From Amazon to Augment: Abbott’s Journey to AI Innovation

Abbott's career in logistics and technology started with Amazon, where he helped develop fulfillment software. This gave him deep insight into the complexities of logistics networks. He later co-founded Deliverr, a fulfillment platform that empowered small businesses to compete with Amazon's shipping capabilities. Deliverr’s success led to a $2.1 billion acquisition by Shopify—a milestone that reinforced Abbott’s understanding of the logistics industry's needs.

After exploring the potential of AI and large language models, Abbott realized that logistics professionals spend a significant portion of their day on repetitive, manual tasks like managing emails, handling phone calls, and inputting data. “These tasks are very tedious and cumbersome,” Abbott explained. “We started to think about creating an AI teammate that looks no different than a virtual employee. You can text them, you can email them, you can call them, and it starts to take this mundane work off your plate so you can focus on what truly matters, like relationships, negotiations and routing.”

What Makes Augie Different?

Unlike traditional automation tools that handle single tasks, Augie integrates directly with transportation management systems and communication platforms such as Slack, Teams, and email. It is designed to manage complex workflows, escalate issues when necessary, and collaborate with human team members to enhance productivity.

"Our belief is that voice or email agents and other RPA [robotic process automation] tools are missing out on the big picture,” Abbott said. “Real work in this industry requires emails, calls, logging into multiple systems and sometimes collaborating with a person in finance or other departments. Augie takes all this context and collaboration into account and gets real work done.”

Building a Smarter Logistics Operation

To create Augie, Abbott and his team conducted research by shadowing nearly 90 logistics professionals to understand their pain points and operational challenges. This hands-on approach allowed them to design an AI solution that fits seamlessly into real-world logistics operations.

Logistics industry leaders are already seeing the benefits of Augment’s approach. Matt Pyatt, founder and CEO of Arrive Logistics, stated:

“We partnered with Augment to build a multi-functional AI assistant, giving our team another tool to spend more time on value-added parts of their jobs and delivering a better experience to our partners. The Augment team has exceeded our expectations as a partner, shadowing our reps in-house, learning the business, and building solutions that make sense for our operation.”

Fueling Growth and Innovation

With its new funding, Augment plans to accelerate the development of Augie and expand its teams. The company’s immediate priorities include:
✅ Expanding engineering teams in San Francisco and Toronto
✅ Building a dedicated customer success team in Chicago
✅ Enhancing Augie’s functionality based on customer feedback

Justin Hall, with extensive experience at Primo Logistics, YRC, and GlobalTranz, has joined Augment as chief commercial officer to lead the company’s growth strategy and partnerships. Hall’s experience in the logistics industry positions him to help Augment scale its platform effectively.

“After 25 years in logistics—running 3PLs, fleets and tech companies—I’ve seen so much waste in this industry drain time, crush morale and limit margins. That’s why we built Augie, an AI teammate that doesn’t just automate tasks but tackles complex workflows, while making data more accessible and actionable,” Hall said.

What This Means for the Logistics Industry

The rise of AI-driven solutions like Augie signals a shift in how logistics companies manage operations. By reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks and improving communication across teams, Augment aims to drive higher efficiency, improved margins, and better customer service.

For companies like Smoove Move Logistics, adopting AI solutions could mean faster scheduling, smoother communication, and more time to focus on strategic growth. Augment’s success highlights the growing role of AI in transforming logistics—and it’s only the beginning.

👉 Stay tuned for more updates on how AI is reshaping the logistics industry! 🚀