US Cold Storage’s AI leap: What it means for logistics
United States Cold Storage has introduced automated appointment scheduling through the use of FourKites’ AI agent, “Alan”. US Cold Storage, which operates 38 facilities nationwide, has long struggled with the complexities of coordinating inbound deliveries and outbound dispatch in a highly regulated, sensitive environment.
The company identified appointment scheduling as one of the biggest efficiency drains; logistics teams spend hours juggling emails, phone calls, portal logins, and constant back-and-forth to secure delivery windows. Recognizing that automation could free staff to focus on higher-value work, US Cold Storage turned to FourKites.
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Over an eight-week pilot, Alan demonstrated what many assumed was impossible. The AI agent achieved an 87% success rate in booking appointments and secured 96% accuracy in obtaining customers’ requested delivery dates. In handling over 600 shipments, the digital agent effectively compressed work that would have taken dozens of human hours into real time, estimating a productivity boost equivalent to 36–40 hours during the test period. Alan operated around the clock and processed more than 150 scheduling requests simultaneously, versus the sequential pace typical of human staff.
“The first individuals who interacted with the agent were actually amazed and very intrigued by this product and the idea of a digital agent and how—through utilizing technology—an appointment was just made with no human interaction,” said Keith Mowery, Executive Vice President, Logistics & West Region, United States Cold Storage. “The group was very excited by how easy it was to use.”
Alan differs from traditional robotic process automation (RPA) by relying less on rigid scripts and more on context-aware intelligence. Rather than requiring custom programming for each variation in retailer rules or portal quirks, it adapts in real time to email workflows, web interfaces, and phone interactions, all while maintaining audit trails and status visibility.
This success builds on a long-standing relationship between US Cold Storage and FourKites, which began with shipment tracking and visibility services. The deployment highlights FourKites’ modular philosophy: start with one use case, validate value, then expand deeper AI capabilities across operations. For US Cold Storage, that means not just smarter scheduling, but the potential to layer autonomous decisioning across the full logistics stack.
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