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Automation, artificial intelligence and data science are transforming freight brokerage operations, increasing productivity and altering how brokers price freight and make decisions.

C.H. Robinson has expanded its proprietary fleet of artificial intelligence agents to handle more tasks across the life cycle of a shipment, the company announced April 16.

While some segments of the logistics market saw expansion, such as dedicated carriage and freight forwarding, others faced slower growth, including freight brokerage and warehousing.

But the Charlotte, N.C.-based asset-light transportation provider posted a net loss of $20 million, or negative 12 cents a diluted share, for the three months ending Dec. 31.

The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based logistics and shipping company on Jan. 29 posted net income of $149.3 million, or $1.22 a diluted share, for the three months ending Dec. 31.

FreightVana believes the deal will boost its position in the power-only brokerage segment. Loadsmith provides power-only and standard freight brokerage.

A capacity-as-a-service platform, Broker Access is designed to boost productivity, service levels and business growth for brokers, Uber Freight said.

RXO has finalized its $1.025 billion acquisition of Coyote Logistics from UPS, a move that makes RXO the third-largest provider of brokered transportation in North America.

Across the major logistics market segments, 2023 brought a spate of challenges including compressed margins, rising labor costs and inflationary pressures, ensuring a down year for many.

2023 was a generally downtrodden year for 3PLs, with plummeting transportation rates and shippers focused on right-sizing inventories and reducing logistics costs.