Wilson by Cartage
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Driver arrival and detention

You can follow up on shipments without asking drivers to install an app

Key Takeaways

  • Shipment follow-up doesn't have to depend on a driver app. Most carriers already share status through an API, truck data, their website, email or phone.
  • 5 sources cover most loads: the carrier's API, GPS or ELD data from the truck, the carrier's website by PRO number, email and phone.
  • The best source changes by carrier and by load, so tracking should use the strongest one available and fall back to email or a call when nothing else exists.
  • Wilson, by Cartage, is an AI logistics agent that uses the best source available for each load, emails or calls the carrier when none exist, and gets the new ETA and reason when a load runs late.
  • Tracking is only half the job. The other half is acting on what it shows: updating the team and customers, and escalating when a delay needs a decision.

Why do driver apps leave gaps in shipment tracking?

Driver apps leave gaps because they only work when every driver on every load installs the app, keeps it running and shares location, and many carriers won't ask their drivers to do that for one shipper. The loads that fall outside the app go back to the old routine: emailing dispatchers and calling drivers for status. A tracking method that covers only some carriers still leaves the team doing manual follow-up on the rest.

This affects manufacturers and distributors that ship with a mix of carriers: national LTL carriers with mature systems, regional carriers and owner-operators who run on phone and email. Each needs status updates through the trip, and each has different tools. The gaps are common across the industry: in a BCI Global survey of 240 supply chain leaders (March 2025), only 35% reported end-to-end visibility. For a team, every load without a status source becomes a carrier follow-up: the reminder, call or message a coordinator sends to get an answer.

One load without app coverage

Take one FTL load at a manufacturer, for example:

  • Monday 2:00 p.m. The load is booked with a regional carrier for a Tuesday pickup. The rate confirmation (the document that fixes price and terms) is signed, but the carrier's drivers don't use the shipper's tracking app.
  • Tuesday 9:30 a.m. The truck picks up. The coordinator only knows because the shipping lead mentions it.
  • Tuesday 3:00 p.m. Customer service asks for an ETA. The coordinator emails the carrier dispatcher.
  • Wednesday 8:45 a.m. No reply. The coordinator calls; the dispatcher reads the ETA from the truck's ELD (electronic logging device, which records driving time and location) and says Thursday at 7:00 a.m.
  • Thursday 7:30 a.m. The consignee calls: no truck yet. Another call to dispatch: the driver is 90 minutes out.

The carrier had location data the whole trip. Nobody was pulling it, and nobody was calling on a schedule.

What sources can track a shipment without a driver app?

Five sources can track most shipments without a driver app: the carrier’s API, GPS or ELD data, the carrier’s website by PRO number, email and phone. They differ in detail, timeliness and how much work each takes.

Source What it provides When it’s available Limits
Carrier API Status events and often ETAs Many larger carriers Not every carrier offers one
GPS or ELD data Truck location When the carrier shares it Location without context; doesn’t explain a stop
Carrier website by PRO number Status milestones Most LTL carriers Updates at scans, not continuously
Email Status from dispatch Any carrier Slow, depends on someone replying
Phone Status, ETA and the reason for a delay Any carrier or driver Takes time on every call

The PRO number is the tracking number an LTL carrier assigns to a shipment, usually printed on the BOL (bill of lading, the shipping document the driver signs at pickup). With it, most LTL loads can be checked on the carrier’s website without any integration.

No single source is enough. GPS shows where the truck is but not why it stopped; a call gets the reason for a delay, which is what the team needs to decide.

How should tracking choose the right source for each load?

Use the most reliable source available for each load, fall back to the next one when it fails, and call when a status is missing or a load looks late. The rule should be set per carrier, not per company.

Use the carrier’s API when the carrier has one.

Use GPS or ELD data when the carrier shares it.

Check the carrier’s website by PRO number, especially on LTL.

Email or call the carrier when nothing else exists, or when another source shows a problem.

How often to check depends on the load. A load due at a production line tomorrow morning needs closer follow-up than a replenishment order with two days of slack, and an SOP that sets frequency per lane or customer keeps that from being decided load by load. For the follow-up routine around this, see how AI automates shipment follow-ups, PODs and status updates.

Common mistakes

  • Requiring the app as a condition of booking. Good carriers on key lanes decline, and the shipper loses capacity to gain tracking.
  • Treating “no update” as “on time.” A load with no status for 12 hours is a question, not a good sign.
  • Trusting one source when sources disagree. If the website says “in transit” and the driver says the trailer is still at the terminal, call before telling the customer.
  • Calling every carrier at the same frequency. Carriers with a working API get calls they don’t need, and carriers with none don’t get enough.
  • Stopping at tracking. Knowing a load is late doesn’t help until someone gets a new ETA and tells the people affected.

