# The Role of AI in the Trucking Industry with Chris Torrence, CSO at Optym

- Show: [Over the Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air)
- Published: 2023-09-14
- Length: 20m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/over-the-air/episodes/The-Role-of-AI-in-the-Trucking-Industry-with-Chris-Torrence--CSO-at-Optym-e2l43re

## Summary

Chris Torrence, Chief Strategy Officer at Optym, discusses the company's 20-year history of applying AI and mathematical optimization to the trucking and logistics industry. He explains Optym's strategy of augmenting human dispatchers rather than replacing them with autonomous vehicles, focusing on integrating optimization layers into existing Transportation Management Systems (TMS) to solve data siloing and integration challenges. Torrence also highlights the importance of granular visibility through IoT sensors, citing companies like Tive, and outlines a roadmap focused on hardening core products before exploring future decoupling of trailers and tractors.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=0) Introduction and Optym Overview
- [2:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=138) AI as Augmentation vs. Autonomous Trucks
- [7:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=464) Planning Horizons and Driver Retention
- [11:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=716) Technical Challenges: Integration and Data
- [14:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=868) Roadmap: Hardening Products and Future Visibility
- [17:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-14-the-role-of-ai-in-the-trucking-industry-with-chris-torrence-cso-at-optym#t=1039) Granular IoT Tracking and Industry Ecosystem

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Optym (company)
- Uber (company)
- MIT (other)
- Tive (company)
- Verizon Connect (company)
- Google (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Very (company)
- ELD (product)
- TMS (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [IoT in the Freight Industry | FourKites' Himanshu Mehrotra | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2024-05-14-iot-in-the-freight-industry-fourkites-himanshu-mehrotra-internet-of-things-podca) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Solving Logistics with IoT Technology | Trinity Logistics' Russ Felker | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2024-01-16-solving-logistics-with-iot-technology-trinity-logistics-russ-felker-internet-of) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Cracking the code on autonomous trucking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-05-07-cracking-the-code-on-autonomous-trucking) (Catalyst)
- [When trucks drive themselves with Chris Urmson of Aurora](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-07-20-when-trucks-drive-themselves-with-chris-urmson-of-aurora) (How I Built This)
- [AI in Warehousing: Akash Gupta's vision for the future](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-06-12-ai-in-warehousing-akash-guptas-vision-for-the-future) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

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