A third of trucks leaving Singapore’s ports were empty — AI helped cut that number in half

A third of trucks leaving Singapore’s ports were empty — AI helped cut that number in half


Singapore’s trucking industry has long been weighed down by manpower shortages, high operational costs and wasted trips. Here’s how artificial intelligence helped change that.

Efficiency should be everything at one of the world’s busiest shipping hubs. 

And yet, for years, Singapore’s haulier industry has been weighed down by manpower shortages, high operational costs and wasted trips. Up to 35% of trucks leaving the port were empty, burning fuel and wasting resources.

A partnership between port operator PSA International and Dutch multinational HERE Technologies has tackled the problem by leveraging artificial intelligence.

“For complex operations like this, one of the fundamental problems is efficiency. Our shared vision is to provide efficiency, reduce cost or the downtime where there are empty containers or empty trucks,” said Abhijit Sengupta, general manager for Southeast Asia and India at HERE Technologies.

Using automation and real-time route optimization, empty trips have been nearly halved.

“OptETruck is a transport management solution, which addresses the trip planning, the trip execution, all the way up to invoicing and billing,” said Sriram Ramanujam, the vice president for digital products at PSA Southeast Asia.

More than 400 trucks have been onboarded, covering nearly 20% of Singapore’s haulage market.

So, what could this mean for the future of logistics? Watch the full video to see how AI is changing the way goods move.

For information on CNBC’s Converge Live event which takes place in Singapore 12-13 March 2025, visit: www.cnbc.com/converge-live/ 



Source

SoftBank shares surge over 16% as Japan tech stock-fueled rally lifts Nikkei 225 to record highs
World

SoftBank shares surge over 16% as Japan tech stock-fueled rally lifts Nikkei 225 to record highs

CANADA – 2025/08/07: In this photo illustration, the SoftBank Group (Soft Bank) logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Shares in Japanese tech-focused investment giant SoftBank Group soared 16.5% Thursday, amid a broader tech-fueled rally that saw Japan’s […]

Read More
Inside India newsletter: Social media is reshaping the world’s fastest-growing market for global brands
World

Inside India newsletter: Social media is reshaping the world’s fastest-growing market for global brands

Hello, this is Priyanka Salve, writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside India“ — your one-stop destination for stories and developments from the world’s fastest-growing large economy. Rising incomes and a large population base make India a key market for global consumer-focused companies. But now, celebrity endorsements and wide distribution are not […]

Read More
CNBC Daily Open: Peace on the horizon (again?)
World

CNBC Daily Open: Peace on the horizon (again?)

A vehicle drives through a square beneath a billboard depicting an AI-generated image of the Strait of Hormuz and an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump, displayed on the wall of a state building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 3, 2026. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to […]

Read More