How does Wilson, by Cartage, follow up on shipments without a driver app?

Wilson, by Cartage, uses the best source available for each load (the carrier’s API, GPS or ELD data, or the carrier’s website by PRO number) and emails or calls the carrier when none exist. Traditional logistics software gives teams information. Wilson executes the work required to move shipments forward.

Step Trigger What Wilson does When a person steps in
1. Pick the source Load is booked Uses the carrier’s API, GPS or ELD data, or the carrier’s website by PRO number Not required
2. Fall back No data source for this carrier Emails or calls the carrier Not required
3. Check calls At the frequency set in the SOP Calls carriers and drivers for status, appointments and ETA follow-ups; saves transcripts on the order Not required
4. Handle a delay Load is running late Gets the new ETA and the reason from the carrier Not required
5. Notify New ETA confirmed Tells the team and anyone else the company has set to be notified Not required
6. Escalate The delay needs a decision Escalates with the history and options Deciding rebooking or other next steps

Channels and frequency are configured per customer in the SOP, for example calling every hour until the load is picked up. If a carrier doesn’t respond to an email or text, Wilson calls. Call transcripts are saved on the order, and every message, confirmation and change is recorded in the shipment’s change history.

Approvals apply where decisions start. Wilson begins with assisted execution, and the company decides which actions wait for a person, such as customer notifications or a rebooking above a cost threshold. When a delay requires a decision outside those rules, or a carrier can’t confirm, Wilson escalates instead of acting.

Wilson isn’t a visibility platform. A visibility platform shows where a load is; Wilson monitors loads as part of executing them and acts on what it finds by contacting the carrier, updating stakeholders and initiating rebooking from approved carriers when needed. For the category, see what an AI logistics agent is.

What do customers see, and what should a demo show?

Customers can follow their shipments on a tracking link with the company’s branding, and the consignee can get picked up, running late, delivered and POD filed updates by email or SMS. Each company chooses who’s notified and how.

A branded link gives customers one place to check status without calling. Proactive updates cover the moments that matter, including the POD (proof of delivery, the receipt signed at delivery) once it’s filed. Fewer “where’s my order” calls reach customer service when both are in place. See branded shipment tracking for customers.

What to ask a vendor to show in a demo

Pick one of your carriers with no API and show how its loads get tracked.

Track an LTL load by PRO number from the carrier’s website.

Show a check call and the saved transcript on the order.

Change the check-call frequency for one lane and show it applied.

Mark a load as late and show the new ETA, the reason and who gets notified.

Show the branded tracking link your customer would open.

This article is part of our complete guide to driver arrival and detention records.

FAQs

  • Can I track shipments without a driver app? Yes. Most loads can be tracked through the carrier's API, GPS or ELD data, the carrier's website by PRO number, email or phone. Wilson, by Cartage, uses the best source available for each load and calls or emails the carrier when none exist.
  • How does Wilson track loads in transit? Through the carrier's API, GPS or ELD data or the carrier's website by PRO number. When none of those exist, it emails or calls the carrier.
  • Does Wilson make check calls? Yes. Wilson calls carriers and drivers for check calls, pickup and delivery appointments and ETA follow-ups, at the frequency set in the company's SOP.
  • Are call transcripts saved? Yes. Call transcripts are saved on the order, and every message and change is recorded in the change history.
  • What happens when a load is late? Wilson gets the new ETA and the reason, then tells the team and anyone else the company has set to be notified.
  • Is Wilson a visibility platform? No. Wilson monitors loads as part of executing them and acts on what it finds: it contacts the carrier, updates stakeholders and initiates rebooking when needed.
  • Can my customers track shipments? Yes. Customers can follow their shipments on a tracking link with the company's branding.
  • How is Wilson priced? There's no subscription fee. Pricing is a percentage of the carrier payments that run through Wilson, and that fee covers the full lifecycle from create to pay. Pricing scales down as volume grows, and Enterprise pricing is custom.

Conclusion

Asking every driver to install an app leaves gaps on the carriers who won't, and those are often the regional carriers a manufacturer or distributor relies on most. Most loads already have a usable source: an API, GPS or ELD data, a carrier website, an email or a call. The work is choosing the right one per carrier, following up on a schedule and acting when a load runs late.

Wilson, by Cartage, uses the best source for each load, calls when updates are missing and tells the right people when something changes. Bring one load from a carrier that doesn't use your tracking app and watch Wilson follow it up in a demo at cartage.ai.

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