Business professionals in trucking are stretched for time, overloaded with tasks, and low on staff resources and budgets. Whether you’re in operations, HR/talent management, sales and marketing, or leadership, it’s likely you are constantly juggling tasks, ranging from emails, scheduling, reports, and everything in between.
“The challenge is knowing which tasks to automate, optimize, or delegate while keeping control of work that requires human expertise,” says Julie Holmes, a tech and innovation expert who was the closing keynote at the 2024 Accelerate! Conference last November in Dallas.
Julie Holmes is a tech and innovation expert who has been advising WIT members on AI practices since speaking at the 2024 Accelerate! Conference in November.
“I do this exercise all the time,” says Holmes. “At this point, I can’t even look at a task without automatically assessing whether AI can take some (or all) of it off my plate. Being AI-empowered means AI isn’t an afterthought—it’s a core part of my workflow. If AI can get me 60% of the way there, I’m not spending my time reinventing the wheel.”
That’s where Holmes says the “Do Lists Framework” comes into play. It helps you categorize tasks into three lists which ultimately will help to free up your time for the work that actually needs you:
To Do (routine busy work)
Should do (growth activities)
Could Do (bigger impact tasks).
Once you’ve built your lists, the next step is to tag each task with A, B, or C to determine how AI can help:
A = AI-Ready. AI can handle more than 80% of these tasks with little loss in quality, or possibly even better than manual effort B = Begin with AI. AI can help, but requires some human refinement and oversight C = Cannot be done by AI. These tasks require human judgment, strategy, or interaction, though AI may be able to support related steps.
This structured approach ensures that AI is used where it makes the most sense, without losing control of essential work.
Step 1: Create Your DO Lists
First, Holmes recommends that you map out your tasks under these three categories:
TO DO (Routine Tasks AI Can Assist With). These can involve writing emails (or at least getting started with a correspondence, data entry, writing reports, drafting documents, and writing job descriptions).
“I used to spend hours on these tasks before realizing AI could do most of the heavy lifting,” says Holmes. “Now, I let AI get me 80% of the way there and I just refine what’s needed.”
SHOULD DO (Tasks That AI Can Speed Up). These can include such tasks as developing social media posts, training staff and documenting processes, personalized client messages, getting testimonials, doing competitive research, and developing win/loss reports.
“For example, AI helps me draft LinkedIn posts, create variations for different audiences, and even suggest relevant hashtags,” states Holmes. “What used to be a time-consuming process now happens in minutes.”
COULD DO (Higher-Impact Tasks AI Can Help With). These could involve projects that range from developing customer case studies and analyzing data for insights to revamping processes, and summarizing and reviewing saved articles.
“I used to hoard articles, swearing I’d read them later,” says Holmes. “Now, I have AI summarize them for me, so I can digest key points in minutes rather than letting them sit in my reading list forever.”
Step 2: Apply the A, B, C System
Next, once your lists are ready go through them and tag each task. Holmes suggests you use this system to determine how “AI-ready” the tasks are:
A: AI-Ready. These are tasks AI can handle with minimal oversight. Examples of these include drafting multiple email variations, generating structured reports, or summarizing meetings.
B: Begin with AI. With these tasks, artificial intelligence can assist but human review likely is needed. Examples of these include report writing, developing strategy analysis, or conducting competitor research.
C: Not AI-Ready. These tasks require human expertise, such as performance reviews, direct client calls, or creative strategy development, and they likely won’t have a significant amount of value in using AI. However, AI may still be able to assist with preparation, follow-up, and documentation.
When you’re assessing how “AI-friendly” your tasks are, Holmes suggests that you should consider tasks that occur regularly. AI thrives on repetition, meaning a reusable prompt can shift a task from “B” to “A” over time.
Step 3: The 20-60-20 Rule for AI Implementation
“AI is not an all-or-nothing tool,” Holmes points out. “The 20-60-20 rule provides a framework for integrating AI effectively.”
What is the 20-60-20 rule? It means 20% of it is human strategy (define the goal, choose the right tools, and provide clear instructions). Then 60% of it is AI Execution (you can let AI generate drafts, analyze data, and complete routine work). Finally, 20% is human oversight (review, refine, and ensure final quality).
For example, instead of writing client proposals manually Holmes uses AI to draft them based on past data (60%), and then she refines them for final delivery (20%). “This approach saves time without sacrificing quality,” she says.
Step 4: Build Your AI-DO List
If a task is consistently handled by AI, it may be time to fully automate it, suggests Holmes. Tools like Fathom.video record, transcribe, and summarize meetings automatically, eliminating the need for manual note-taking.
“I don’t waste time capturing and sending meeting notes anymore,” she says. “AI does it faster and better than I ever could. That’s one less thing on my list of things to do.”
Beyond simple automation, Agentic AI can handle multi-step workflows. As AI systems evolve, consider how AI agents could streamline entire processes, such as lead nurturing or real-time market analysis.
The result? More time for what AI can’t do: building relationships with clients, coaching teams, and ultimately making strategic decisions.
Next Steps: Take Action Now
AI is here to support—not replace—your expertise. The goal is to shift from “what AI can do” to “what AI can do for you.”
Your next step? Build your DO Lists, tag tasks with A, B, or C, and pick one AI-DO task to automate today.
Related Articles:
Like this kind of content?
As a member of the Wnbaz, stay on top of emerging trends and business issues impacting transportation and logistics; learn the importance of gender diversity in the workplace and the need for more women drivers; and see best practices in encouraging the employment of women in the trucking industry. Join today! Learn More
