What is an AI check-call?

A freight check-call is a conversation used to confirm a shipment’s status, such as progress toward pickup, a delivery ETA, or an exception that needs attention. An AI check-call uses a configured voice system to conduct that conversation.

Preparing a script is a different capability from placing the call. Lane’s current workspace helps prepare check-calls and organize the information supplied to it. It does not dial a carrier, record a call, or update a TMS.

Decide what the call needs to resolve

A useful check-call starts with an open question about a specific load. If the last received record already answers the question reliably enough for the task, your next step may be a reviewed update rather than another call.

When information is missing or old, identify exactly what needs confirmation:

• Which load and next stop are being discussed?
• What is the latest reported status, and when was it reported?
• What is the ETA, including its time zone?
• Is the appointment time known and confirmed?
• What delay or other exception needs attention?
• Who will provide the next update, and when?

An “in transit” label is not a current location. An ETA is not an arrival confirmation. Keeping those distinctions clear makes the eventual customer update more useful.

A short carrier check-call script

This is an illustrative script for a person to adapt to the team’s actual calling process:

Hi, this is [name] with [company], checking on load [load ID] from [origin] to [destination]. Our last update was [source time] and listed [status or ETA]. Could you confirm the latest status and ETA to the next stop, including the time zone? Is there anything that could change that timing? When should we expect the next update?

If pickup has not occurred, ask about readiness and the pickup appointment. If the load is at delivery, ask what is confirmed about arrival, unloading, and any documentation still outstanding. Do not describe those events as completed until the source confirms them.

Turn the conversation into a clear note

A practical note separates the source, the reported information, and your action:

These are example details, not a claim about a real load. “No delay reported” describes the conversation; it does not guarantee that the load will arrive on time.

Use Lane to prepare and review

Before a call, you can ask:

Using the latest received snapshot for DV-2048, list the information we have and its source time. Prepare three questions to resolve what is missing. Do not assume the ETA is current or that an appointment has been confirmed.

After a person makes the call, they can provide a short note in the private workspace and ask:

Turn these notes into a customer-update draft under 80 words. State which details the dispatcher confirmed, preserve the update time and time zone, and list any unresolved question separately.

The person still reviews the draft, sends any message, and records the operational update in the appropriate system. Lane should not describe any of those actions as completed merely because it drafted the text.

Know which record Lane is using

The inbound TMS connection supplies load snapshots. Lane receives up to 20 recent snapshots as context for a chat reply; it does not have a continuous live tracking feed or an on-demand query tool for every load.

Ask it to state the source update time. If a load is missing or its data is old, inspect the received event and obtain the information needed for the decision. The TMS connection guide explains the supported fields and how receipt differs from freshness.

Common questions

Can Lane make an automated check-call today?

Not from the current Lane workspace. It can prepare questions and drafts. A calling workflow requires a separately configured voice product and its own verified capabilities and operating process. Contact the Keelway team about the specific workflow you want to run.

Does an AI-prepared note update the TMS?

No. Preparing a note and writing it to the operational record are separate actions. Lane’s current TMS connection is inbound only.

Should a received ETA be sent directly to the customer?

Review its source and update time first. Use wording that accurately reflects whether it is a recent carrier report, an older received record, or information that still needs confirmation.

For related tasks, read carrier email triage and what broker AI agents can do. Open Lane to prepare a call or review a status-update draft.