Definition
OCL Cargo’s transport assignment agent (Agent 01, «Assign transport») is computer-use software that reaches your carriers in parallel, tenders the trip, closes at the best rate under your rules, and writes status into your TMS — without planning calling carriers one by one.
If every shipment is a round of calls and chats, your real cost is planning time, not only freight. Landing Agent 01 does outreach in parallel and leaves the trip assigned with a confirmed rate.
What the assignment agent means in practice
Landing cycle: shipment ready, agent contacts carriers y rate confirmed a load assigned. Manual: call/text each carrier, wait on WhatsApp, type into the TMS.
It does not invent rates outside your rules or replace the commercial relationship: it speeds the process with evidence on the trip ID. See computer use.
Why it matters (shipper / 3PL / carrier)
1.Shipper / planning
Less lead time to assignment; more real options inside the same SLA.
2.3PL
Scale multi-account tenders without linear headcount.
3.Carrier
Gets clear requests; less ambiguous back-and-forth.
How it works / when it applies
It fits when you quote 3+ carriers per trip, response SLAs break at peaks, or the TMS only shows the award hours after the chat.
It fits poorly without a carrier panel, award rules (price, OTIF, capacity), or a trip object in the system.
| Today (manual) | With OCL agent | KPI |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential calls/WhatsApp | Parallel outreach to your panel | Minutes to first offer |
| Rate in chat | Best-rate close with a rule | % documented award |
| Late TMS capture | Status written in your TMS | % trips assigned on time |
Go-live checklist
1.Carrier panel
Who can take the trip and on which channel.
2.Award rules
Price, capacity, scorecard, exceptions.
3.TMS fields
Where carrier, rate, and ETA are written.
4.Exception owner
Who breaks ties or total rejection.
Zen flow
Shipment
Ready
Outreach
Fleet in parallel
Rate
Confirmed
Assign
Written in TMS
Common mistakes
1.Award on price only
Ignoring historical OTIF creates rework in tower and AP.
2.No rate confirmation
The audit agent has no contractual truth.
3.Leaving the award only on WhatsApp
Without a TMS object there is no KPI or dispute.
OCL and the shipment file (light)
This agent opens the landing spine. Confirmed rate feeds audit and accessorials. Map: freight agents.
Sources and further reading
- Hub: freight agents.
- Process: tendering.
- Pillar: computer use.
- Next: GPS tracking agent.
Key takeaways5 points
- Landing: planning and dispatch — talks to carriers, tenders the trip, closes at the best rate.
- Parallel vs sequential: cuts hours waiting for WhatsApp quotes.
- Writes the outcome into your TMS; does not require replacing CargoWise/Magaya/SAP.
- Conceptual neighbor: tendering. This agent is who runs it.
- Hub: freight agents.
Is your assignment still on WhatsApp?
Frequently asked questions
Landing Agent 01: reaches your carriers in parallel, closes at the best rate under rules, and writes status into your TMS.
Tendering is the process; this agent runs it with computer use. Process definition: what is tendering.
No. It writes into yours or coexists. See manual capture.
Without a confirmed rate on the file, the audit agent cannot match price.
Yes, if you define distinct award rules and panels by load type.