According to FreightWaves, Lanesurf, a freight brokerage technology company, has opened a public phone line that lets callers negotiate freight rates directly with its AI agent. The FreightWaves article headline says Lanesurf gave $15,000 to its AI agent, and "any broker in the country can call and take it." The challenge rules specify that the caller plays the role of a carrier while the AI plays the broker.
How the challenge works
When a caller dials (350) 220-6331, the AI opens with a load, and the caller negotiates the rate upward, according to FreightWaves. Every dollar above the AI's target is the caller's money, up to the prize cap tied to that load. The card is issued the moment the AI agrees to the rate, so the caller is paid on the spot.
The steps, as described by FreightWaves, are:
- Call (350) 220-6331 from any phone in the US.
- The AI opens with a load; you play the carrier.
- Negotiate the rate up; every dollar above the AI's target is yours, up to that load's prize cap.
- Get paid on the spot; the card is issued the moment the AI agrees to your rate.
Lanesurf stated in the FreightWaves article that this is a fun public challenge, not a demo of the real thing.
Prize pool and load types
The loads sit in a pool, according to FreightWaves. Some are short local runs, others are regional, and some are cross-country hauls with starting rates as high as $10,000. The bigger the load, the bigger the prize.
| Load category | Prize cap |
|---|---|
| Smallest loads | Tens of dollars |
| Mid-size regional runs | Hundreds of dollars |
| Biggest cross-country hauls | Thousands of dollars |
The prize caps scale with the load: tens of dollars on the smallest, hundreds on mid-size regional runs, and thousands on the biggest cross-country hauls, FreightWaves reported.
What the production system actually does
The phone-line contest is not a demonstration of Lanesurf's production technology, according to FreightWaves. The production system negotiates rates and books loads at scale, moving thousands of loads a day for a roster of brokerages, a few of which are publicly listed on the company's website.
Company background
Lanesurf helps freight brokerages cover loads in 10 minutes, according to FreightWaves. It works with vetted carriers by email, call, or text to source capacity, negotiate rates, and surface options for the broker.
Watch list
The FreightWaves article also promotes upcoming industry events in Chattanooga, Tennessee: the Brokerage Compliance Symposium, the F3 Awards Dinner, and the F3: Future of Freight Festival, all at The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo. The F3 Awards Dinner is scheduled for the night before the festival, and the compliance symposium is scheduled for the day before F3.
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