FR8relay awarded $1 million federal grant

Bentonville-based logistics technology startup FR8relay will receive a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program. The money will support a project to improve trucking industry efficiency.

The project, Implementation of Machine Learning Module in Novel Relay Trucking Pilot, will integrate machine learning models to enhance relay trucking efficiency and resilience. The second phase will build on the success of the first phase, which showed the potential of FR8relay’s Travel Time Module to predict travel time disruptions using machine learning.

“Securing this NSF grant is a significant milestone for FR8relay, reaffirming our commitment to improving efficiencies in the trucking industry,” CEO Aayush Thakur said. “This project will bring us one step closer to a more efficient and sustainable freight transportation system for the entire country.”

The second phase will focus on enhancing FR8relay’s machine learning models within its relay scheduling platform, testing the Relay Scheduling Engine in simulations, and deploying the augmented software with live trucks and drivers. Integrating these models is expected to improve scheduling accuracy and the reliability of freight movements across the country. The work is expected to validate the technology’s commercial viability.

Since Thakur and his wife, Deme Yuan, founded FR8relay in 2018, it’s been developing technology to support the trucking industry, including its patented relay system, and work to improve load pooling and asset use. The technology is expected to allow for greater flexibility and responsiveness in freight operations. The approach is expected to reduce shipping times, operational costs, and address industry challenges such as truck driver retention and environmental sustainability.

FR8relay has received multiple federal grants, including awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Support from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission has also helped to bolster FR8relay’s research and development efforts.