Groundbreaking Drop Trailer Plus™ program upgrade delivers capacity, clarity, and control, all in a single platform
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–C.H. Robinson, the global leader in AI-driven supply chains, today announced the launch of the Asset Management System (AMS) within its Drop Trailer Plus™ program. Combining GPS technology and a real-time stream of operational and inventory data into one single platform, this new system effectively turns the thousands of C.H. Robinson-managed trailers into a fleet of intelligent assets. Linked with the company’s AI-infused global shipper platform Navisphere™, it empowers faster, smarter, and more cost-efficient decisions than ever before.
With more than 800,000 annual shipments and more than 10,000 trailers in circulation daily, the C.H. Robinson Drop Trailer Plus program is one of the largest in the United States. No other provider offers this combination of scale and the cutting-edge analytics and visibility added through the new AMS.
“The Drop Trailer Plus AMS is a game-changer,” said Adam McDonough, C.H. Robinson Vice President of Truckload. “With real-time visibility across both our own and our strategic contract carriers’ fleets, we’re able to monitor each trailer in real time, at rest or in motion, and help shippers streamline operations, right-size trailer pools, maximize uptime, and minimize waste, leading to lower costs and less unplanned work. For example, there will be no more yard-hunts for hard-to-find trailers that lack connected systems. You’ll know exactly where every single trailer is, at any time, whether it’s part of C.H. Robinson’s trailer pool or another provider on our platform.”
Drop trailer programs, often referred to as “drop and hook,” allow carriers to leave trailers at shipper facilities for flexible loading and unloading. They are a vital part of the freight ecosystem, representing nearly 50% of the truckload market, and have traditionally been represented by asset-based carriers that own trucks and equipment. But they’ve also presented challenges, including manual data entry, incompatible systems and limited visibility over trailer and freight status.
While conventional drop trailer programs are managed manually from outdated spreadsheets, the new Drop Trailer Plus AMS solves these headaches by bundling everything into a nimble, real-time platform that covers the C.H. Robinson trailer pool as well as a growing number of contract carriers. Built in-house and integrated with Navisphere, the system combines GPS tracking, telematics data, geofencing, and facility mapping to give shippers and carriers a complete view of trailer activity.
Benefits include:
- Improved utilization and efficiency: Optimized routing and planning with the largest transportation network in North America.
- Better trailer availability and more uptime: Locate the trailers you need, when you need them, in optimal working condition—dry van, refrigerated or flatbed.
- Real-time visibility: Monitor your trailer pools and inventory at rest and in motion. With GPS updates up to every 5 seconds, every trailer’s location and status is available, at a facility or on the road, along with live ETAs.
- Proactive exception management: Minimize unnecessary dwell time and ensure smooth throughput. Automated notifications about exceptions like late arrivals, dwell breaches, or idle assets allow us to manage them before they become problems.
- Theft and fraud prevention: Enhance security and mitigate theft and fraud with real-time visibility to both your trailer and inventory.
- Performance scorecards: Keep track of operations by lane, site, or carrier, and key KPIs like utilization and dwell time, powered by cutting-edge analytical capabilities.
“We innovate for our customers every day and we knew a platform with these capabilities would meet their evolving needs,” said Michael Castagnetto, President of North American Surface Transportation at C.H. Robinson. “Today’s environment requires nimble logistics, with the ability to scale up and down flexibly and adapt to new opportunities quickly and precisely. That’s what you get with Drop Trailer Plus powered by our AMS: capacity when you need it, clarity while you use it, and better cost control to boot.”
Drop Trailer Plus AMS is currently active across C.H Robinson’s own trailer pool as well as several contract carrier fleets, with expansion continuing throughout 2026. Shippers can contact C.H. Robinson today to join our Drop Trailer Plus program.
About C.H. Robinson
C.H. Robinson delivers logistics like no one else™. Companies around the world look to us to reimagine supply chains, advance freight technology, and solve logistics challenges—from the simple to the most complex. 83,000 customers and 450,000 contract carriers in our network trust us to manage 37 million shipments and $23 billion in freight annually. Through our unmatched expertise, unrivaled scale, and tailored solutions, we ensure the seamless delivery of goods across industries and continents via truckload, less-than-truckload, ocean, air, and beyond. As a responsible global citizen, we make supply chains more sustainable and proudly contribute millions to the causes that matter most to our employees. For more information, visit us at chrobinson.com (Nasdaq: CHRW).
Contacts
Tom Vandyck, [email protected]
