A Step in the Right Direction for Clearer Decision Making

In an industry where timing, safety, and precision fuel every decision, the next evolution of transportation logistics is already knocking at the door. At Robertson Williams Transport (RWT) and our sister company, Energy Transport Solutions (ETS), we are preparing to take a major step forward by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily operations, dispatching, and long-term strategic planning.

For nearly 70 years, our family of companies has relied on experience, teamwork, and innovation to serve America’s heartland. Now, we’re embracing the next tool that will help us deliver even greater accuracy, efficiency, and safety on every load.

Why AI? Better Decisions. Stronger Operations. More Value for Our Customers.

“AI isn’t here to replace people—it’s here to enhance what our people do best,” says Chris VanMeerhaeghe, Vice President & COO of RWT.  “By letting AI run in the background, we can scan massive amounts of data, pick up what the human eye can’t, and ultimately make better decisions for our customers.”

AI Benefits Include:

• More efficient routing
• Faster market response
• Real-time fuel price analysis
• Simplified dispatching
• Stronger safety oversight
• Improved supply chain forecasting
• Better customer-level decision making

Together, these enhancements help our dispatchers, our drivers, and our customers all operate with clearer insight and less uncertainty.

AI-Powered Dispatching: The Future of Safe, Efficient Fleet Operations

Dispatching in the fuel transportation industry is one of the most complex real-time decision engines in logistics. AI helps take that complexity and turn it into strategic clarity.

Eric Kolkmeyer, President & CEO of ETS, explains:  “AI will allow us to pull in data from dozens of sources like ELDs, weather, traffic, supply, pricing and run hundreds of simulations to find the best possible path for safety, fuel economy, and efficiency. It’s an evolution of dispatching, not a replacement of it.”

AI can assist with:

• Predicting demand and inventory at customer locations
• Monitoring drivers’ logbooks to ensure compliance with HOS regulations
• Forecasting weather and market shifts before they impact deliveries
• Evaluating traffic patterns that change minute-to-minute
• Identifying inefficiencies in routes, timing, or load sequencing
• Automating repetitive dispatch tasks, letting humans focus on exceptions and customer needs

With AI running behind the scenes, dispatchers can react faster, make more informed decisions, and eliminate blind spots that naturally occur when relying on human observation alone.

Proven Success from Industry Peers

We’ve watched this technology in action.  A close partner in Utah, operating a fleet nearly twice our size, has already implemented a similar AI platform. Their feedback?

They “rant and rave” about the productivity, efficiency, and the operational clarity it has brought to their business.

Their success further confirms that AI isn’t just a future trend, it’s a transformative tool that is already reshaping the transportation industry.

Beyond Dispatching: AI’s Role Across Our Entire Organization

While dispatching is the most obvious opportunity for AI, it’s only the beginning.

AI can support improvements across:

• Forecasting & supply-chain management
• Driver tracking & safety oversight
• Operations planning
• Marketing & communications
• Sales strategy
• Employee training and onboarding

“The sky’s the limit,” Chris adds. “AI gives us the ability to become more strategic and straightforward in how we operate at every level.”

What This Means for Our Customers

Fuel transportation thrives on accuracy, timing, and trust and AI helps strengthen all three.

By enhancing our visibility into pricing, supply, routing, weather, and safety, we will be able to:

• Deliver more consistent service
• Minimize delays caused by unpredictable changes
• Improve cost efficiency
• Strengthen safety compliance
• Offer clearer communication and stronger planning

This is more than adopting a new technology, it’s about building a better, more resilient service for the farmers, airports, retailers, municipalities, and businesses that rely on us for refined fuel transportation every day.

The Road Ahead

We are actively evaluating platforms and building the framework for our AI integration. Over the coming months, we’ll share updates on how and when these systems will be rolled out across RWT and ETS.

“We look forward to having a true partner in AI,” Eric says. “Our customers will ultimately benefit from the more strategic, data-driven decisions this technology brings.”

AI is not a replacement for the people who make our company special, it’s an investment in them. And it’s a step forward in continuing our legacy of safe, reliable, and forward-thinking fuel transportation.