A Session with Angela Grady, Data Insights & Innovation Senior Manager, CEVA Logistics, at Optym LTL Convergence 2025

Route optimization for LTL carriers is no longer just about sequencing stops. As networks become more complex with residential delivery, white-glove services, mixed equipment types, and tighter customer expectations, traditional routing methods simply can’t keep up.

At Optym’s Convergence Conference, Angela Grady, Senior Manager of Data Insight and Innovation at CEVA Logistics, shared how CEVA transformed its LTL and final-mile operations by rethinking dispatch, standardization, and optimization across one of the industry’s most complex operating models. What emerged was not just better routes, but a fundamentally more resilient, scalable, and driver-aligned operation.

A Different Kind of LTL Network Requires a Different Approach

CEVA Logistics doesn’t operate like a traditional LTL carrier. Its model includes:

• An asset-light, independent contractor fleet
• Non-forced dispatch, where drivers can accept or decline routes
• A mix of B2B, B2C, residential, white-glove, and assembly services
• Multiple vehicle types — from cargo vans to box trucks — each with different access constraints
• Frequent direct-to-consignee, airport transfers, and residential swaps

In practice, that means a single driver’s day might include commercial deliveries, residential appointments, pickups, and time-sensitive transfers — all within one route.

“For us, a truck isn’t just a truck,” Angela explained. “It’s a specific vehicle, with a specific driver configuration, tied to very specific service requirements.”

That level of complexity exposed the limits of traditional zone-based routing and manual dispatching.

The Risk of Tribal Knowledge in LTL Dispatch

Like many LTL organizations, CEVA relied heavily on experienced dispatchers with deep, local knowledge. These planners knew:

• Which customers had strict appointment windows
• Where entrances were actually located
• When union breaks or facility restrictions applied
• How to work around equipment and access constraints

Much of this expertise, however, resided with individuals rather than being consistently captured in systems. CEVA recognized an opportunity to retain and share this valuable knowledge more broadly across the organization.

“When an experienced dispatcher left the company, it created a short-term adjustment period that affected productivity and transport costs, reinforcing the importance of knowledge sharing and succession planning.”

The lack of standardization also meant planners couldn’t easily step in across markets. Each terminal operated differently, reinforcing inefficiencies and risk.

Moving Beyond Zone-Based Routing

CEVA’s dispatch model had become constrained by static postal zones; routes were assigned based on geography first, not operational efficiency.

That meant:

• Loads near zone borders weren’t reassigned, even if another driver was closer
• Routes were sequenced, but not truly optimized
• Capacity limits were determined visually, sometimes literally by how full the dock looked

CEVA needed true route optimization for LTL, one that could handle deliveries, pickups, appointments, equipment constraints, and driver configurations together in a single plan.

Standardization Without Losing Operational Reality

By implementing RouteMax, CEVA focused on capturing real-world operational knowledge and embedding it directly into routing logic.

Examples included:

• Encoding known customer break times and access rules
• Correcting geocodes so drivers navigated to actual entrances
• Accounting for two-person delivery requirements
• Translating irregular freight into usable load equivalents

The result was a standardized planning process that didn’t erase nuance—but preserved it in a scalable way.

“What used to take five or ten years to learn, we can now teach in one to two weeks,” Angela shared.

Measurable Gains for Dispatchers and Drivers

With optimized routing in place, CEVA began to see tangible improvements:

• 200 - 300 additional pounds of freight per route
• Approximately two more stops per trip
• Improved vehicle utilization across the network

For independent contractors, this translated directly into better settlements, less wasted mileage, more productive routes, and higher earnings.

“That changed adoption overnight,” said Angela. “Once drivers saw the impact on their pay and their vehicles, they were fully on board.”

‍What This Means for LTL Leaders

CEVA’s journey underscores several lessons for LTL and final-mile executives:

• Route optimization must handle real operational complexity, not simplify it away
• Standardization reduces risk without sacrificing local knowledge
• Faster onboarding protects against labor volatility
• Driver-aligned optimization improves adoption and outcomes
• Scalable routing systems create resilience across the network

As Angela put it, “We value our employees and want to give them the best tools to make informed decisions, consistently, everywhere.”

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