check-calls run on a schedule you set and record location, ETA, and any delay reason, which is then sent to your team or TMS.

The Voice AI plan is $249 a month for 1,500 voice minutes, inbound and outbound. Brokers with heavier volume add minute packs as they need them.

Yes, it answers at any hour from the current load list. After-hours calls that need a broker, such as a breakdown on a loaded truck, go to the on-call number you set.

Yes, it asks for the MC number on every availability call and includes it in the summary, so your team can run its usual carrier vetting before booking.

Yes, drivers can answer check-calls in Spanish. The agent records location, ETA, and delay reason in the same format for your team.

Take the 'is it still available?' calls off your reps

Send a sample load and hear the agent handle a carrier call on your lane.

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Start with one channel and one high-intent workflow. Need a hand? Talk to our team.

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