How We’re Using Data-Backed AI to Help Shippers and Carriers Make Better Pricing Decisions
There’s a moment every shipper and carrier knows well: The pause before setting a price or accepting a job. Is this rate too high? Too low? Will this vehicle sit on the load board for days, or get to my lot in time? Is the asking price competitive? Will it make money for my fleet?
For years, those questions were answered using gut instinct, a handful of recent comps, and luck. But with help from new AI insights, that’s changing — and it’s changing in a way that keeps shippers and carriers in the driver’s seat.
Pricing AI That Works with You
Central Dispatch is built on a foundation of real transactions between shippers and carriers: Millions of moves across every state, route, and market condition. It’s a huge part of why customers trust the platform.
Now, that same foundation of transportation data is powering something new: Price Check Plus, a tool that brings AI-driven pricing recommendations directly into the listing and load searching processes. But Price Check Plus doesn’t make decisions for you. It’s a guide — giving you clear, real-time information so you can make an informed decision with confidence and speed.
It’s a great example of what Cox Automotive Intelligence (CAI) means in practice. It’s not automation for automation’s sake. Price Check Plus leverages AI in a targeted way to solve a specific pain point for businesses, and help them work with greater efficiency and profitability.
How Price Check Plus Works
When you’re listing a vehicle or evaluating a load, Price Check Plus draws on millions of historical transactions to generate a pricing range for the load, and a recommended price within that range. It also generates an estimated time to dispatch, helping you understand the tradeoff between pricing higher and waiting longer, versus pricing competitively and moving faster.
With this information available with a single click, carriers can instantly see if a load’s asking price is competitive and decide if it’s worth it for their business, while shippers can easily balance their timing and budget needs.
Built on the Most Complete Transportation Data Available
AI is only as trustworthy as the data behind it, and Price Check Plus is powered by millions of real-world transactions and shipping outcomes from the Central Dispatch marketplace. Not estimates, but the actual prices loads were listed at, the prices they were dispatched at, and how long each took to move.
That breadth of data matters because transportation isn’t uniform. Routes vary. Trailer type availability fluctuates. Market conditions change week to week. Both shippers and carriers can trust these pricing recommendations because they dynamically reflect the full complexity of what’s happening in the marketplace, not just a simplified average.
Fewer Surprises, More Consistency
One of the most consistent frustrations in vehicle transport isn’t the big disruptions, it’s the small friction points that add up: Conflicting information, unexpected delays, uncertainty about whether a load will move.
Price Check Plus reduces that friction, giving both shippers and carriers access to the same quality of market data. Context becomes clearer. Timelines become more realistic. There’s less guesswork, and expectations on both sides of the transaction become more aligned.
That’s not a small thing. Predictable outcomes build trust, and trust is what keeps a marketplace healthy.
Human Oversight and Transparency
It’s worth reiterating that Price Check Plus is simply a recommendation tool. The AI shows you its read of the current market. You decide what to do with that read.
Plus, the tool doesn’t supply recommendations without context. You get full transparency into what loads and data points went into them. You can filter the comparable loads by date range, trailer type, and route, and look at each load’s listed price vs. its final dispatched price.
AI Across the Cox Automotive Ecosystem
Price Check Plus is just one part of a broader commitment at Cox Automotive to embed practical, outcome-focused AI throughout the tools that you rely on. Whether it’s market insights at Manheim, or transport pricing at Central Dispatch, the goal remains consistent: Clear data and smart recommendations that keep you in final control of decision-making.
Ready to Upgrade?
Price Check Plus is available as a standalone add-on for carriers, or as part of the Central Dispatch Premium plan for shippers.
Current Customers
Upgrade through your account or reach out to your Performance Manager to learn more.
New to Central Dispatch?
