The American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) latest report as of July 2025, delivers a sobering picture: non-fuel operating costs in 2024 reached an all-time high, while average truckload operating margins fell to -2.3%. With driver benefits, equipment payments, and insurance costs surging—and freight volumes shrinking—carriers are having to do more with less.

But there’s a clear opportunity hiding in the chaos: Carriers leveraging automation aren’t just surviving, they’re optimizing for profitability, speed, and resilience. Here’s how:

1. Accelerate Billing to Boost Cash Flow

Delayed invoices mean delayed payments. Improving accuracy of invoicing to avoid payment delays is also key.  EBE’s OCR and mobile capture solutions reduce billing cycles from days to minutes by extracting POD data instantly and validating with your TMS.

– Solar Transport slashed billing time from 17 hours to under 10 minutes, saving over $100K annually.

2. Do More with Less Using RPA

What if you could automate 95% of your repetitive tasks across departments? That’s not theoretical—EBE clients are doing it today.

– Automates billing, settlements, status updates, and EDI creation
– Frees staff to focus on knowledge work, not busywork
– Reduces dependency on hard-to-find admin labor
– Improves accuracy around the business – especially invoicing – so you get paid within terms

3. Simplify Settlements to Improve Driver Retention

Late or inaccurate settlements are a driver retention killer. EBE’s automated driver settlement notifications alert drivers to late or missing paperwork increases  trust and satisfaction.

– Automation eliminates manual calls. repetitive data entry and speeds up settlements
– Increases driver satisfaction and reduces turnover

“Bulk Transit reduces collections process staff hours by 81% and improved driver satisfaction through timely and automated communications.” – Monica Scruggs, Payroll Manager, Bulk Transit

4. Automate Your Accounts Payable/Settlement Process to Cut Admin Costs

Manual invoice processing eats time and introduces costly errors. EBE’s Accounts Payable Automation eliminates data entry and human bottlenecks, improving accuracy and freeing up staff to focus on more strategic tasks.  Transfers of labor from shippers to carriers with the data input into portals. 

– Up to 80% of invoices processed straight-through from capture to payment
– Accessible from anywhere, supports hybrid/remote finance teams
– Enhances visibility into payables and cash flow

5. Streamline Onboarding to Reduce Cost Per Hire and Safety Processes

Amid rising driver benefits costs, onboarding speed is a competitive edge – and proper onboarding can help save money on insurance through proactive driver safety and performance interventions.  Enter EBE’s SHIPS ATS with AI which automates background processing, cutting days off your time-to-hire and lowering costs.

– Extracts data from CDL, med cards, and background reports
– Auto-fills application data
– Seamless integration with existing background check vendors
– Corrective action automation helps reduce chances of accidents
– Driver scorecarding and performance measurement ensures safe driving targets are met

“We’ve seen the gains from implementing these solutions, and that’s why we keep going back to EBE.” – Chris Grzincic, VP, Information Technology, Nu-Way Transportation

Yes, the “do more with less” economy can either make you feel like you are simply surviving – or you can be thriving through automation.  From AP and billing to onboarding and safety, EBE’s automation solutions are helping fleets lower costs, improve efficiency, and weather the freight recession.

Want to see where automation can make the biggest impact in your fleet? Let’s talk.