Mothership Introduces AI Agent to Help Shippers Avoid Accessorial Charges and Rebills

AI agent has already saved shippers more than $1 million in freight costs

AUSTIN, Texas, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothership, a tech marketplace matching freight with top carriers for more reliable, lightning-fast deliveries nationwide, today introduced a proprietary advanced artificial intelligence agent. The AI agent is available to all shippers on Mothership's marketplace and its exclusive shipping API at no cost—regardless of shipping volume or frequency—and requires no contract. Since its introduction, the AI agent has saved tens of thousands of shippers more than $1 million in avoided post-shipment rebills or billing adjustments, accessorial charges and missed discounts.

"Accessorial charges can significantly inflate shipping costs—sometimes by hundreds of dollars per shipment. While the average freight accessorial charge is about $60, some carriers add $526 or more in post-shipment rebills for a single shipment," said Mothership founder and CEO Aaron Peck. "Our AI agent can save shippers thousands of dollars per month, empower them to better manage their shipping costs and ensure on-time delivery. This is just one more way Mothership has made freight more transparent, reliable and affordable."

With Mothership's AI, shippers can receive an accurate and transparent freight quote for less-than-truckload or same-day delivery in under 60 seconds. At the moment of quoting, the AI agent autonomously analyzes pickup and delivery locations, freight lanes and other relevant data to accurately identify, suggest and apply necessary accessorial charges, potential discounts—including complimentary liftgate or pallet-jack services—and more.

Mothership's AI does not rely on third-party AI models or technology providers. Mothership developed, trained and launched its AI agent entirely in-house with proprietary models, algorithms and technology. By leveraging data from hundreds of thousands of freight shipments on more than 50,000 freight lanes across Mothership's marketplace and accessorial charges and rebill activity from 14 leading national less-than-truckload carriers, the AI agent was built and launched in one month.

"Freight accessorial charges are one of the most common—and frustrating—factors impacting shipping costs. We developed our AI agent to use real-time data, predictive modeling and automated classification, giving shippers greater control and clarity over every shipment," said Mothership principal product manager Jon Rappaport, who led the development of the AI agent and its underlying models. "By proactively surfacing risks like suggested accessorials, our AI architecture drives faster, more accurate decision-making, reducing manual effort and eliminating costly surprises."

Freight carriers often rebill shippers for services, equipment or handling beyond normal dock-to-dock pickup and delivery, and add administrative or billing fees after shipment as a freight accessorial charge. Common accessorial charges include deliveries to residences, trade shows or limited-access areas, including airports, warehouses or container freight stations; freight reclassifications for inaccurate cargo descriptions, dimensions or weights; and equipment used, such as liftgates or palletjacks. Mothership's AI works to avoid surprise costs and shipping delays by confirming shipment details and providing precise quotes to reduce the likelihood of freight carrier rebills or billing adjustments.

To try the AI agent for free and start saving with Mothership's less-than-truckload freight and same-day delivery, visit mothership.com.

About Mothership
Mothership is a tech marketplace matching freight with top carriers for more reliable, lightning-fast deliveries nationwide, specializing in less-than-truckload and same-day shipments. Its advanced artificial intelligence and algorithms optimize delivery routes and predict arrival times, providing businesses with a faster, more affordable way to manage their supply chains.

SOURCE Mothership