A new wave of software has arrived in the supply chain tech stack, promising to help brokers, forwarders, 3PLs, and more to automate workflows, speed-up response times, and reduce errors.

These platforms are purpose-built for logistics, providing:

• Native integration to your inbox
• Pre-configured workflows for logistics
• Pre-built connections with other leading logistics software tools

This is a dynamic and fast changing market:

• 8 of the 12 companies on this list were founded within the last 2 years
• 80+% of funding listed has been raised within just the past 6 months

What’s next?

In a LinkedIn post earlier this year, I highlighted how changing technology was leading to a proliferation of new software offerings, which in turn could create downstream pressure for companies to choose the right partners and integrate the tools into operations in order to remain competitive. I think this is exactly what’s happening now.

If you want to take next steps, check out how to get started and the full company list.

The remainder of this article provides a deeper dive.

What is Logistics Automation Software?

If you follow AI content on social media, you may have seen posts like the one below, showing a web of interconnected nodes that can be your first “AI agent”.

These are always worth $5,000, but if you write something in the comments you can get it for free.

A social media post advertising an “AI Agent” built using N8N

These workflows are typically built using N8N or Make.com, but recently automation platforms like these have exploded in popularity, with numerous offerings entering the market.

Many of the Logistics Automation Software solutions on our list offer “agentic” workflow builders similar to general automation platforms like N8N or Make.com, but tailored to logistics.

An illustration of a logistics automation workflow on Levity.ai

How Logistics Automation Platforms are Different from General Automation Platforms Like N8N or Make

When compared with general automation platforms, 3 points of differentiation I’ve noted are:

1. Seamless integration with your inbox - including outlook widgets, and an analytics layer to extract higher level insights from your emails (# of quotes responded to, win-rate, etc.)

   

   The Vooma Outlook Widget

2. Pre-built connections to other logistics management software - including your TMS, WMS, etc., these are integrations that you likely won’t find on general automation platforms.

   

   A list of pre-built connections on HappyRobot website

3. Pre-built workflows for common logistics tasks - allowing you to simply adapt the workflows to your company rather than build from scratch.

   

   Pre-built workflows featured on the HappyRobot website